Norris City Manager Ledford resigns

Council moves to eliminate assistant city manager post

September 10, 2025 by G. Chambers Williams III

In a pair of actions Monday that one City Council member characterized as a “shock,” Norris City Manager Charles “Adam” Ledford handed council members a letter of resignation, and the council later voted, upon Mayor Chris Mitchell’s recommendation, to eliminate the position of assistant city manager, which was created shortly after Ledford took over as city manager in late 2022.

Ledford gave the council members the letter at the start of a special council workshop session on the city’s “organizational structure,” held just prior to Monday night’s regular council meeting. He said he would remain on the job until Jan. 2.

On Tuesday morning, Ledford told The Courier News via email:

“Because of a number of family and personal issues, I have decided it is best I end my tenure as city manager of Norris. It has been an honor to serve the people here over the last three years. Norris is an excellent community in which to work and reside, and I have made every effort to uphold its standard of excellence.

“I have submitted my resignation as city manager and will miss the many fine people that I have come to know over the past years. I think the plans we have put in place will only lead Norris to a better future,” he said.

In the workshop, which had been called by Mitchell, the mayor recommended two key changes in city management. Besides the elimination of the assistant city manager post, Mitchell suggested having the city’s water and sewer superintendent, Tony Wilkerson, report directly to the City Council, rather than to the city manager, as he was doing.

Because no votes can be taken during a workshop meeting, Mitchell brought up his two suggestions again during the council meeting.

The council unanimously approved a motion to have Wilkerson begin reporting directly to the City Council, which also serves as the Norris Water Commission board.

Mitchell noted that this move reverts to the way the water superintendent was handled for decades, until a change was made about two years ago to make water and sewer a city department under the city manager’s control.

Next, on a motion by Councilwoman Loretta Painter, the council voted 4-1 to accept Ledford’s resignation and to eliminate the assistant city manager position.

The “no” vote came from Councilman Chuck Nicholson, who suggested that such a change in city administration was premature.

“When [Ledford] took over, we had major problems,” Nicholson told The Courier News on Tuesday morning. “I’m not sure we’ve resolved all of those to the point where we can make this change right now.”

As for her resolution, Painter told The Courier News: “Adam resigned, so we had to accept. And I think getting rid of the assistant city manager position is the way to go.”

Mitchell and Painter said that it’s unusual for a city as small as Norris to have both a city manager and an assistant manager.

Mitchell and Painter suggested that Whited, who has been assistant city manager since early 2023, could apply for and move into the city manager’s post after Ledford leaves.

Painter said Tuesday that she expects that Whited would serve as interim city manager until the council goes through a candidate search and selection process, and both the mayor and Painter said they believe Whited would be a viable candidate.

Mitchell and some residents who regularly attend council meetings, have complained recently that city administrators have not been quick enough to address some important issues, including repairing and replacing downtown sidewalks and fixing the deteriorating roof on the city’s gazebo in the city center.

Ledford took over the city manager’s position on Oct. 7, 2022, after the city conducted two separate searches for a replacement for Scott Hackler, who resigned the position in June 2022, citing health reasons.

Ledford, 48, is a native of Eldorado, Illinois, and had been city administrator since 2016 in Marion, a town of about 3,000 people in western Kentucky. Before that, he was city administrator in Sac City, Iowa, from 2008-16.

Whited, 26, of Halls, was offered the assistant’s job on Jan. 31, 2023, after the City Council approved a contract for the position, submitted by Ledford.

He had been serving as city manager/recorder for the city of Rockford, Tennessee, since May 2021.

The council was not involved in the selection process, which was left entirely to Ledford.

Whited’s contract specified a $68,000 annual salary, along with benefits.

Whited told The Courier News at the time that he grew up “near Fairview Elementary School in the Heiskell area,” and graduated from Anderson County High School in 2017.

He holds a master’s degree in public policy administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Whited said that “being from here had a big role” in his decision to apply for the assistant city manager position.