Mayor Blake Departure: Next Steps For Milford Interim Mayor Process

MILFORD, CT — Milford Mayor Ben Blake announced he will leave office in the coming months after being nominated for an administrative judge position with the state Worker’s Compensation Commission. In the meantime, Blake is getting the ready for the transition to a new interim mayor.

“It’s a transition, and it’s bittersweet, but I’ll make sure that transition is a smooth one and one that makes sure the business of the City of Milford continues to be seamless,” Blake told Patch Wednesday.

Blake was nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont to fill the judge position. The state legislature must confirm the nomination before it's final. The legislative session ends June 7.

The city charter requires that the Board of Aldermen fill mayoral vacancies with a member from the same political party.

Traditionally, the local town party committee submits an appointment recommendation to the Board of Aldermen, Blake said.

Blake was first elected mayor, and before that served on the Board of Aldermen for about eight years. This year’s budget process will be the 20th for him.

Some of the most memorable moments as mayor were when disasters hit the community, Blake said.

Blake was elected mayor in 2011 as the town was recovering from Tropical Storm Irene. A year later, the town was significantly damaged by Superstorm Sandy. Winter Storm Nemo then hit months after that. More recently, the city also had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Those are things that impacted us all and the community, but I saw how the community came together, stranger helping stranger, neighbor helping neighbor,” Blake said.

The city has also made a lot of progress upgrading and maintaining its recreational and school infrastructure, including new turf fields, upgrades at the popular Eisenhower Park and keeping the town’s beaches in good shape, Blake said.