Martinsville’s Turbulent Leadership and Courthouse Crisis | Roanoke News

City Manager Rob Fincher reveals a limited summary of the investigation into the firing of former City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides, citing Garrity rights and an ongoing state police probe as reasons for withholding the full report. Fincher described his tenure under her as hostile, marked by constant job threats and alleged misuse of personal information to control staff. Meanwhile, the city’s legal team is in turmoil after Sands Anderson quit amid a lawsuit from the mayor, forcing Martinsville to seek a new part-time city attorney and outside firms for legal work. A major $30 million contract has been approved for preliminary courthouse renovation designs — part of a $46 million state-mandated upgrade to meet Virginia court safety standards — with failure to comply risking fines or jail time for council members. The project includes a $10 million contingency, and city departments will need to relocate once construction begins. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f146a7aae055b175