Mystery: College Park, new city manager part ways after less than one day

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Courtesy/College Park

Natasha Hampton

In an announcement notable for its lack of details as much as the news it contained, College Park city officials announced they had parted ways with recently-hired city manager Natasha Hampton. 

The city’s statement reads in full:

On May 4, 2021, the City of College Park announced the hiring of Natasha S. Hampton as the new City Manager. After much reflection, the Mayor and City Council and Ms. Hampton announced today an end to their employment relationship. 

The City’s Mayor and Council will immediately re-open the search process to select a new City Manager. The City expects to fill the position by the end of the summer. Until the position is filled, Bill Gardiner will continue to serve as the Interim City Manager.

The announcement was released in the early evening of June 2, 2021. Hampton’s first day was scheduled to be June 1, 2021. Route 1 Reporter is unaware if Hampton reported to work as originally scheduled. 

Hampton, had she remained with College Park, would have been the first woman and the first person of color to serve in the role. 

In announcing her initial hiring, city officials noted Hampton had more than two decades of experience working in municipal government management. Before initially accepting the position, Hampton had most-recently worked as the assistant city manager for Rocky Mount North Carolina. 

Her appointment was to fill a vacancy left by previous city manager Scott Somers, who resigned in December 2020 for a new job in Arizona. 

Assistant City Manager Bill Gardiner will continue to serve as interim city manager.

4 thoughts on “Mystery: College Park, new city manager part ways after less than one day

  1. Pingback: College Park Hires New City Manager (Again) | Route 1 Reporter

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