Durham Names Interim City Manager

The Durham City Council announced Tuesday that it has named Assistant City Attorney Patrick Baker as interim city manager.

Baker replaces Marcia Conner, who resigned from office. She came under fire for a lengthy police chief search, then drew criticism for the questionable handling of city contracts.

Baker will assume management duties on Aug. 21, 2004, at an annual salary of $130,000. He has been employed with the city for the past seven years.

The unanimous decision to appoint Baker reflects the goal to retain top management structure while selecting someone internally with overall knowledge of Durham and city government processes, Mayor Bill Bell said.

A native of Havelock, NC, Baker is a 1993 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law.