I am extremely excited to report that former Summerfield, North Carolina manager Scott Whitaker received fantastic news. He has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by local authorities. But he is still being attacked by his former council. I will elaborate more below.
All that and more news after the job postings.
Job Board Postings
It is free to post all of your senior and executive level recruitments over at the AAME job board. If you would like to include them in this newsletter, select the $199 option.
City/County Manager Recruitments
Other
IL: Decatur - Director of Finance (4/5/2024) | in-house
IL: Village of St. Joseph - Public Works Director (Until Filled) | in-house
KS: Osage County - County Controller (4/14/2026) | Bird Dog Consulting
NM: Ruidoso - Economic Development Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
NM: Ruidoso - Finance Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
NM: Ruidoso - Water Resource Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Dumas - Finance Director (5/6/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Lufkin - City Engineer (Extended - 5/19/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Marble Falls - Finance Director (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Odessa - Assistant City Attorney (5/10/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Odessa - Chief Financial Officer (5/8/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Weatherford - Assistant Director of Water Utilities (Until Filled) | Clear Career
TX: Wichita Falls - Chief Building Official (4/29/2026) | Clear Career
NC: Scott Whitaker Cleared of Any Criminal Wrongdoing
I cannot even begin to do justice to former Summerfield town manager Scott Whitaker and his former finance director, Dee Hall. I have covered his situation extensively over the last two years and wrote a lengthy blog post about it here. I will try to give you the “lowlights.”
Whitaker suffered one of the most disgusting and reprehensible separations I have ever read about when the Summerfield town council used a loophole to deny him severance and kick him and his cancer-stricken wife off of the town's health insurance back in early 2024.
Nearly all of the town's employees quit en masse to protest this despicable treatment, including his finance director, Hall.
Reeling from the public embarrassment of this spectacle, the town council, with the help of a scumbag replacement town manager by the name of Twig Rollins, launched a vicious smear campaign against both of them alleging fraud.
They have been subjected to a criminal investigation and are also fighting multiple civil lawsuits initiated by the council. It is all very despicable. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office announced it had closed the investigation into the pair.
GA: SHOCK! Columbia County’s Scott Johnson Announces Retirement
I recently met Scott back in October when I did an AAME barnstorming tour through the Southeast. We had an incredibly stimulating conversation about what he was working on in Columbia County. It was an incredibly fascinating and exciting conversation that I wanted to also have on the podcast at some point.
I say all that, because there was no hint in my mind that he was in anyway thinking about retiring and I felt like he was incredibly eager to lead the organization for the next several years as these amazing projects came online. You can read his public letter posted to Facebook here.
KY: Ludlow Mayor’s City Administrator Nominee Fails to Get a Second…Now What?
Mayor Sarah Thompson ran into a buzzsaw when her nominee for city administrator failed to garner a second.
The city administrator position has been a repeated source of contention in Ludlow. Previous City Administrator (and erstwhile Police Chief) Scott Smith resigned in March to take a city administration job in Walton. Scott’s tenure was marked with disagreement and, at times, legal jostling over his role in the city government.
Smith took issue with Mayor Thompson.
“I have worked with many council members and several mayors, some good and some not so good, but I have never seen this level of disrespect or dictator-style rule, and I will not be a part of another downfall to this city,” Smith wrote in his resignation email.
For now, it appears Thompson is going to re-nominate the candidate and try again…
News Around the Country
CA: Belmont ACM Kathy Kleinbaum named San Carlos city manager
CA: Woodside’s investigation finds ‘insufficient evidence’ for all but one of town manager’s explosive allegations
CO: Loveland city manager Jim Thompson announces retirement, effective July 7
CO: Joe Kerby, who previously was Montrose County manager for three years, will resume the position June 15
CT: Ridgefield Officials Weigh Town Administrator Role, Hear Warnings On Structure And Leadership
FL: North Port ACM Julie Bellia promoted to deputy city manager
FL: The Never Ending Dumpster Fire: Palatka commission votes to terminate city manager after misconduct claims last year
GA: Cave Spring City Manager brings integrity, work ethic to new role
IN: Winona Lake Town Council taps short term six month employee in clerk-treasurer office to be their new town manager
MI: Holland Township Manager reflects on decades of service ahead of retirement
MO: Former Velda City administrator, police chief sentenced for $300,000 wire fraud scheme
NH: Hanover resident faces civil stalking charges from town manager, Selectboard
OH: Audio reveals details of meeting between police chief and Cincinnati city manager before firing
PA: Bellefonte Borough Council has formally offered interim manager David Pribulka the position permanently
TX: Pecos Terminates Contact with Midland City Manager Tommy Gonzalez and Nicole Ferrini Surfaces as Assistant City Manager
WA: Longview city manager earns statewide honor for parks efforts
WI: Janesville City Manager Kevin Lahner will step down next month and the council has eliminated the deputy city manager position
WI: Marshall village clerk and deputy administrator leaving to become Antigo’s administrator
WV: Fired Bridgeport city manager Patrick Ford wins first round of legal battle with city
WV: Smithers city administrator Teresa Dorsey seeks Fayette County Commission seat; she is also the municipal judge for Montgomery and Ansted
Compensation & Contracts
CA: South Pasadena City Manager Todd Hileman Gets Praise, Raise at One-Year Mark
FL: Manatee County administrator's proposed contract raises concerns
Recent City Manager Unfiltered Podcast Episodes
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