PITTSBORO — Just weeks into his new role as county manager, Bryan Thompson is focused on managing growth and infrastructure while building on the county's legacy of strong leadership. Thompson stepped into the position Dec. 28 following Dan LaMontagne's retirement.
Thompson, who served as assistant county manager since July 2019, brings 18 years of North Carolina local government experience. Prior to joining the county, he served as town manager in Siler City, Erwin and Mount Gilead.
A Campbell University graduate with a master's degree in public administration from Appalachian State, Thompson previously oversaw several county departments, including finance, budget, tax, emergency communications, emergency management, information technology, GIS, and parks and recreation.
In an interview with Chatham News & Record last week, Thompson emphasized the importance of continuing LaMontagne's focus on employee development.
"All of those things point to part of what makes Chatham County's culture so impressive," Thompson said of his predecessor's investment in training opportunities and the internal leadership academy.
Among Thompson's priorities is implementing the county's unified development ordinance. "This is a project that our planning team, consultants and board have been working on for several years," Thompson said. "In the next stages, we will be looking at land use applications in connection with the UDO."
The county recently updated its Capital Improvement Plan, which includes expanding operations onto property off U.S. 64 for a new county services campus. Thompson said the county plans to seek bond funding in fiscal year 2027.
Chatham County currently holds AAA rating, the highest possible, from Standard & Poor's rating agency and an A+ rating from Moody's. "Our goal when we get rerated prior to the next borrowing is to get triple-A ratings from both agencies," Thompson said.
Thompson identified managing growth while preserving the county's character as a key challenge.
"The balance between the urbanization of the county and concentrating growth, development and density to the urbanized areas while also maintaining, preserving and promoting the rural character of Chatham County" remains a priority, he said.
This growth brings infrastructure challenges, particularly around Pittsboro. "The hope and the anticipation is that the utility challenge will be closer to a solution and less of an issue with capacity, particularly with wastewater," he said. "That will help our incorporated jurisdictions grow with greater density and types of use intensity."
Thompson emphasized the county's strong relationship with state government.
"We have had and continue to have a really strong relationship with state government, particularly in areas of economic development," he said.
The county has already named Thompson's successor as assistant county manager, promoting Budget Director Darrell Butts to the role. Butts, who has served as budget director since August 2020, will continue to be involved in the county's budget process while taking on broader operational responsibilities.