Martinsville City Manager Placed on Leave Amid Pay Hike Controversy, Federal Lawsuit

Martinsville Mayor L.C. Jones joined the majority of City Council members in voting to approve a salary increase for the city manager, as seen in a screen capture from Tuesday’s council meeting.

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Martinsville, VA (BTW21) - The Martinsville City Council has placed City Manager Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides on paid administrative leave following a turbulent series of events involving a controversial salary increase, internal disagreements, and a federal lawsuit tied to a heated council meeting earlier this year.

The decision came in a 4-1 vote during a special session Tuesday night, with Mayor L.C. Jones casting the lone dissenting vote.

Council also approved allocating $20,000 to retain the firm Brown Edwards to conduct an independent audit — a motion that Jones also opposed.

Ferrell-Benavides, who joined the city in 2023, had just weeks earlier secured a raise that boosted her annual salary from $183,500 to $215,000 in a contentious 3-2 council vote.

Vice Mayor Kathy Lawson and council members Rayshaun Gravely supported the increase, while council members Julian Mei and Aaron Rawls dissented.

The raise followed monthslong negotiations that began in late 2024.

The process culminated in a closed session in March, where the council authorized Mayor Jones to negotiate directly with Ferrell-Benavides.

But the closed-door discussions have since sparked concerns from dissenting council members.

“I had great reservations about what happened that evening,” Mei said of the March 17 meeting. Rawls, who missed that session but has been a vocal critic of pay hikes for city officials, raised objections about a $10,000 vehicle stipend that was removed from the manager’s contract but accompanied by continued access to a city vehicle.

“We say we took away the car allowance but we offered a car,” Rawls said. “That’s a little bit misleading.”

Mayor Jones pushed back, clarifying that the city did not purchase a new vehicle but instead allows Ferrell-Benavides access to the city’s pooled fleet for official use , a resource available to several department heads.

Both Jones and Lawson said she had not yet used a city vehicle.

The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of comparisons to other Virginia localities.

Though Martinsville’s population of 13,763 and median household income of $42,434 lag behind cities like Danville and Charlottesville, its city manager’s salary now places it among the highest paid in the state for cities of similar size.

For comparison, Danville and Charlottesville pay their city managers $273,069 and $259,563, respectively — but each city has more than three times the population of Martinsville and significantly higher household incomes.

Manassas Park, with a comparable population of 16,361, pays its city manager $220,375 but boasts a median household income of $100,668.

A Federal Lawsuit and Rising Tensions

The decision to place Ferrell-Benavides on leave also comes as she is named in a pending federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Councilman Rawls.

The suit stems from a March 25 council meeting in which Rawls was removed by a sheriff’s deputy after reportedly becoming disruptive.

Deputy Reva Keen, who escorted Rawls from the chamber, submitted a sworn declaration to the U.S. District Court describing escalating tensions at the meeting.

She said Rawls ignored repeated warnings to stay in order and made aggressive remarks toward fellow council members and the public , including referencing past criminal charges against Councilman Gravely.

Keen stated she received a non-verbal cue from Ferrell-Benavides to remove Rawls, which she interpreted as an instruction to act.

She emphasized in her declaration that Rawls left voluntarily and was not physically touched.

Rawls has alleged his civil rights were violated, naming both Ferrell-Benavides and Deputy Keen in his lawsuit.

Keen, a veteran officer with the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office, has since been appointed legal counsel after receiving notice of a default judgment request related to the case.

A Potential Exit?

Amid the fallout, Ferrell-Benavides appears to be exploring opportunities elsewhere.

In a breaking development, she has been named one of four finalists for the city manager role in Elgin, Texas, according to an official announcement posted on the City of Elgin’s website.

The council has appointed Police Chief Rob Fincher as Acting City Manager while the city conducts its audit and reviews Ferrell-Benavides’ future with the administration.

As the legal case continues and scrutiny over council dynamics intensifies, Martinsville finds itself navigating not only leadership uncertainty but also growing questions about governance, transparency, and public trust.

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