Spring Lake adds controversial town manager hire to history of leadership woes
A town with a history of leadership issues is divided again, this time over the decision to hire a new town manager.
On Monday night, the Spring Lake Board of Aldermen voted 3-2 to hire Justine Jones, who was ousted from a similar position in Kenly after a little more than a month on the job.
Jones left Kenly in August when the town council there terminated her contract. The Kenly chief of police, four officers and two town administrators accused her of creating a toxic work environment.
Spring Lake Alderman Marvin Lackman was among the no votes.
"Ms. Jones did not fit the candidate that I was hoping for for Spring Lake," he said. "I didn’t want to bring controversy into Spring Lake, and I don’t think she was the most qualified."
Lackman and Raul Palacios voted against Jones, while the three women on the board, Adrian Jones Thompson, Sona L. Cooper and Robyn Chadwick, voted in favor of her hire.
Palacios acknowledged the baggage Jones brings to the job but allowed that an investigation by Kenly found no wrongdoing.
"Justine has something to prove in light of the recent controversy around her," he said. "Her ambition can help our town."
Cooper, who voted in favor of Jones' hire, said she put faith in the state's Local Government Commission, which approved the hire. "Our staff felt she was the right choice," she said.
Spring Lake has a history of financial management problems.
Just last month, a former finance director for the town of Spring Lake pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $500,000 between 2016 and 2021.
Last summer, town offices were closed temporarily and State Auditor Beth Wood said there was leadership lacking on the board of aldermen.
The Local Government Commission took control of Spring Lake's finances in October 2021, citing concerns that the town would default on debts. At the time, the Spring Lake budget showed an estimated deficit of $1.2 million.
The budget crafted by the Local Government Commission that took effect in July for 2022-23 is balanced at a little more than $8 million, with $544,994 going to service debt.
Neither Jones nor her critics has offered specifics about her time in Kenly.
She has said, "The allegations made against me were timely and thoroughly vetted by independent sources and there was no such finding of wrongdoing by me or my office. The decision to not communicate the entire story and publicly share the findings of the report is most unfortunate."
