GREENE – After serving Greene for four years, Town Manager Stephen Eldridge is moving on to become the town manager of Rumford in January.

Eldridge announced his resignation Monday night at the Board of Selectmen meeting. He said the move to Rumford is a great career opportunity for him, and although he is sad to leave he is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Selectman Timothy Doyle said having Eldridge on board has been a blessing to the town, and the town should know that when “candidates come along like Steve” it must understand the importance of keeping the salary competitive to keep the right manager on staff.

“The saying goes that when you put a finger in a glass of water and then remove it, you can see the ripples that are left. After a while those ripples go away,” Doyle said. “We will fill Steve’s position but those ripples will last awhile. I regret seeing him go.”

The selectmen expressed their gratitude to Eldridge and thanked him for helping improve the town. Despite his numerous projects and long hours, there is still a lot to be done, Eldridge said.

“We as a board have set the groundwork for a lot of good projects for the next town manager. The person chosen will be busy,” he said.

Eldridge will start in Rumford on Jan. 3.

“With a pay increase there is also a larger workload,” he said. “The Rumford community is larger and there are a lot of needs to address.” One he mentioned was the high unemployment rate.

Greene will soon be advertising the position and take applications until Dec. 23 or until the position is filled. The ads will appear in the Sun Journal and on the town’s Web page.

“This town has a lot of passionate people working and living in this community,” Eldridge said. “The board, staff and employees are great to work with. It should not have any trouble finding a lot of great candidates for this position.”

Eldridge’s last day will be Dec. 31, but he said he would assist the town and the search committee, ensuring it finds the town manager that best fits its needs.