The interim town manager for Chadbourn is a familiar face.
John Bauer served as town manager for Chadbourn from December 2018 through June of 2019. At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Mayor Phillip Britt said Bauer reached out to Britt about serving as interim while the town seeks a replacement for Jason Robinson.
“Mr. Bauer is familiar with us, and has done our budget before,” he said, noting that Bauer was familiar with several pending grants that the town must complete or lose.
Robison announced his resignation in February. The town council was scheduled to discuss an interim manager at its March meeting, but council members Tony Jordan, Avala Nealey and Danny Clewis did not attend the meeting. The three board members insisted that the council meet March 3, despite a longstanding town tradition of delaying meetings that fall on Election Day. They contacted Britt minutes before the meeting was to convene and said they would not be attending.
Bauer gave no reason for his departure in 2019. He replaced Trey Burke, who served less than a year.
Chadbourn’s town managers have a history of short employment with the town. While Stevie Cox served as manager from 2007-2014, Burk served less than a year in 2017-2018. Assistant town manager Jerome Chestnutt was promoted in 2019 and worked two years as manager.
In between managers, former Town Clerk Pat Garrell and Chief of Police Ken Elliot served as interim managers.
Bauer will work remotely and in the town hall, Britt said. He will be paid $65 an hour.
Also on Tuesday, the town council voted for Britt to continue the search for a new town attorney. Mike Stephens abruptly resigned as the town’s attorney during a closed session at a contentious Feb 21 emergency meeting. That meeting was reportedly called in an attempt to force the town manager to fire Police Chief Ken Elliot. The meeting was not properly advertised or announced, and the town board does not have the legal authority to hire or dismiss the police chief.
