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BUCHANAN – Benjamin Eldridge’s tenure as the Buchanan City Manager appears to be in doubt just months after he started the job.

        Buchanan Mayor Sean Denison wouldn’t comment directly when contacted Monday but did issue a statement on the situation.

“The issues concerning the city manager are confidential in nature and we will be updating all of you at the appropriate time after proper procedures have taken place.”

        Buchanan City Clerk Kalla Langston relayed Denison’s statement on the Eldridge matter and would not comment further on unconfirmed rumors that Eldridge had been suspended with pay from his position.

        Eldridge has been the city manager for Buchanan since late June. He was chosen manager in May after City Commissioners interviewed him and two other finalists. The city manager post had been vacant since commissioners parted ways with Heather Grace in mid-February. She had been hired in August, 2020.

Eldridge, 51, lives in Goshen and had been employed by the town of Millersburg as the superintendent. He and his wife, Michelle, have two grown children. Before coming to Buchanan, he was a professional water and wastewater operator with over 20 years of experience in local government management and operations and community development.

During his interview, Eldridge called his three greatest traits as his honesty, his responsibility and being a visionary. He said he will have an open door for staff, commissioners and citizens and will keep commissioners up to date with what’s going on.

He said his goals for his first year were to balance the budget which now has a deficit, meeting the benchmarks set by the city commission and having a good working relationship with staff and with local businesses. Some action was taken this fall to balance the budget with the indefinite postponement of the city’s Thrill on the Hill event.

Leaderpub.com will be updated as more information becomes available.