Former Petersburg city manager fired from same job in Martinsville

AI-assisted summary

Martinsville City Council voted to terminate City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides after less than two years.

Ferrell-Benavides, a former Petersburg city manager, was accused of misusing city funds, including $2,000 on a golf outing.

She was previously fired from a city manager position in Texas and is a finalist for a similar role in Elgin, Texas.

Findings of an internal investigation into Ferrell-Benavides will be given to the Martinsville commonwealth's attorney.

A former Petersburg city manager no longer holds a similar position in a southwestern Virginia city.

It took the Martinsville City Council less than a minute to vote Aug. 7 to terminate Aretha Ferrell-Benavides following a two-hour closed session. The vote was 4-1, with Mayor L.C. Jones dissenting.

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