Bratton named Chase City interim town manager


Chase City Town Council has begun the process of finding a replacement for longtime Town Manager Rickey Reese, who died suddenly June 19 after suffering a heart attack.

For now, Council has asked Mayor Eddie Bratton to serve as the interim town manager, and Bratton has agreed. Accepting the appointment, Bratton said, “This is not a position that I sought but I am honored that our council felt they could call on me to serve.

“We want to be thorough in the search so we are beginning with the creation of a job description,” said Bratton. The last time the town wrote a job description for the manager position was more than 30 years ago when Reese was hired.

Town Clerk Cynthia Gordon has already reached out to nearby towns for copies of their position descriptions, including Clarksville, which rewrote its town manager job description in 2013 before hiring Jeff Jones. South Hill also has been contacted. “Clarksville may be our primary guideline,” said Bratton

“We will have a committee to work on this selection process,” added Bratton. Those who have agreed to serve on the panel include Town Council members Brenda Hatcher, Charles Willis and Marshall Whitaker. Bratton said he will also ask a member of the public to join the search committee.

“Whoever we hire, most likely will have to begin from scratch,” rebuilding the knowledge base and relationships that Reese developed over 30 years in office. “His knowledge can’t be replaced,” Bratton said.

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