Plymouth has a new town manager — on an interim basis.
Chris Layton agreed to take the role after a closed session at the town council meeting Monday evening, January 11. His official start date was 5 p.m., Friday evening, January 15 — the same time Arlene Willis left the position vacant. His first day in the office was yesterday, Tuesday, January 18.
Layton comes to Plymouth from Duck, where he served as town manager for nearly 18 years.
While much of Layton’s tenure at Duck was distinctive with positive annual reviews, the several weeks were marred when an employee filed criminal charges against him, alleging he assaulted her on two different occasions. He resigned his position there on July 24, 2020, after the charges were filed.
Mayor Protem Deborah Brooks said Layton was “very up front” with council about the charges, which “did not impact our decision.” The motion to hire him passed unanimously.
Those charges are still pending in Dare County, he said, declining to go into detail.
“I’m still working with my attorney to get them resolved,” he said. “The system works at its own speed...”
For full story, check out this week’s paper.