LOCAL

City manager is latest employee to resign from Southport

Renee Spencer
Wilmington StarNews
Gordon Hargrove has resigned as Southport's city manager and accepted a position as the city manager for Boiling Spring Lakes.

Southport City Manager Gordon Hargrove is the latest in a string of employees to resign from his position with the city.

According to Mayor Joe Pat Hatem, Hargrove’s resignation was delivered to the board of aldermen via e-mail at 4:19 p.m. on September 20. As far as the impact of his departure, Hatem noted that “depends in part on the circumstances.”

“Mr. Hargrove resigned to pursue other opportunities,” Hatem said in an email. “He was a very good project manager, and we will miss his enthusiasm in that regard. City staff will continue to work on the goals and projects that have been set forth earlier in the year.”

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While Hargrove has ended his employment with Southport on October 28, he will remain in the area. He has accepted a position as the city manager for Boiling Spring Lakes.

According to a news release, Hargrove was hired by the Boiling Spring Lakes Board of Commissioners on September 20. The release states while “the city considered several qualified candidates,” Hargrove’s “strong service-oriented approach in working with residents, staff and the business community” set him apart, making him the board’s “number one candidate.”

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Hargrove began his employment with Southport in June 2020. Since that time, he has been guiding the city through several major projects, including constructing a new park, working with Brunswick County on a water treatment plant expansion project, and partnering with a nonprofit organization to restore the historic Brunswick County Courthouse building.

In addition to Hargrove’s departure, the city has also experienced vacancies in other key positions. Earlier this summer, its development services director resigned to take a position in Morrisville, and the human resources technician resigned. The city was also looking to add two positions — a human resources director and a city planner – to accommodate the area’s growth.

While vacancies in so many key positions could impact customer service, Hatem said it will not be an issue for Southport as many of the positions are now filled.

According to Hargrove, the city has filled the human resources director and technician positions, and it recently hired a planner who is set to begin work on October 3. Interviews for the development services director are scheduled to begin this week, and Hargrove said it is possible that all open positions could be filled before he departs on October 28.

Hatem said the Southport Board of Aldermen will immediately begin its search for an interim city manager, and despite the recent turnover, he believes the city can attract and retain qualified candidates for all of its open positions.

“Southport is a wonderful city to live in and to work,” Hatem said. “And being a part of Southport city government in service to this great community is rewarding in so many ways and (we) will continue to attract quality candidates for these positions.”