Council moves to eliminate assistant city manager post
by G. Chambers Williams III
Adam Ledford - 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.
With the fundraising campaign already concluded, renovations to the iconic downtown Norris gazebo — including a new roof — are expected to begin soon and be completed by early November. - G. Chambers Williams III
The Norris City Council on Monday night approved expenditures of $6,500 to replace the downtown gazebo roof and $9,000 for a July 4, 2026, fireworks display on Norris Day.
Both allocations were made through a budget amendment ordinance that the council OK’d on second and final reading during its September meeting, although neither expenditure was included in the budget amendment when it was approved on first reading in August.
Citizens had been complaining that the city’s 2026 fiscal year budget, which went into effect July 1, did not include money for next year’s fireworks show, which is usually put on by the city’s Fire Department, but paid for out of city funds.
As for the gazebo roof, the $6,500 appropriation the council made Monday isn’t actually costing the city anything.
A private group held a campaign in August to raise $6,000 for gazebo renovations, and reached its goal – and then some – in just nine days.
There will be no water or sewer rate changes for the city of Clinton this year.
City Council member Rob Herrell gave that update at the Aug. 25 council meeting.
Also, Herrell said some people may pay less on sewer bills than before, because of a change in calculation.
Clinton Utilities Board users never pay a higher rate in the summer for sewer services than the highest rate during winter months.
This is a way to avoid messing up calculations for things like sprinklers, which use water from the water system but do not go back into the wastewater system.
Previously the “summer” period, Herrell said, was May through October, but it’s extended one month to make it through November.
“So, you have an extra month to water your yard and et cetera,” Herrell said.
While the city of Clinton is changing its style of streetlights, the project shouldn’t raise utility rates.
New lights will use LEDs rather than high- pressure sodium lights as before.
Todd Loggins, assistant general manager of Clinton Utilities Board, said he anticipates conversion of all streetlights within the city to be completed within three years.
“This is something that we have been studying for several years for energy efficiency purposes, and the cost of the new LED streetlights in relation to the cost of traditional high-pressure sodium streetlights has finally reached a point where it has become cost-effective,” said Loggins.
“We also initially held off on these replacements due to quality issues that many early adopters experienced.
“The reliability and quality of LED streetlights have improved to a point where we now feel they are a reliable alternative,” he said.
Street, sidewalk and utility construction work continues to keep most of Market Street and part of Main Street closed in downtown Clinton.
For the third week in a row, Main Street is closed from Cullom to East Church streets, and will remain so through Friday, Sept. 12.
This is just the beginning for Main Street, however, as closures of sections of the street will continue through Nov. 24.
Main Street traffic interruptions come after several weeks of having Market Street closed from Main to Cullom streets, blocking vehicular access to most of the downtown businesses along Market.
All of those businesses remain open throughout the construction, with parking available in the two downtown parking lots – on Commerce Street and on North Main Street at North Hicks Street.
Many of the downtown businesses have rear doors that customers may use during the construction work.
