HAMLET — Hamlet City Manager Jonathan Blanton informed the mayor and city council Monday his intent to resign from his role as the city’s chief administrator, a position he’s held since January 2017. His final day will be May 17.
Blanton has accepted a job as director of business affairs and finance for the University of North Carolina in Charlotte where he will be overseeing an $18 million budget, as well as personnel and business operations for the University’s Graduate School.
“In a lot of ways, it will feel like going back home,” Blanton said Tuesday. He graduated from UNCC in 2016 with a masters in public administration. “It’s a place I’m passionate about and I hope the skills I learned here will help me.”
Blanton said he submitted a four-week notice so that he could oversee the fiscal year 2019-2020 budget. He will present the final budget message to council during the May meeting.
During his time in Hamlet, Blanton said he’s appreciative of the staff and council he has worked with in his two and a half years as city manager. He said he will also miss the people of Hamlet.
“I could not have had a better staff to work with,” he said. “Bill Bayless has been wonderful as mayor. He doesn’t micromanage and he has let me do my job and has been supportive. I could not have worked with a better mayor and I have had a great relationship with city council.”
Council member Jesse McQueen also noticed Blanton’s love for the community saying, “He’s a people person and he loved to be involved with everyone in the city.”
“He has built bridges between citizens and the City of Hamlet in several issues that he has had to deal with,” said McQueen. “He has been a true leader for the city. He’s done a great job in Hamlet, made some tough decisions, lead the city in a positive direction and he will truly be missed.”
Mayor Bill Bayless said he hates to see Blanton leave but is appreciative of the work he’s put in over the years.
“He’s been very community oriented and has worked well with the citizens,” said Bayless. “He’s a hard worker.”
Council member Eddie Martin said Blanton has done a great job as Hamlet’s city manager including hiring a new chief of police, museum director and senior center director and getting the budget ready to be passed by council.
“I hope he does well in his new job and there’s no doubt that he will,” said Martin. “He’s a smart young man and we were fortunate to have him in the two and a half years.”
Bayless said council will discuss how they’d like to move forward with filling Blanton’s position until someone is hired during the May meeting. He said the role would most likely be filled by an employee, and that there are several areas they can look at, but it’s a decision that will be made by council.
Council member Maurice Stuart said Blanton has been “a wealth of knowledge” to him since he filled the vacant council seat and has helped him since day one. Stuart said he will be missed.
“It’s unfortunate for the City of Hamlet,” said Stuart. “But we will be diligent in looking for a new candidate to continue to make Hamlet great.”
The advertisement for the open position will be posted sometime this week.
