The Smithfield Town Council and Mayor want to hear from the public on what citizens believe the next town manager should be like. The input will be used to develop a profile on the next town manager.
A Public Forum will be held on Monday, September 28th at 7:00pm at the Town Hall Council Chambers. Anyone who attends will be given an opportunity to express their opinion of preferred education, experience or traits they feel is important in the selection of a new town manager.
Those unable to attend the meeting can submit written comments to the Office of the Mayor, PO Box 761, Smithfield, NC 27577 or in person at the Town Hall.
Former manager Paul Sabiston was fired August 4th in a 4-to-3 vote. The firing took effect immediately. Sabiston had been on the job a little more than 3 years.
Mayor Pro Tem Moore, who is a candidate for Mayor said after the Aug. 4th firing, “It’s a sad day for Smithfield. We definitely had a manager leading us in the right direction.”
Jim Freeman has been appointed the interim town manager. In discussions with town board members earlier this month, Freeman was told the town would conduct the selection process inhouse, saving an estimated $30,000 by hiring a consultant to search for a new manager.
Smithfield has had 7 full-time managers in the past 30 years. Prior to Sabiston, Town Manager Eric Williams was fired in 2011 during a pay raise scandal.
