Last night, in a closed session, Chapel Hill’s Town Manager Chris Blue announced that he would be retiring next year. The news was reported by Chapelboro shortly after a press release was posted on the town website. Blue has been in the position since January 1, 2023.
A few thoughts:
This is a real bummer for the town
Blue is well respected by staff – we’ve heard great things from staffers across the Town of Chapel Hill, who have pointed to his fierce advocacy for his staff members. That advocacy has included protecting staff from overbearing council members, who sometimes try to go around the town manager when they don’t get what they want, and community members who think paying taxes means town staff are their personal assistants.
One thing we’ve learned over the last 18 months from filing many public records requests is that there are a lot of political bullies in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They go well beyond writing letters to council members and speaking for (more than) their allotted three minutes at town meetings. They harass town staff, barraging them with emails and phone calls day after day, month after month, year after year. They make thinly veiled threats to the spouses of public servants. They’ve tried (and sometimes succeeded!) to get town staff members to leave or step down.
From everything we’ve heard – and we hear a lot! – Blue has done a masterful job of navigating these relationships.
We’d love to learn more about Blue leaving
This is pretty abrupt news – Blue was championing the town bond referendum, which passed with great margins earlier this month, and staff only learned of his departure shortly before the public announcement. It raises our spidey senses! If you have something to share, we are on Signal (triangleblogblog.87) and we will keep you and your information secure.
Who has served as town manager in Chapel Hill?
After the announcement, a reader asked us if we could look into who has served as town manager in Chapel Hill. So we did, using town records and newspaper archives. Chapel Hill has had 16 town managers since 1922, all men. All but one have been white.
Name | Year Start | Year End | Gender | Race |
Eddie Knox | 1922 | 1928 | Male | White |
J.M. Foushee | 1928 | 1932 | Male | White |
John Caldwell | 1932 | 1944 | Male | White |
T.E. Hinson | 1944 | 1947 | Male | White |
Gilbert Ray | 1947 | 1949 | Male | White |
Thomas D Rose | 1949 | 1961 | Male | White |
Robert Peck | 1962 | 1973 | Male | White |
Chester Kendzior | 1973 | 1975 | Male | White |
Kurt Jenne | 1975 | 1978 | Male | White |
Raymond “Gene” Shipman | 1978 | 1981 | Male | White |
Ron Secrist | 1981 | 1981 | Male | White |
David Taylor | 1981 | 1989 | Male | White |
Cal Horton | 1990 | 2006 | Male | White |
Roger Stancil | 2006 | 2018 | Male | White |
Maurice Jones | 2018 | 2023 | Male | Black |
Chris Blue | 2023 | 2025 | Male | White |