Martinsville City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a forensic audit conducted by a Roanoke accounting firm. The council held a special-called meeting on Wednesday, when they made the decision. Nobody would say what Ferrell-Benavides allegedly did wrong. Police Chief Rob Fincher was made interim city manager.
Meanwhile, Ferrell-Benavides has been selected as one of four finalists to manage the city of Elgin, Texas. According to the city’s website, she’s scheduled to attend a Meet and Greet in Council Chambers on Tuesday and then participate in a formal interview the following day. The website says Ferrell-Benavides became one of the finalists after a three-month national search.
(Photo: Vice Mayor Kathy Lawson, at left, Mayor LC Jones, and Councilman Rayshaun Gravely)
