Hideout Town Councilor Jonathan Gunn was elected by his peers to serve as mayor pro tempore.  Gunn was the lone council member who sought the designation and was unanimously elected by the Town Council. The mayor pro tempore presides over Town Council meetings and acts as the head in any case w here the mayor is unable or unfit for the job, according to town code. Gunn said it was Mayor Ralph Severini who asked him to step up to the role.  Gunn, a “mostly retired” attorney who moved to Hideout in 2020, said he quickly became involved in the community and local government when he moved to the small town. He currently sits on the Hideout Town Council and has been in the role for two years. Before his position on the Town Council, Gunn served on the Hideout Planning Commission for two years. Former Mayor Phil Rubin asked Gunn to take up the role of commissioner.  Gunn said acting as mayor pro tempore is another way for him to give back to the town.  “The mayor, that position is really important in our little town and I wanted to make sure that there was someone who was involved in the town, who had the town’s best interest at stake, who had the residents’ best interest at stake,” Gunn said.  Gunn would take over as mayor in cases where Severini is unable or unwilling to complete his duties. That situation happened last year in Hideout when Rubin resigned from his role due to health challenges.  Hideout Town Councilor Chris Baier was mayor pro tempore at the time and took over mayoral duties after Rubin’s resignation. Baier acted as mayor for just over one month, until Severini was chosen as the interim mayor at a special meeting on May 12, 2025, and was officially elected mayor in November. Severini said Gunn was a “logical choice” for the next mayor pro tempore. He added that electing a mayor pro tempore is a way for Hideout to continue tradition and keep to the town code.  “I’m here to do what’s necessary and what’s best for the town, and if that means I step up to temporarily fill the shoes of the mayor while he’s out of town or unavailable, I’m happy to do that,” Gunn said. “I view it as a responsibility of my position to step up when needed and do what I can for the best interest of the town.” The post Hideout Town Councilor Jonathan Gunn elected mayor pro tempore appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less