Lowhorn
Whiteland town council members unanimously decided to release Jim Lowhorn from his town manager duties on Tuesday.
Lowhorn had been the Whiteland town manager since February last year. Due to personal reasons, he was absent from the job more recently. At the end of last year, he was out on medical leave for a couple of months before returning again in January. He went on leave again starting around March, town officials have said.
The Whiteland Town Council ultimately made the tough decision on Tuesday that it was best for the town to let Lowhorn go, said Joe Sayler, town council president. Sayler cited performance issues as a reason for the decision. He could not speak further about specific private personnel matters.
“The council came to the conclusion that there were some issues with performance that concerned the council to the point where we felt that it was no longer the best fit.” Sayler said. “I really thank Jim for his service to the town. We really appreciate everything he did.”
Under Lowhorn, the town continued its growth, with new housing and mixed-use developments getting approval. One significant development approved while he was town manager was the Gateway at Whiteland planned unit development by Patch Development at Whiteland and Graham roads.
Now the council will have to fill the vacant town manager position. Community Development Director Carmen Young has been serving as acting town manager in Lowhorn’s absence and will continue to do so until a permanent replacement is hired. Shaun Young, the town street superintendent, has been handling the operations aspect of the town manager job as well.
The council several times has commended Carmen Young and Shaun Young for their work stepping in to help, especially in the aftermath of the March 31 tornado.
