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After three months as Winchester’s interim city manager, the Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to make Mike Flynn the permanent choice.

The vote came during a special meeting Monday evening.

Flynn spent a career, including 10 years as general manager, at Winchester Municipal Utilities before retiring in April 2019.

Following the resignation of former city manager Matt Belcher in July, Flynn said he was asked by Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner to take the position on an interim basis.

Burtner said 10 people applied for the position and Flynn was the commission’s choice.

“We got to know him a little better in terms of his management skills,” Burtner said. “We felt it was the proper choice.”

Flynn, a lifelong Winchester resident, said he saw the position as a way to give back to the community.

“I felt (taking the interim position) was the right thing to do,” Flynn said. “This community has served me well.

“Over the past three months, I’ve developed a rapport with the commission and staff around here. In doing so, there are some things we can do to move our community forward. It’s an opportunity for me to provide some guidance where it’s needed.”

The city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city and its departments and answers to the city commission.

The agreement sets an annual salary of $87,360, but does not include health insurance, and Flynn will not sign up for the Kentucky Retirement System. Flynn said he requested those terms to accommodate his retirement benefits from WMU.

The city will cover any bonding and insurance coverage for Flynn’s employment.

“This is definitely a different organization to manage and get my head around,” Flynn told the commissioners. “I look forward to the challenge and I’ll give you 110 percent. When I can’t give you 110 percent, I’ll move on.”

The commissioners all offered their congratulations during the meeting as well.

“We feel very fortunate to have you,” Commissioner Kitty Strode said.

“He’s already been an asset to the city and will continue to be so,” Commissioner JoEllen Reed said.

Earlier in the meeting, the commissioners approved Winchester Police Department joining the Gateway Region High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force and assigning Detective Matt Reed to the task force.

Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said the Gateway HIDTA involves Montgomery, Clark and Powell counties.

“We will be the largest agency, but don’t have a seat at the table,” Hall said. “It’s a federally-funded task force.”

Participating will allow investigators to cross county lines and track drug traffickers and cases, he said.

“It’s a great intelligence-sharing program for us,” Hall said.

The commissioners unanimously approved the concept, though Hall said it needs approval from HIDTA and a formal agreement.

In other action, the commissioners:

— hired Dylan Grubbs as a patient transfer specialist-EMT.

— reclassified Nicholas Gomez from maintenance worker I to maintenance worker II.

— reclassified Justin Seale from lieutenant/paramedic to lieutenant/EMT.