Former Hampton City Manager to appeal termination

Charles Coney, who was ousted two weeks ago as Hampton City Manager, will appeal his termination in December.

Charles Coney, who was ousted two weeks ago as Hampton City Manager, will appeal his termination in December.

Hampton's former city manager Charles Coney, who was ousted from the post two weeks ago, will soon get a chance to challenge his termination.

A special-called meeting set for Dec. 11 includes an appeal by Coney for the city manager position, which he lost Nov. 13 in a 4-3 vote by the Hampton City Council. Mayor Steve Hutchison cast the deciding vote to terminate after the six- member council deadlocked on what to do.

Coney said he was let go because of issues surrounding the Henry County community's 2019 budget. Hampton operates on a fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. But because it was unable to agree on an annual budget this fall, the city, which had a budget last year of $9.1 million, is now running on a month-to-month schedule.

Coney has hired Albany attorney Maurice Luther King

to represent him in a breach of contract lawsuit he is considering filing against the city of 7,800.