May 20—TILTON — Thirty-year Tilton Village Board of Trustees member Bill Wear was sworn in Thursday night as the new part-time Tilton mayor.

He succeeds Tilton Mayor Dave Phillips who was set to retire at the end of this month after serving 22 years.

Phillips has two years left of his term.

Wear was at the village hall Friday morning starting in on his new duties in the office.

Wear also has a part-time summer job mowing and doing some concrete and other work for the Danville Sanitary District. Wear said he's off in the winter.

Wear retired in 2019 as Danville streets department lead worker after 40 years working with Danville Public Works.

"I'll be up here as much as possible," Wear said of being at Tilton's village hall.

He knows a lot about village operations having been a trustee, but he's learning more about the "finer points and meetings and other stuff like that," he said.

He said he'll still be able to be reached by phone as needed too.

Wear's first term on the Tilton Village Board started in 1989. He took a four-year hiatus due to his wife's health, and then returned.

Wear said he was interested in becoming mayor because "I have concerns where the village goes and what has been done. Me and Dave (Phillips) grew up together. Our thought process is kind of similar. Nothing really is going to change as far as operations are done."

He said Tilton will keep expanding in retail and commercial development. He will be getting caught up on everything from Phillips, and different developers. Wear said he had a meeting with Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. too.

"It's easier for me to slide in. So you really won't notice it," Wear said of being mayor.

Wear said the Tilton mayor position was part-time, went to full-time and now is back to part-time.

He will be working with City Administrator Tiffany "Jones" McClellan. Tiffany will be in charge of everyday operations of the village. Wear will handle more of the executive side and decision making, he said.