No one can deny that Northport‘s former City Administrator for decades has had a significant impact on T-Town‘s “sister city.”

Scott Collins ruled with a velvet fist. (He once even had a “critic” of the city arrested for showing up at a City Council meeting, as reported by the Tuscaloosa News‘ Ed Enoch.)

Collins started out as a Northport Council member, as reported in the Franklin Stove Blog (FSB):

Collins assumed his job as City Administrator in 2008, after having been elected to the City Council in 2004. His term on the Council expired in 2008 and he did not run again.

Collins left his position as Northport‘s City Administrator in 2016. Reportedly he drove away from Northport in a new Audi with a huge severance check, although he was theoretically a Civil Service employee and not so entitled. In 2016 and 2017, the circumstances of his departure were detailed in FSB posts.

But that’s really just water under the bridge.

Since he left Northport, assuming the role of City Manager for Fairview, Tennessee, Collins has seen many changes. In 2016 The Tennessean‘s Nancy Stephens wrote about Collins acceptance of Fairview‘s offer to become its city manager. His yearly salary of $91,000 was probably less than he’d made as City Administrator in Northport. He was hired as Fairview‘s City Manager with no contract, although in 2017 he was given a three-year contract.

In 2020 Chris Gadd reported in the Nashville Tennessean that Collins had returned “just over a month after taking a leadership position at another Williamson County city” to Fairview. His new contract with the Fairview was open ended with no end date and had a salary increase to $110,000.

Matt Masters reported in The News about the disappointment felt by many over Collins decision to quit his job as Town Administrator in Nolensville. There were questions about Collin’s contract with the city, which allowed him to leave after “90 days of employment but not earlier.” Nolensville‘s Vice Mayor Tommy Dugger said, “I’m just saying that for you to walk out the door on Friday, it’s number one, I think you’re better than that, I may be wrong, but I think you’re better than that and I think you owe us an obligation per the contract.”

Two years later, in November 2022, The local newspapers in central Tennessee were abuzz with the latest facts about changes in Collins‘ career.

The Nashville Tennessean‘s Chris Gadd wrote that Collins had been offered an early retirement on the day after Fairview‘s municipal election. Its outgoing incumbent mayor “didn’t like the idea of Collins in his position through the remainder of the fiscal year.”

The Main Street Fairview‘s Nancy Stephens reported that the Fairview City Commission had approved a Voluntary Separation Agreement with Collins. Stephens wrote:

On November 9, the day after the city election, then-mayor Debby Rainey called a special meeting where a resolution was proposed to terminate Collins’ employment. Rainey motioned to approve the resolution. However, without a second, the board took no action. After the meeting, Rainey resigned her seat as mayor.

Tom Daugherty, who had been the city’s chief finance officer, is currently Fairview‘s City Manager.

Whatever the future for Scott Collins holds, he will doubtlessly come out of top. That’s just the way he runs.