By Emily Weaver
Dunn Daily Record
DUNN – Retired City Manager Steven Neuschafer agreed to return to his role Thursday night after hearing of the sudden death of his interim replacement, colleague and friend, Mathew Boone.
“It’s been a devastating day for all of us,” Mayor William Elmore Jr. said at a special emergency meeting of the Dunn City Council Thursday night.
Boone died of a heart attack after returning home from work Wednesday evening. He was 40 years old.
Flags flew at half-staff over a darkened city hall on Thursday as his co-workers came to grips with the sudden loss of their last leader. Boone had served as assistant city manager for almost five years and was named interim city manager when Neuschafer retired from the role on June 1.
“We all feel the hurt from this, but I can’t imagine how Matt’s wife and young children are doing throughout this situation,” Elmore said. He asked for prayers for Boone’s family at home and his work family at the city.
Dunn City Council called an emergency meeting of the board to find an interim replacement at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Elmore said he learned of Boone’s death at 8 a.m. Neuschafer was the first call he made.
“He had just found out the news and I told Steve that I needed some help,” the mayor said. “He said, ‘William, I’m here for you and here for the city so whatever I need to do, I’m willing to do.’”
Neuschafer agreed to serve until the city can find the right candidates to now fill the roles of city manager and assistant city manager.
“Steve has a big heart for this community and for the staff of the city of Dunn and I feel for the council as well and Steve has agreed to come back on as our city manager in a full time capacity until we make other arrangements,” the mayor said.
Elmore said he saw Boone on Wednesday to talk about the upcoming agenda for next week’s meeting. It was 4:05 p.m. when the mayor said he told Boone to go home since the rest of the staff leaves at 4 p.m. during summer months.
“… We had sort of a chuckle and he did leave and went home,” Elmore said.
Boone’s father-in-law called the mayor and the city Thursday morning to inform them Boone died Wednesday night about two hours after getting home from work.
When the mayor met with Boone, he said, he was “real excited about a new project that he found a potential grant for the city of Dunn (to use to complete it). Mathew was always working towards finding us money and he had just found something that we’ll talk about in a few days.
“He was in good spirits yesterday when I talked to him and in no way … did he indicate that he was not feeling well,” Elmore said. “It’s very sad that he’s no longer with us.”
Boone was a 2005 graduate of North Wesleyan University where he studied law. He lived in Knightdale with his wife of more than 13 years, Michelle, and their three children, Piper, Cannon and Carter.
“This is a tremendous loss for our City and our staff,” Dunn officials said in a statement released Thursday morning.
Boone began his career with Dunn as assistant city manager on Sept. 24, 2018, after working seven years as the senior planner for the City of Raleigh Community Development, according to the statement. Prior to that, he worked in Raleigh’s inspection department as its housing and environmental inspector.
“Mayor William P. Elmore Jr. and the Dunn City Council Members are deeply saddened and dismayed by the untimely death of Mr. Boone,” the statement said. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as well as to the men and women in our City of Dunn offices who have worked with Mathew so closely over the past five years.”
Neuschafer served the city of Dunn for nearly 18 years, first, as its planning director from December 2005 until July 2011; then, as assistant city manager until April 2017 and city manager until June 1. He retired to seek a new position in the private sector.
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Too many “died suddenly” lately. Screw that vaccine