LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The village of Lake George is about to undergo a tremendous change. For the first time in 52 years, it’s going to have a different mayor.

On Tuesday, village trustee Ray Perry was voted in unopposed as the next mayor of Lake George. Perry will replace Mayor Bob Blais, whose 52-year term comes to an end on Friday, March 31. Blais has been celebrated for his decades of work to turn the village into the tourist destination it is today, culminating last week in the form of a commendation from Warren County, naming March 17 “Mayor Bob Blais Day.”

Perry has served on the village Board of Trustees since 2007. He works as an independent contractor who works with cell phone service providers around the Lake George region and northeast at large. He’s been shadowing Blais over the last three years, and considers himself a hand-picked choice – a great honor to be.

“I can’t say enough good things about the administration of the last years,” Perry said. “There’s nothing I’m going to change but I may be adding a little modernization. I’m really just happy to step into the role.

Running unopposed, Perry won the mayoral seat with 147 votes on Tuesday. Two new trustees – Jose Filomeno and Allyson Miller – were voted in to join the board, finishing ahead of fellow candidate Randy Powell.

“Last night, Mayor Blais and I were out for drinks,” Perry recounted on Wednesday. “He had a great quote: ‘Don’t go to the ballot count. It’s bad luck.'”