PUBLISHER’S NOTE: While the Luray Council approved the appointment of former assistant town manager Bryan Chrisman as the new town manager following a closed session on Tuesday, Jan. 23, Page Valley News waited to present that information until reviewing the town manager’s contract, which was received this afternoon.
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Jan. 29 — Two weeks after Bryan Chrisman marked his 16th anniversary of working for the Town of Luray, council members unanimously named the longtime assistant manager as the new Town Manager. The action followed a closed session on Tuesday, Jan. 23 with Chrisman signing the six-month agreement the same night.
“Certainly, I am very happy with the support and good opinion of the Mayor and Council, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the citizens of Luray and its visitors,” Chrisman told Page Valley News earlier this month.
The agreement inked between the Town and Chrisman went into effect last Monday and expires on June 30, 2024. However, the agreement will “renew automatically for successive one-year terms.” The Town will pay Chrisman an annual salary of $120,000 and an additional $400 per month for use of his personal vehicle. He will also receive all routine benefits to include health and life insurance, and vacation and sick leave policies and programs outlined in the Town of Luray employee handbook. The Town Manager will not be eligible for overtime.
Additional expenses related to professional conferences, seminars and training for the manager will be be paid by the Town, as well as membership dues to the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Local Government Management Association, the American Public Works Association, and the Rotary Club of Luray.
If either side wishes to terminate the agreement, they may do so by providing a 60-day written notice. One new aspect of the contract is a provision allowing the Mayor or Council to solicit a performance review of the Town Manager from subordinates and department heads.
Chrisman was first hired as assistant town manager of Luray on January 8, 2007. Following the announced Dec. 31 exit of former six-year town manager Steve Burke, the council appointed Chrisman as the “interim” town manager on Dec. 11, 2023.
Prior to being hired by the Town of Luray, Chrisman worked for two years at Racey Engineering as a Project Manager — and prior to that, he served as an Environmental Health Supervisor with the Lord Fairfax Health District of the Virginia Department of Health for about 14 years.
The Town of Luray is currently advertising to fill the assistant town manager position.
For more information about the Town of Luray,
visit https://www.townofluray.com/
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