The Town of Canton, still beset with myriad issues related to both natural and human-caused disasters, took an unprecedented step by shuffling one adm.
Canton town manager suspended Pictured here in 2017, Jason Burrell has served in Canton administration since 2009. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Effective immediately Canton Town Manager Jason Burrell has been suspended indefinitely without pay pending further board action, Mayor Zeb Smathers told a meeting of town employees earlier this afternoon while accompanied by Mayor Pro Temp Gail Mull. I am on administrative leave effective April 8, 2021, for a period of time to be determined by the Town of Canton Board of Aldermen/women, Burrell said when reached via text just before 1 p.m.
Burrell, 40, is a native of the Candler area native and a Western Carolina University alum with a political science degree and master’s of public administration. He’s served as Canton’s town manager for nearly four years, but had served as Canton’s assistant town manager for eight years prior to that, working under former town managers Al Matthews and Seth Hendler-Voss.