L.M. Duncan abruptly leaves city one month after return

JONESBORO, Ark. – Almost exactly one month after he returned to work for the City of Jonesboro, Chief Operating Officer L.M. Duncan is gone again.

The reason for the departure was not released to NEA Report on Thursday but the latest exit by Duncan was not one which was expected, city sources said.

The City of Jonesboro’s director of communications, Bill Campbell, said Duncan was never expected to remain in the position long-term. He said conversations indicated he might remain until the end of the year, the end of the election cycle or just the end of the month. However, none of those deadlines, even on the shorter end, were met.

“I just assumed he’s going to be leaving and he’s gone,” Campbell said. “He’s never given us a time table. He just said he would help out a little bit.”

On June 20, it was announced Duncan was returning to the City of Jonesboro after departing earlier in the year. A source close to the situation indicated the first-departure was not an amicable one, either.

However, Campbell said Duncan was never intended to be a full-time employee but merely wanted to contribute to the city’s well-being, especially following flooding earlier in the year.

“The mayor has enjoyed working with him and we had a hard time finding good candidates but now we have two really good candidates that hopefully we will be able to hire pretty soon,” Campbell said.

A decision could come as soon as early next week.

(Feature photo by Stan Morris | NEA Report. Photo shows Duncan (right) along with Mayor Harold Perrin (center) and another speaking Monday afternoon, downtown in Jonesboro.)