LYNCHBURG, Va. – 10 News is working for you to get information regarding Lynchburg city leaders’ investigation into the new city manager.
A week after announcing and welcoming Lynchburg’s new city manager, Douglas Stanley, council members met Wednesday night to talk about the decision.
Lynchburg Mayor MaryJane Dolan told 10 News it was a closed meeting and that she wasn’t able to discuss it.
10 News learned Stanley was the county administrator in Warren County for more than 20 years. He resigned on July 31. 10 News spoke with county officials there to ask why.
Walt Mabe, the chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, said he couldn’t comment on the situation and said it was between “Mr. Stanley, human resources, with the board of supervisors.”
During Stanley’s time as county administrator, Stanley and several county officials were charged with misdemeanors for the lack of oversight to alleged corruption and embezzlement in the economic development authority office.
Charges against Stanley were dropped.
Dolan told Lynchburg City Council members last Tuesday that they learned about the charges during the vetting process.
“Council considered the situation ... and we are convinced in addition to lacking legal responsibility for oversight, Mr. Stanley had no connection to any wrongdoing, even indirectly, and we are confident that he has satisfied all his management responsibilities with integrity,” Dolan said.
In an email sent to 10 News, Mayor MaryJane Dolan wrote:
“Due to the confidentiality of closed meetings I am unable to give you a great deal of information. I can tell you that last Wednesday, August 12th, the day after we appointed Mr. Stanley new information emerged. We are investigating and deliberating that information. Please understand, that this takes time and I ask that you respect our deliberations regarding this matter. Due to the public meeting laws, we had to give 3 days’ notice prior to our meeting of August 19th. and that is why we did not hold our meeting immediately after the new information emerged.”
“I need you to understand that I am bound to hold this in confidence until which time it can become a matter of public information. When appropriate I will be happy to discuss this with you.”
Stanley is supposed to start as Lynchburg City Manager on Sept. 1.