Tim Hunt moving to private sector job after 20 years in government service
By Jason Emerson
Very few people knew, but for the past two weeks the town of Cazenovia has had a new highway superintendent.
In February, Tim Hunt, head of the town highway department for the past 11 years, tendered his resignation to the town board, with his last day on the job being Feb. 28. On March 1, Hunt’s deputy highway superintendent, Dean Slocum, quietly took on the main job.
The Cazenovia Town Board officially approved the changes to the highway department leadership during its March 12 regular monthly meeting.
Hunt left town employment to become the new general manager of the Syracuse branch of Five Star Equipment, a business that supplies the construction, commercial worksite and forestry industries with equipment and service. The business has eight locations in New York and Pennsylvania.
Hunt will manage the daily operations of the Syracuse branch and oversee the sales, rental, service and parts divisions.
“I was very happy with the town — I am very happy with town — and I loved being able to take care of the residents and serve them,” Hunt said. “I loved my job in the highway department, I wasn’t looking for a job, but this was an opportunity that just showed up. I gave it a good look and thought maybe it’s time to try something new.”
Hunt has served in multiple positions for the town of Cazenovia, including as town councilor from 1997-2004, town supervisor from 2004-2005 and town highway superintendent from 2007 to 2018. Hunt was the last town highway superintendent to be elected to the job — the town board changed it to an appointed position in 2007. Hunt was reappointed as superintendent every year thereafter.
“It was a great way to serve my community,” Hunt said. “I did enjoy it.”
Hunt was succeeded by his former deputy superintendent Slocum, who has been a highway department employee for the past six years. “I am 100 percent confident Dean is going to do a great job for the town,” Hunt said. “He’s going to be a great highway superintendent.”
The town board voted unanimously — albeit “reluctantly” and “with a heavy heart” as some councilors said — to accept Hunt’s resignation on March 12. The board also presented Hunt with a proclamation from the town praising his years of “tireless” service and leadership in Cazenovia.
“He’s an asset to any organization he joins or presides over,” said Supervisor Bill Zupan, reading from the proclamation. “He is loved and will be missed, and will always be considered a Cazenovian in the finest sense.”
Cazenovia Town Supervisor Bill Zupan said the town received the award all because of Hunt’s work and leadership. (submitted photo)
The board also officially appointed Slocum as highway superintendent to serve “at the town board’s pleasure.” Councilor Pat Race, who is the board liaison to the highway department, praised Slocum as “more than capable, more than competent” to take over the highway department, and said the transition for the past two weeks has been “pretty seamless.”
Slocum said he was pleased to take over for Hunt and everything in the department has run like clockwork so far.
