By Scott Miller
smiller@scbiznews.com
Published April 20, 2010

Several business leaders expressed support for Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey before City Council voted 6-1 to accept his letter of resignation.

“I’ll be the first to ask you to reconsider,” restaurant owner Rick Erwin said to Bourey and to the council.

Bourey, who has been city manager since 2004, said he was forced to resign but that no one incident led to the move. He said he was just no longer a good personal fit for the City Council.

“They have to have a certain level of comfort with the city manager,” Bourey said, declining to discuss any disagreements he may have had with anyone on the council.

Joining Erwin at the meeting were developer Bo Aughtry of Windsor Aughtry; Frank Halter, CEO of the Coldwell Banker Caine; Brad Halter, president of Coldwell Banker Caine; developer Jackson Hughes of Hughes Commercial Properties Inc.; architect Joe Pazdan of McMillan Pazdan Smith; Peace Center President Megan Riegel; Henry Horowitz, founding chairman of downtown’s Artisphere festival; and developer David Glenn.

Previous coverage
Greenville city manager resigns

Mayor Knox White said Bourey contributed to some of the city’s greatest accomplishments, singling out the development of the baseball stadium on the West End. White said he always supported Bourey but noted that the city manager works for a seven-member council.

Councilwoman Amy Ryberg Doyle cast the only vote against the acceptance of Bourey’s letter of resignation. She read a lengthy list of accomplishments during Bourey’s six years on the job, including the purchase and upgrade of the Carolina First Center, the revitalization of downtown’s West End, the takeover of the bus transit system and the attraction of the annual USA Cycling Professional Tour event, among others.

Doyle also said Bourey could have been more forthcoming about the cost of buying and renovating the former Hitachi building as a home for a new city operations center. The city nixed that idea because renovation costs were too high.

It’s unclear if that led to Bourey’s departure. Per a separation agreement, Bourey and City Council members are prevented from making negative comments about each other.

Councilman David Sudduth, who said last week he would have more to say about the reasons for Bourey’s resignation after last night’s meeting, left without commenting.

Bourey will remain on until June 30, unless he finds a job first. Per his separation agreement, he will receive six months of his $167,000 annual salary. Additionally, the city will pay six months of Bourey’s health, life and disability insurance premiums, as well as his vehicle allowance.

When Bourey departs, Assistant City Manager John Castile will serve in the interim while the city searches for Bourey’s successor. Castile has been assistant city manager for 10 years.