news-record.com

GREENSBORO — Who will steer the ship?

City council members will get their first crack at answering that question this afternoon, when they are expected to start the process of finding a new city manager.

The council members are likely to formally appoint an interim city manager to take over for former City Manager Mitchell Johnson, who was relieved of his duties Tuesday night. Deputy City Manager Bob Morgan has been acting manager since that time.

During the closed session, City Attorney Terry Wood also will update the council members on a variety of legal issues, including lawsuits filed in January by former police Chief David Wray and former Deputy Chief Randall Brady.

After Johnson’s dismissal Tuesday night, council members indicated that they wanted the staff to get to work looking for executive search firms to find a new manager.

“I’m pushing for a national search. Let’s find out who’s out there, if they have enough nerve to come here,” Councilwoman Goldie Wells said Wednesday.

“You’ve got to have nerve to come here.”

As they start the search, council members likely will tap someone to take over in the interim.

“We need to bring somebody in who has a lot of experience and is capable,” Councilwoman Sandra Anderson Groat said.

Two potential candidates for the acting role include Morgan and former Guilford County manager Roger Cotten.

Cotten, who spent more than 30 years working for Guilford County, said he spoke with some council members about the position.

“I’ll try to work out whatever we need to work out if they feel like they need my help,” said Cotten, who now works for D.H. Griffin.

Promoting Morgan, who already works for the city, might be the most cost-effective plan, since the city will continue to pay Johnson’s $179,000 salary until July.

But that would leave the manager’s office short-staffed and could overburden Morgan, who also is acting parks and recreation director.

Wray and Brady both sued the city earlier this year, asking Greensboro to pay their legal fees for lawsuits brought against them by two police officers.

“I’m asking for us, as a council, to go back and look at that and re-explore paying the legal fees for Brady and Wray,” Councilman Mike Barber said. “We are in a better position to settle now that we are looking toward a new city manager.”

Wray’s attorney, Kenneth Keller, said the former police chief would be willing to consider any reasonable resolution.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com