Asst. city manager Aaron Holland elevated to interim post; possible raise to be decided in February
Graham’s city council took action Wednesday, a week after city manager Frankie Maness notified city officials of his forthcoming departure to become county manager in his home county of Montgomery, naming assistant city manager Aaron Holland as the interim city manager.
Holland has had two stints with the city, since 2015 as assistant city manager, and earlier, 2007-2012, as the city’s planner.
In between, Holland served as city planner for nearby Roxboro in Person County.
The vote to appoint Holland was unanimous, 5-0, as the masked council members met in the council chambers Wednesday afternoon for a special called meeting for that purpose.
Council member Jennifer Talley raised a point of order objection, however, when mayor Jerry Peterman asked whether the council should consider a “bump” in Holland’s salary, based on his assuming additional duties in his interim position.
Talley insisted that the meeting notification, which she said Peterman had confirmed to her, would consist only of naming Holland, with no indication that a salary adjustment would be considered.
A motion by council member Melody Wiggins to increase Holland’s salary by 5 percent, $5,600, from his present level of $112,005 was pending, and subsequently withdrawn, after Talley’s point of order against proceeding.
Talley also wondered whether the discussion of salary should be held in a closed meeting, but Peterman said he felt an open meeting discussion was in order since Holland’s salary was, and would be, a matter of public record.
By the time, a few minutes later in the 14-minute meeting, when Talley was willing to discuss the salary issue, Peterman had already set the council’s next regularly-scheduled meeting, February 9, as when the council would resume the discussion on Holland’s salary.
Holland’s salary is $112,005.62; Maness’ is currently $138,703.22.
See Jan. 21 edition’s coverage of decision by Graham city manager Frankie Maness to return to Montgomery County as that jurisdiction’s county manager: https://alamancenews.com/graham-city-manager-leaving-to-become-county-manager-in-montgomery-county/
Maness accepted the job as Montgomery County’s county manager at a salary of $120,000, plus an annual car allowance of $6,000, according to Montgomery County sources.
Holland was sworn in as interim city manager at the end of the meeting by city clerk Darcy Sperry.
