Franklin City council rejects employment agreement for Brian Thrower, approves outreach to Rosyn Oglesby

A motion to approve an employment agreement for Brian Thrower as Franklin City manager failed during a council meeting in which members convened in a closed session to discuss personnel matters.

Council members moved into closed session under Virginia Code 2.2-3711(A)(1) for "discussion, consideration or interviews of prospective candidates" for the positions of city attorney and city manager, then returned to open session and certified compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. After re-opening, the council considered a motion "to accept the employment agreement with Mr. Thrower." The presiding officer announced, "Motion does not carry." The transcript does not record a clear numerical roll call or a complete recorded tally for the vote.

Following the failed vote, a council member proposed a replacement motion directing staff to contact Miss Rosyn Oglesby to determine whether she would be willing to return to Franklin City as city manager. Members debated who should make the contact — the human-resources director, the city manager, or an outside consultant referenced in the discussion — and emphasized following proper procedure. The council approved the motion and noted that human-resources staff would reach out; council members said further steps, including negotiations, would be decided if Oglesby indicated interest.

Legal counsel advised that assigning internal responsibilities and the strategy for how to approach prospective candidates are proper subjects for closed session under the cited Virginia code, and suggested the council could schedule a closed-session update at the next meeting. The transcript shows members agreeing to place the item on the agenda for a future meeting if further executive discussion is needed.

The meeting record names the governing statute invoked (Virginia Code 2.2-3711(A)(1)) and records the council's certification after the closed session. The transcript contains inconsistent name spellings — the candidate is referred to as "Miss Rosyn Oglesby" in parts of the record and as "Miss Holesby" in another — and does not provide complete vote tallies for the Thrower motion; the article reflects those facts based on the record.

Next procedural steps noted by council members included human-resources outreach to Oglesby and the possibility of a closed-session update at the next council meeting.