Last week Guilford County Manager Mike Halford announced and immediately entered into retirement and, on Wednesday, July 2, another top area local government official announced an immediate retirement.
The Greensboro City Council put out the word on Wednesday that Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts is retiring, effective immediately.
The attorney came to the city six years ago after previously serving as general counsel for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said in a prepared statement upon the news:
“During his tenure, Mr. Watts was instrumental in leading the city through a number of significant challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and times of civil unrest. Chuck also restructured the legal office to modernize operations. We acknowledge his years of service and wish him well in his retirement.”
Watts stated, “I appreciate my years with the city and am proud of the contributions I have made during my time here. I’m confident the current legal staff will continue to function at the highest level in support of the city.”
The Greensboro City Council has the duty of hiring a new city attorney. In the coming days, the Greensboro City Council will announce who’ll serve in the interim capacity.
Being a city or county attorney is an extremely difficult job because you work for many bosses who often don’t see eye to eye but who all do want the attorney to see things their way.
In 2009 for instance, Guilford County government had six different county attorneys in one year.
Then, somewhat amazingly, former County Attorney Mark Payne was hired in October of 2009 and he lasted a dozen years in that position. Payne, who interestingly ate M&Ms of only some colors and avoided others, liked to joke after his first year that he’d been in that office longer than his six predecessors.
I feel certain that residents of Greensboro will want to know that federal court filings recently revealed in June that Watts was moonlighting for an RTP defense firm called Cyberlux.
The company received a $78 million contract from DOD to provide drones for Ukraine. Despite Watts’ contract stating he must work exclusively for the city, he was serving as attorney of record for Cyberlux in multiple federal court cases. The cases were filed after Cyberlux lost the contract and creditors sued them for non-payment of debt.
This was revealed because Watts used his City of Greensboro email account during regular business hours to communicate with opposing counsel. These emails were included as exhibits in court records.
This is all correct.
February 17, 2022, Michael Halford attends DGI board meeting, during which Matheny’s Block by Block Update states “getting folks off the street.”
A lot more will soon come out on this one but old Chucky retired in lieu of termination. Sounds like he was legal rep for a company under multiple federal indictments while on the clock collecting his $315,000 from the city.
Just another “brother “ abusing his position and taking advantage of the taxpayers. If this is proven it will be time for Greensboro to stop his retirement funds and initiate a lawsuit. I’m betting they won’t because he’s black.
And the SBI confirmed a city council member is under investigation.
Thanks, for the inside scoop!
Yep, this one really smells but most know he won’t have any problems. The mayor has already sung her praises. Scott, please stay on this one. The taxpaying citizens deserve to know the truth….not the city council BS.
Will be interesting…..we need to do a deep dive on GSO leadership
Everything is just all to hell around Guilford county.
Two long tenure individuals resign abruptly and now we learn that a Greensboro City Council member is under investigation by the SBI. Something is brewing here.
Scott, keep pressing for answers on this as well as Mr. Halford’s sudden “retirement”. We the people deserve to know what’s actually going on!
Greensboro City Attorney Chuck Watts retires effective immediately? Appears to be a trend here in Greensboro under our current Mayor Nancy Vaughan? From the immediate resignation and departure of our former Chief of Police, our former City Manager, and the prompt resignation of an off duty Greensboro police officer. Did any of these former City Employees break the law? Were any of them prosecuted? Did they retain their pensions? It appears many of our Politicians in Greensboro and Guilford County should be in jail and not in office!
This is no surprise. What is surprising is that clever Chucky would be so anserine to use Greensboro’s email account to communicate about non-work-related issues. He either thought he would not be caught or, even if caught, the Mayor and City Council would not act on the information. There is more to this story. As far as Nancy Vaughn’s remark “During his tenure, Mr. Watts was instrumental in leading the city through a number of significant challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic…” What Mr. Watts did was stay home as did most of the legal department at the time. The taxpayers would like to know what exactly Chuck Watts did that was so challenging during Covid-19. Watts has always been a favorite of the Mayor and City Council.
It’s because he won’t tell them no. And let’s be for real, good attorneys go private.
Maybe so about good attorneys. But from my own personal experience, there are a lot of bad attorneys in private practice. Generally, attorneys who work for the government are not very self-motivated, enjoy essentially a 9-5 job, a “safe job” from termination, and enjoy the benefits that go along with a government job. They generally have risk avoidant personalities. Nothing wrong with playing it safe.
Why is this gentleman getting a pension when he violated his contract, Nancy?
Like most polys, he’ll got off. Laws do not apply to the those in power, just to us.
Why has the city council member’s name not been leaked yet?
It has in another local news site.
It’s “Bent Bryan”, aka Zack Matheny. Maybe he got another DUI.
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Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark.
Hey Austin I forgot to respond to your question in another post, yes I do remember Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. I haven’t heard anyone mention that show in a really long time
God, we are showing our age, Aussie! I remember watching it on an old Black & White TV set in Wales as a little kid. I still remember the catchy Intro song… “Skippy ! Skippy ! Skippy the Bush Kangaroo…”
Maybe we should play it out loud at the next County Commissioners meeting!
PS My mate in Castle Hill is complaining about the cold wet weather, poor sod.
When do we get to hear the announcement that SKIP ALSTON is retiring? Guilford County would be better off when he does, although the “non profits” would fold up and blow away. We can only hope.