Norris promotes Whited to city manager
Norris Mayor Chris Mitchell, left, presides over the special called meeting of the City Council on Monday night during which Assistant City Manager Bailey Whited, right, was promoted to city manager effective Jan. 1. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Whited, who has been the assistant since early 2023, will replace City Manager Charles “Adam” Ledford, who handed council members a letter of resignation on Sept. 8, effective Jan. 2.
During a special called session following the monthly Planning Commission meeting, the council voted 4-0 to give the job to Whited. There are only four members on the council now, pending replacement of Will Grinder, who resigned from the council in October.
Grinder’s replacement, who would fill out the remainder of his term (through November 2026), is expected to be chosen by the City Council during its regular December meeting next Monday night.
The assistant city manager’s position was created by the council on Ledford’s recommendation in November 2022, just over a month after Ledford took over as city manager.
But during its Sept. 8 council meeting, the council voted to accept Ledford’s resignation, and in the same motion, eliminated the assistant’s position as of Jan. 1.
Then during the Nov. 10 council meeting, the council members voted unanimously to hold the special meeting Dec. 1 to elevate Whited to the job.
Whited, 26, is an Anderson County native who attended Norris Middle School and graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
He told The Courier News that he was looking forward to taking over as city manager.
“I went to school here, and I want to be here,” he said of Norris.
Whited’s promotion will become official as of Jan. 2, or earlier if Ledford should choose to leave the job before Jan. 1.
The council on Nov. 10 also voted to accept Grinder’s resignation, and decided to consider naming someone to fill out the remaining year of his term during the next regular council meeting, Dec. 8.
Any residents wanting to be considered for the council vacancy were asked to submit a letter or email by Dec. 1 to the city administration’s office. Candidates will be allowed to speak during next week’s council meeting.
Several Norris residents attending the Nov. 10 meeting expressed their support of Whited’s promotion.
The mayor and some council members, as well as some residents who regularly attend council meetings, have complained recently that the city has not been quick enough to address and fix some important city issues, including repairing and replacing downtown sidewalks and fixing the deteriorating roof on the city’s gazebo in the city center – which a group of concerned citizens took upon themselves to repair recently after raising money from the community to pay for the work, including a new roof.
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.
Whited was offered the assistant city manager position 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 since May 2021. The City Council was not involved in the assistant city manager selection process, which was left entirely to Ledford.
The contract approved by the council specified an annual salary of $68,000 for the assistant city manager, along with other benefits, including a $300 a month car allowance, health and life insurance, and annual leave.
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.