Ridenour
Sylva-based private attorney Eric Ridenour has been chosen to serve as Macon County’s next county attorney.
Former county attorney Chester Jones retired last October and was succeeded in the interim by Swain County attorney Kim Carpenter. At their meeting on Tuesday, March 9, the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to bring on Ridenour as the new permanent legal counsel to the board. Ridenour was chosen from a pool of eight candidates and will earn up to $120,000 in the position.
“We had a lengthy interview process with many reputable legal professionals and law firms,” county manager Derek Roland said and the county is ready to move forward with the selection and enter into a contract with Ridenour.
Ridenour is currently a partner at Ridenour & Goss in Sylva. He began his legal career at Haire & Bridges in 1995. He has served as Sylva’s town attorney since 1998 and has extensive experience with local government legal concerns like right-of-way disputes, condemnation and eminent domain proceedings, breach of contract lawsuits, construction disputes and more. The commissioners are confident after interviewing Ridenour that he will bring valuable expertise and a can-do attitude to the position.
“His firm has an extensive background with local government, including specialization in personnel matters,” board chairman Jim Tate said. “I am excited about the opportunity to work alongside Mr. Ridenour as he has an amicable personality and is already providing the county with excellent advice.”
Ridenour expects that things won’t change much once he joins the county government. He says that he is “extremely impressed” with the professionalism and dedication that Roland and the commissioners have demonstrated and he hopes that whatever counsel he can provide will just keep them on the right track that they already appear to be on.
“Chester Jones has provided superior work over the past decade as the Macon County attorney,” Ridenour said. “It is plainly evident that the county is in great legal shape. My goal is to continue the same excellent level of service that Macon County and this board are accustomed to.”
Next meeting
The Macon County Board of Commissioners will have their next meeting, Ridenour’s first, on Tuesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. in their boardroom at the Macon County courthouse.