In October of 2023, then Guilford County Commissioner James Upchurch suddenly resigned from his District 6 seat.
At that time, he put out a statement that he had “accepted an opportunity in another state and will no longer be able to complete his term as a commissioner.”
He told the Rhino Times shortly after that announcement that he was leaving to take a new job that was too enticing to turn down. Upchurch said at that time that he didn’t want to give specifics of the job or even name the state in which he would be working, but he did say the new job had a connection to politics and that it would be much more lucrative than remaining on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
Well, now we know.
His name has surfaced on the website of the City of Stonecrest, Georgia, where he’s the new communications director.
The city, in DeKalb County just southeast of Atlanta, has a population of about 60,000, which makes Stonecrest the 15th largest city in the state by population.
According to information provided by the city, the “Communications and Technology Department is responsible for sharing information with the community and beyond, helping residents understand the services Stonecrest offers and supporting engagement opportunities.” Also, it “informs the public, businesses and stakeholders about events and news within the city. The Department creates creative materials, including press releases and reports to keep individuals informed on Stonecrest’s accomplishments.”
The city has had some tough public relations issues to handle recently.
Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleaded guilty to stealing at least $650,000 of COVID-19 relief funds meant for the city and he resigned in January 2022. He pleaded guilty to several counts of wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy.
According to the US Department of Justice, one way he stole government funds was by requiring churches that received relief funds to make partial payments to a company run by a co-conspirator.
Please offer our condolences to the City of Stonecrest and its citizens. I hope they are familiar with the term “flip-flop.”
Kind of similar to Greensboro and Guilford County.
He’s in the right place.
Stone crest Ga. Sounds like a perfect place for a former city manager to go and take Skip and Co. with him.
I don’t understand all the cloak-and-dagger over taking a mundane job in another town.
He was running for state auditor with a publicly stated interest (see rhino times article from 5/19/23) in “comprehensive audits of our public schools” and holding people accountable. He suggested there was no accountability for funds allocated to non-profits affiliated with public officials, their friends and family members. He then inexplicably took a risky vote with Skip, authorizing the school system to purchase a property involved in a federal law suit due to constitutional issues. A few days later he quit and announced a mystery job (outside the state where he can’t “audit”), paying 5x his current salary and wanted it kept quiet. Incidentally he mentioned threats he has received. Rhino then does an article about how none of the other commissioners miss him. I’m sure it’s all a coincidence 🙂