Richard “Foster” Hughes, II, took the oath of office as the city manager for New Bern, NC on Sept. 14, 2021.
The New Bern Board of Aldermen appointed him as the interim city manager in May 2021. Prior to that he was the director of Parks and Recreation for four years.
During the Aug. 24 Board of Aldermen meeting Alderman Robert “Bobby” Aster made a motion to hire Foster Hughes as the city manager with a salary of $165,000 a year plus a $500 a month vehicle allowance. The vote carried 6-1 with Alderwoman Jameesha Harris disagreeing with the process of hiring the City Manager without allowing other candidates to apply for the position.
During the Petition of Citizens portion of the Sept. 14 meeting, a resident expressed concern with the selection process and thought it should have been more transparent.
Hughes is the second city manager in nine years to be hired internally without conducting a national search.
Alderman Barbara Best apologized to him for not informing him of the selection.
By Wendy Card, Editor