Rutherford County Commissioners to Hold Closed Special Meeting

The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold two special closed-session meetings this week as the search for a new county manager moves forward. 

The meetings are set for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 and 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Rutherford County Office Building in Rutherfordton. The notices list both meetings as "Closed Session — Personnel N.C.G.S. 143-318.11(a)(6)."

The meetings come seven months after former County Manager Steve Garrison resigned. He left the position the first week of February to work for Governor Josh Stein as a regional recovery coordinator for the governor's recovery office for western NC (GROW NC). Interim County Manager Bryan King, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, has led the county since Garrison’s departure. 

The application period for the county manager position closed on June 30. Commissioners have not publicly announced how many candidates applied, who is being considered, or when interviews are scheduled.

The county has not said the meetings are specifically related to the county manager search. Officials only identified the purpose as personnel matters.

Sources familiar with the process told WCAB News the search is underway and commissioners are expected to review candidates. The county has also not publicly explained why the manager position was not advertised sooner after Garrison’s departure or provided a timeline for selecting a permanent replacement.

Under North Carolina’s Open Meetings Law, closed sessions are allowed only for specific purposes outlined in state law, including certain personnel matters. Before entering closed session, the board must first meet in open session and approve a motion stating the legal reason for the closed session.

The law also requires public bodies to identify who will be attending the closed session before the meeting takes place, not just the subject matter being discussed, according to the UNC School of Government. "Once the closed session is complete, the public body must return to the open session to complete its business or to adjourn," Frayda Bluestein said in Open Meetings and Other Legal Requirements for

Local Government Boards.

While the initial screening and vetting happen behind closed doors, the official appointment, contract approval, and salary terms must be voted on in open session. The purpose of a public meeting is so residents know who is being hired and how taxpayer funds are being spent.

The current commissioners are King, Alan Toney, Michael Benfield, Hunter Haynes, and Donnie Haulk. King, Toney, and Benfield did not seek re-election. As WCAB news previously reported, the primary winners in March included Allen Hardin and Adam Yelton, both Republicans. Two men are running for the third seat, Scott Haynes (R) and Phil Burney (D), in the Nov. 3 general election. The seats held by Haynes and Haulk are up for re-election in 2028.

In previous meetings, current commissioners said they would like the two commissioners-elect and two commissioner candidates to participate in the interview process for the new county manager. 

The board has not announced when it expects to make a final decision on the next county manager.