The town manager filed for bankruptcy in March while serving as interim manager. It was Sam Misenheimer's second bankruptcy filing in two years.

Members of the Pittsboro Town Board said Wednesday they were unaware of Misenheimer's financial troubles. "I don't know much about his personal life," said Commissioner Gene Brooks.

Misenheimer, 42, was hired in May after serving as the interim manager for five months. He said he did not tell the board about his bankruptcy filings because he did not think the information was relevant to his job.

"I have nothing to hide," Misenheimer said Tuesday. In an interview Wednesday, he attributed his financial problems to losing two jobs in a two-year span. "I am making all responsible payments."

Mayor Randy Voller, who said he did not know about the bankruptcy filings until a reporter asked about them this week, said he is standing by Misenheimer.

"It does give me pause, but I believe in the redemptive process," he said. "Unless a person proves themselves unworthy or problematic to the town, I will give them the opportunity based on the contextual information I have."

Later Wednesday, Voller sent out a notice announcing a special closed board meeting tonight to discuss a personnel matter.

As town manager, Misenheimer is in charge of the town's budget and earns $65,000.

Misenheimer said his financial troubles began in 1999 when he was fired from the city of Thomasville, where he was town manager. He said he was let go after three years on the job because of turnover on the City Council.

Misenheimer resigned under pressure, according to an article that appeared June 23, 1999, in the Thomasville Times.

In 2001, Misenheimer accepted a job in Concord as the executive director of operations. He put his Thomasville home on the market, thought he had a buyer and started building a home in Concord, he said. But the buyer lost his job, and Misenheimer was left paying two mortgages, he said. Then in 2003, Misenheimer lost his job in Concord. He said a department reorganization eliminated his position.

In 2004, Misenheimer filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which allows an individual to repay debts on better terms, such as lower interest rates.

In January, he was named interim town manager for Pittsboro. Unable to make the Chapter 13 payments, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March, according to public documents. Chapter 7 involves liquidation of property, with proceeds used to pay off debts. He lost his home in Thomasville, he said.