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GREENSBORO - Few solid answers have surfaced since the county's top two administrators stepped down in the past week.

The latest to go is Ben Brown, former deputy manager of Guilford County, who announced his resignation within a week of County Manager David McNeill's retirement.

Some commissioners and county staff have speculated that the pair was forced out by

the new leadership on the Board of Commissioners. Both stepped down in the first two weeks since Democrat Melvin "Skip" Alston became the board's chairman and Republican Steve Arnold joined him as vice chairman.

"It's no disrespect to them at all, but their style of leadership is not what you need in a crisis situation," Alston said. "And we want to see who can really weather this storm."

Alston and Arnold have said that a majority of commissioners wanted a change, but they have given

no specifics on either man's shortcomings. Neither Brown nor McNeill have returned phone messages left since Monday.

Commissioner Paul Gibson has said that Brown was forced out, with possibly more changes to come.

"He didn't want to leave Guilford County," said Gibson, who also spoke out against McNeill's sudden retirement last week.

Alston said he's reviewing positions from top to bottom as commissioners spend more time researching the county's budget to avoid a potential property tax rate increase that would add about $100 to the tax bill for the owner of a $200,000 home.

Alston and Arnold met with Brown and McNeill in the days before they left.

"We didn't say anything about firing, we just expressed our concerns and he made his own decision," Alston said of Brown. Alston didn't say what those concerns were.

When faced with the prospect of being fired by the Board of Commissioners that hired him, someone in McNeill's position would choose to retire with a better severance package, which includes an average of four years of the highest salary he received.

McNeill earned $179,306 with a $7,500 car allowance this year. Brown made $160,400 with a $5,400 car allowance. Brown has been working in government nearly 22 years.

Alston said he believes that interim county manager Brenda Jones Fox is likely to name human resources Director Sharisse Fuller as the interim deputy county manager, though he couldn't say whether that had happened.

Fox did not reply to phone messages Tuesday. Brown was in his office Monday but on vacation Tuesday. Fuller said that she has not been made aware of any changes in her position.

Gibson said more targeted position cuts could come in other county offices. Alston said he doesn't have such plans.

"I don't have what they call a 'hit list' or nothing like that," Alston said, "and I just want the best service possible, and sometimes you might have to change captains on the ship in order to steer it in another direction."

Gibson said those who recently left are best to direct the county.

"We need to look at accountability and the processes we have in place," he said, instead of removing people from their positions.

"Arnold and Alston want to micromanage, and the people that they are getting rid of are the people they cannot control," Gibson said.

Commissioners appoint positions including the county attorney, finance director, tax collector, county manager and clerk to the Board of Commissioners.

Most other positions, including those such as deputy county manager, are filled under the county manager. State laws say that while the commissioners may have final say on a manager's hires, commissioners don't have as much authority when it comes time to let people go.

"Once they get appointed, the manager is involved in supervision," said David Lawrence a public law and government professor at the UNC Institute of Government. But, he said, a board can supersede those rules if they wish.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com