North Myrtle Beach votes on their next city manager. Here’s what happened
The City of North Myrtle Beach council voted for interim city manager Ryan Fabbri to become their next permanent city manager.
The unanimous afternoon vote came after a morning executive session that started at 11 a.m. with no public discussion.
“It really validates that I’m qualified for this position,” Fabbri said on Friday afternoon from City Hall. “I’m the right person to do it.”
Fabbri was named as a top three finalist alongside Edwin Madden and Tim Owens after Thursday’s special meeting. In total the city received 88 applications for the opening, according to lead spokesperson Lauren Jessie.
“We had wonderful candidates throughout the search,” Mayor Marilyn Hatley said during Friday’s special meeting.
He is currently the second-highest paid North Myrtle Beach employee as interim city manager, a position he’s held since last fall. Hatley said they have not discussed what Fabbri’s salary will be now that he’s the permanent city manager for the city. She said she could see him getting a pay raise.
“Out of all of our candidates we thought that Mr. Fabbri is a great fit for our community,” she said. “He has been the interim for the past nine months, we have had opportunity to see how he has worked. He is very well liked by our staff.”
Looking ahead, Fabbri said his top priorities going forward will be looking at infrastructure projects and long term planning, including taking a look at internal operations.
“This is going to be a catalyst to revisit how we do things with fresh eyes and it’s a chance to be innovative and creative, so I’m really encouraged by that,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Prior to being promoted to interim city manager, Fabbri previously was assistant city manager. Before he began working for North Myrtle Beach, he worked as the Town Administrator for Pawleys Island from 2015 to 2022. A story by the Georgetown Times at the time of Fabbri’s departure said he resigned due to “toxic” work environment.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Coastal Carolina University and a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University.
The search for a permanent city manager began after city council removed former city manager Mike Mahaney from the position last fall for allegedly not hiring a grants coordinator. Since his removal, Mahaney has announced that he will run for mayor in November 2025.
This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM.
