BREAKINGS NEWS: Michael Patterson withdraws as incoming SWH town manager
SOUTHWEST HARBOR, Sept. 8, 2021 - The outgoing manager in the City of Florence, Colo. has rescinded his acceptance to be the next town manager here.
Don Gerrish, who conducted the search for Eaton Peabody Group, confirmed today that Michal Patterson has rescinded his acceptance of the job. Gerrish said he didn’t know the reason.
QSJ reported last week that Patterson was convicted in 2008 of Assaulting his wife in front of minors.
His employer, the city of Florence, Colo., fired him as city manager on Sept. 1 in a unanimous vote of the city council, as reported by the Florence Citizen. It was not clear whether that was related to his new position in SWH.
The Canon City Daily Record had a fuller report.
The Bend Bulletin in Oregon reported in 2011 that Patterson was charged with assaulting his wife in 2008 when he was city manager in Redmond, Ore.
“Patterson was originally facing felony charges that he assaulted his wife in front of minors. The courts later dropped the charge to a misdemeanor count and Patterson completed court-mandated treatment. Last December, he was granted early release from probation,” the Oregon newspaper reported.
Patterson was scheduled to start Oct. 4, 2021. Gerrish said the town will start advertising again to fill the position.
Looks like maybe they should have kept the perfectly good one they had. He ran afoul of the old boys network.