John Myers, new Edinburgh town manager, stands in front of town hall Monday.
Elissa Maudlin | Daily Journal
EDINBURGH — Retirement didn’t last very long for Edinburgh’s new town manager.
John Myers, who had recently retired from the Greenwood Police Department, was named to the position Monday by the Edinburgh Town Council. Myers had worked for the Greenwood Police Department for more than 30 years, in addition to serving on the Johnson County Council for 12 years.
A resident of Trafalgar, Myers said he is honored and very humbled to be in Edinburgh. He believes the town is “a gem that sits between U.S. 31 and 65.” He started his new role Tuesday.
Edinburgh has cycled through multiple town managers in recent years, and for the past few months, the role has remained empty.
In 2020, the town fired its former town manager J.T. Doane after finding evidence he had been paying an employee of the Edinburgh Electric Department $480 a month from his personal bank account. Another former town manager, Dan Cartwright, left his role and accepted a job in Bargersville in 2022. In 2023, the town hired Kevin McGinnis to be town manager, who later announced he was retiring and resigned in April.
While working to fill the position, Town Council President Ryan Piercefield served as the interim town manager.
Myers was born and raised in Greenwood and became a fire cadet with the city when he was 15 years old. He remained in public safety ever since. He worked for his aunt at Myers Ambulance for years, became a reserve at the Franklin Police Department and was hired full-time at Greenwood Police Department where he had served until his retirement.
Alongside his public safety experience, Myers previously has been involved in government since elementary school when his uncle ran for Greenwood mayor, he said. He has been a Johnson County Council member since 2012.
“I love that work that I did at the county, and I just enjoy that. Working with the community, the public, is just something I just truly enjoy and I like to see progress,” he said.
Myers said he wasn’t going to share what his vision for Edinburgh is yet, but pointed out the town is working on its new comprehensive plan. He is also focusing on building relationships with the department heads and town employees, he said.
“You got to have a relationship and see what the town needs. But looking at (it), they have their festivals down here. They have their Firecracker Festival in July, and I came down here the last couple years for that, and I’m just impressed with this town and their commitment to the town,” Myers said. “These people are very proud of their town. They take pride in it, and they do what’s best.”
He said he is most excited about the new challenge and new people he will be working with. Edinburgh is like a family and he is looking forward to working with a town that does a lot for its community, he said.
“My door is always open,” he said. “I want to be out and about as much as I can.”
