Onslow County says manager fired for cause; won’t get $900K severance

ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Onslow County says it fired its county manager last night for cause, so David Smitherman won’t be eligible for any of his lucrative severance package.

This, as Smitherman says, he was told the county would allow him to resign and pay out what he was due.

In a unanimous vote last night, Onslow County commissioners voted to fire the county manager.

Smitherman has been manager for just over two years, and before that was interim manager for four months.

In a statement sent to WITN late this morning, Smitherman said it was an honor to serve as county manager, and the employees were among the most professional and competent public servants he’s worked with.

But the former county manager said commissioners were unwilling to find a solution to a recent impasse.

Smitherman said the International City/County Management Association’s code of ethics would have been violated “if I had performed as a group of Commissioners insisted.”

He said he wasn’t able to speak to the full board about the request, and it wasn’t the first time he was challenged to breach ethical practice.

In the statement, Smitherman did not provide any details about the nature of the impasse.

Smitherman went on to say that for the overwhelming majority of his tenure, he had an excellent working relationship with the commissioners.

“The organization is capable of achieving great things for its citizens but must be provided the opportunity to perform,” Smitherman said. “Citizens should demand better from elected officials at every level of American government.”

His four-year contract gave Smitherman an annual salary of $310,280.44. It said if he got forced out, the county would have to pay him until the end of 2028. That amounts to more than $900,000.

This afternoon, the county said Smitherman wouldn’t be eligible for any severance because he wasn’t willing to perform his duties.

In reaction to that, the former manager sent a WITN reporter this text: “The board didn’t tell me they were planning to terminate my contract. They told me they were going to allow me to resign. And pay me out. What was due.”

Late in the day, Chairman Tim Foster said he knows of no occasion where a county commissioner asked Smitherman to do something unethical.

“It is obvious that Mr. Smitherman is upset that a unanimous Board decided to terminate his Employment Agreement, and that Mr. Smitherman intends to lash out, by making unfounded and unspecified allegations, against those of us who were elected to do what is in the best interest of Onslow County,” Foster said in the statement.

In the evening, Smitherman sent another text to WITN, which reads, “Everything will be exposed in due course. Truth always prevails.”

Before coming to Onslow County, Smitherman served as county administrator in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He was fired from that job in 2022.

Deputy County Manager Steve Eaton is now the interim county manager, according to a news release. He began working in Onslow County last month, and before that was assistant county manager in Gaston County.

David Smitherman statement

It has been my honor to serve as Onslow County Manager. The employees are among the most professional and competent public servants with whom I have worked. I will miss these fine people - they are resilient, exceptional, accountable, customer focused and honest.

I regret the Board was unwilling to find an amicable solution to a recent impasse. The International City/County Management Association’s Code of Ethics, to which I subscribe, would be violated if I had performed as a group of Commissioners insisted. Unfortunately, I was not afforded an opportunity to address the full Board regarding the request. This was not the first time I was challenged to breach ethical practice.

For the overwhelming majority of my tenure, I enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the Board of Commissioners. My performance evaluations were exceptional. The Board and County are achieving great things. External relationships and internal culture are better than at any time in past 30 years. I would love to continue to be part of the great accomplishments underway.

Onslow County is on the precipice of dramatic population and demographic change that will define future generations. The organization is capable of achieving great things for its citizens but must be provided the opportunity to perform. Citizens should demand better from elected officials at every level of American government.

I wish every one of the 1500 employees of Onslow County good luck and hope they continue to strive to be better public servants every day. They are truly the best group I have ever had the opportunity to lead. I will miss them all greatly.