Buncombe County: Operations 'continuing as usual' amid Greene investigation

ASHEVILLE — Buncombe County government's daily operations will carry on with little interruption despite a federal investigation into recently departed county manager Wanda Greene and others, county attorney Michael Frue said Friday.

Frue said in an email that "operations and services to the community are continuing as usual without delay." His statement came after a request for comment was sent to County Manager Mandy Stone and Board of Commissioners Chairman Brownie Newman.

"This investigation has not affected nor do we anticipate it having any effect on the operations of county government and services to our community," he said.

The U.S. attorney's office confirmed Thursday that Greene, who served as county manager for 20 years before retiring in June, was under investigation. Others also are involved, though U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose released no other details, calling it a "law enforcement matter."

Greene left the county June 30, a month after announcing her retirement. Her tenure has been lauded by former and current commissioners, some of whom said Thursday they were shocked she was under investigation.

Human Resources Director Lisa Eby would not say Friday whether any county employees were on administrative leave.

Stone, who replaced Greene, is out of the office and is expected to return Aug. 28, her office said Thursday.

Frue on Friday cited the county's recent transparency efforts, including two additional public working sessions held last month. Another is scheduled for Sept. 26.

"These sessions focused on ways to improve transparency and accountability around budget development and management as well as information on economic development and policy and our debt service," he said. "They also discussed ways to better interface with the public providing platforms for the public to give input and feedback."

As CEO of the county's 1,600-person team, Greene made $241,791 annually. She began working for Buncombe in 1994 as assistant county manager before taking the top job in 1997.

Greene previously lived in Minnesota and California. She worked as an internal audit supervisor for Ventura County in southern California and became a certified fraud examiner in 1987. She shared that information during a 2015 deposition when Buncombe County was being sued for a wrongful conviction in a Fairview murder case.