Update 11:15 a.m. Aug. 21: Since this story was first reported, Wayne Reed has turned down the city’s offer.
“Mr. Reed has declined the offer from the City of Elgin to be our next City Manager,” reads a message from the city. “While we are disappointed, we understand that he must do what is best for him and his family and respect his decision. We appreciate his time and consideration of the position and wish him the best.”
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Martinsville City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, who is on suspension pending termination, will not serve as the new city manager for Elgin, Texas.
Elgin’s city council appointed Wayne Reed following a closed session on Monday. Ferrell-Benavides had been one of four finalists for the job.
Ferrell-Benavides had said that she wasn’t sure about her future with Martinsville, which, along with her desire to move closer to family, was part of the reason why she applied for the Elgin position.
Elgin announced its city manager candidates late last month. Around the same time, Martinsville’s city council voted to place Ferrell-Benavides on paid administrative leave. On Aug. 7, the council voted to fire Ferrell-Benavides, but the next week backtracked and deferred the decision to adhere to the city’s charter. On Aug. 12, Ferrell-Benavides was suspended with pay, and after 60 days her status will change to terminated.
Martinsville Police Chief Robert Fincher is serving as interim city manager.
“They looked to me [for] a little bit of stability,” Fincher said after the council’s Aug. 12 meeting. “My main job, of course, is to get them through it until they can find a permanent city manager, make sure the ship stays afloat and we are heading in the right direction.”
Fincher said that while his role in choosing the next city manager is limited, he said he believes the council wants someone who wants to “take on Martinsville as their hometown if they are not already from here.”
While the city and Ferrell-Benavides will soon part ways, several unresolved issues remain.
One is a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Councilor Aaron Rawls, stemming from a March incident in which he was escorted from a council meeting. Ferrell-Benavides, who is a co-defendant along with sheriff’s Deputy Reva Keen, has maintained that she had no involvement in the incident.
Prior to her termination, Ferrell-Benavides filed a complaint against the city with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that she had been “defamed, harassed, and discriminated against on the basis of my gender, race, and color.”
The council also voted to submit information related to an ongoing forensic audit to the city commonwealth’s attorney. The council voted for the audit to determine if there was abuse stemming from travel-related expenses. Council members did not specify whether the submission could lead to legal action.
