Rockingham Update has obtained a copy of the release that was sent to City of Eden Employees. . . The following is the text of that Release
For Immediate Release
Date: November 23, 2022
The City of Eden announces that Councilmember Philip “Phil” Hunnicutt has tendered his resignation from the Eden City Council in order to focus on strictly personal and private reasons. Councilman Hunnicutt stated “It has been an honor to serve the City and the citizens in Ward 6”.
Mayor Neville Hall congratulated Mr. Hunnicutt on his service to his hometown and recognized the important contributions Mr. Hunnicutt had during his tenure on Council, adding “we hate to see Phil go, but we are glad for the time we shared together on council and look forward to him continuing to be an important part of our community; I personally and on behalf of the City Council wish him well in his future endeavors”.
Mr. Hunnicutt served on the City Council with distinction from 2019 to present and was a staunch supporter of economic development. During Mr. Hunnicutt’s tenure Uptown Leaksville saw rapid growth, Nestle-Purina announced its location at the former Miller Brewing site leading to an economic investment in the community of $1 billion, and the waterline was completed to serve the Southern Virginia Mega-Site in order to further improve economic investment in the region.
Among other accomplishments, the City’s parks and recreation program was rejuvenated seeing explosive growth and winning numerous championships and for the first time in many years the City’s balance sheet grew due to sound fiscal management. Mr. Hunnicutt saw value in city-county cooperation and has been a true advocate of economic development not only for Eden but for all of Rockingham County said Leigh Cochram, Rockingham County Economic Development Director. Jon Mendenhall, Eden City Manager, applauds the work and support of Mr. Hunnicutt and said “Mr. Hunnicutt was a true asset to the City, offering deep economic development insight and always serving as a steward of taxpayer funds, he not only challenged staff to continuously improve, he encouraged innovation and creativity which are important for any organization”.
Mayor Neville Hall, having received the resignation from Mr. Hunnicutt plans to discuss the open position at the December 21, 2022 regular Council meeting. At this time the plans are to discuss the process of filling the position by application and appointment, further information will be forthcoming after these plans are discussed in council on the 21st of December.
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