City manager resigns amid investigation in Crossville

CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Crossville city manager submitted his letter of resignation amid an investigation into how he handled the closing of the Village Inn motel, a low-income housing complex, according to a report from the Crossville Chronicle.

Crossville City Manager Greg Wood was suspended with pay on Aug. 2, following a WVLT News exclusive report on the closing of the motel.

Authorities closed the complex late last month, but it reopened less than a day later due to a procedural error on the city’s part. The owner of the property, Dr. Robert “Buck” Wood, told WVLT Newspaper partner the Crossville Chronicle that the closing felt like a coordinated move.

In the letter to Mayor James Mayberry, Wood claimed that the condemnation of the motel was carried out against his instructions to contact the city attorney first but admitted that it was still his responsibility, according to the Crossville Chronicle report.

Robinson, Smith and Wells, a firm out of Chattanooga, will conduct the independent investigation into the closure of the inn, according to the Chronicle.

The report stated that the Crossville City Clerk Valerie Hale would be serving as the interim city manager.