Tryon Town Manager Caitlin Martin was terminated on Friday, Feb. 8 after working with the town for five months.

Council met Friday morning in a special closed session where they made the decision to terminate Martin.

Mayor Pro-tem Roy Miller said the town decided to go in a different direction.

At the time the vote occurred in open session, commissioners Miller, Doug Arbogast and Wim Woody were the only ones present and the vote to terminate was unanimous.

All council members, including mayor Alan Peoples and commissioner George Baker attended the closed session meeting for discussion.

Martin was the first female manager to work in Polk County and began working with the town on Sept. 10, 2012.

Tryon’s manager position was the first for Martin as she graduated with a masters in public administration from the College of Charleston in May 2011.

Tryon has appointed fire chief Joey Davis as the interim manager, a position he held prior to the hiring of Martin.

Davis is also the planning and zoning administrator and code enforcer.

Davis was appointed interim manager following the town’s firing of former manager Justin Hembree.

Hembree was the town’s manager for almost three years, being hired in January 2009 as the interim, then being appointed permanent manager in June 2009. He was fired on Jan. 3, 2012.

The town has struggled finding a permanent manager since former manager Jim Fatland resigned in December 2007 after working with the town for approximately five years. Following Fatland, the town hired Dr. Jack Miller, who only stayed a few months prior to resigning.