CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte's city manager Marcus Jones made history in 2016 by becoming the first African-American to hold this position.
During his first year as City Manager, we had a high murder rate and new changes in leadership on the city council.
But unlike past city managers, Jones hasn't been as visible.
Spectrum News’ government reporter, Kirstin Garriss has been pushing for this interview months because people want to hear from their city manager, the person responsible for the day to day operations of the city.
In an exclusive sit-down, she asked Jones about his lack of transparency with the media, and he said just because he’s not doing TV interviews every day, doesn’t mean his department isn’t transparent.
“The philosophy is that we hire great professionals, and those great professionals, Chief Putney, John Lewis and many more, they've been on shows. I’d like to make sure my great team is interfacing with the community,” Putney told us.
This year, Jones will make one of
Recently, an anonymous letter went the manager and city council, outlining claims of discrimination and lack of women and minorities being promoted.
Jones says every department has its challenges, and as he starts interviewing candidates next week, he says this a time to refocus at the fire department.
“We need a leader that's able to bring people together and create a culture at the fire department that's built on the success of the past, that people are able to enjoy what they do and thrive at what they do.”
Throughout the two-part series, airing this Saturday and Sunday, you'll hear more from jones about what's happening as we prepare for the 2019 NBA All-Star game and the city's upcoming bid to host the Republican National Convention in 2020