As we conclude our City Leader series by speaking with city manager Charlie Funderburk, I noticed something striking about all the people I had spoken to up to this point. Starting with Mayor Gray, moving to Police Chief Crosby and then Fire Chief Hasty, there’s one thing all of them had in common. They were all quick to divert praise from themselves and ensure the city employees they worked with received all the credit. City Manager Funderburk continued this
positive trend.
Charlie Funderburk wasn’t always a “people manager.” Having worked under the previous two city managers, he thought he was prepared and ready to lead. Although he was managing the tasks associated with the job pretty well, the people part was falling a bit flat. Since emerging from COVID, Charlie has learned a thing or two about how he can be a better leader, “You don’t manage people, you manage projects and tasks. You lead people.”
The road wasn’t straight and narrow for Charlie either. Having grown up in Rock Hill, he began his collegiate education at Appalachian State. Poor grades and subpar effort led to his parents stepping in and providing him a transfer opportunity to The Citadel. Although he credits the military school (and his parents) with helping him find direction and discipline, he knew a a different educational path was needed to achieve his dream. He transferred to Winthrop to finish his undergrad and began his journey into public service.
Charlie started his career working for the city of Rock Hill in their Parks, Recreation and Tourism department while finishing his undergrad. He parlayed this experience to become the first Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Tega Cay in 2001. Taking over a position that had once been managed by parent volunteers, Charlie was able to build upon what they had started. A department that once managed activities for around 500 kids has grown to currently manage over 2,500 per season.
In 2007, Charlie assumed the role of Operations Director. His new responsibilities included management of the Parks and Rec, Public Works, Utilities and Storm Water departments among other things. It was during this time he went back to school to obtain his Masters in Public Administration in hopes of one day becoming a city manager somewhere. In 2013, he got that opportunity when he accepted the position as Tega Cay City Manager.
Similar to the other leaders mentioned at the beginning of this article, in order to work in public service, you need to have a servant’s heart. It’s imperative you care about the people you work with, work for and, in this case, love the city you’re charged with taking care of. Charlie possesses all of these qualities and more.
Shortly after accepting the city manager role, Charlie, along with his wife Becky and daughters Emma Grace and Riley, moved to Tega Cay. Although it’s a requirement of the job that he lives within the city limits, that’s not the only reason he moved here. When discussing his move to Tega Cay, he recalled an interview he gave to the local paper merely 6 months after he started working for the city. Asked how long he wanted to work for Tega Cay, Charlie responded, “If I can afford to take care of my family, I’ll stay here forever.”
An open book, Charlie wants to hear from residents if they have an issue or simply want to ask a question. “If they have a concern or issue, let us know about it. Bring it to us, if you’re not sure who, shoot me an email and I’ll get you in touch with the right person who will help you find the answers.”
When discussing whether he was concerned about continued growth within the city, Charlie was tempered in his response. If we didn’t grow at all “taxes would be so high people wouldn’t be able to afford to live here.” That doesn’t mean he wants unchecked growth either. He added that he sees neighborhoods as the identity of the city. These close knit neighborhoods allow us to keep a “small town feel while growing.”
According to Charlie, there isn’t a whole lot more expansion that can take place anyway, outside the projects already on the horizon. Two of those, Main Street and Windhaven, will provide additional retail/commercial that he says we desperately need. This will provide our city more opportunities to become less reliant on Fort Mill and Charlotte, ultimately becoming self-sustaining.
When speaking of Main Street in particular, Charlie is aware this will bring traffic and that’s a sore point for some; however, it will also bring much needed tax revenue. It’s his job to balance the need for additional income to the city with a desire from most residents to maintain our small town status.
Most small towns are defined by the people who reside in them, Tega Cay is no different. Asked about his greatest achievement as City Manager, Charlie rattled off all the civil servants he’s had a hand in hiring over the years. From police chief to fire chief and utilities director, Charlie is most proud of the people he works with above anything else.
Charlie Funderburk is proud to be the city manager of Tega Cay, but it doesn’t define him. “A lot of people look at me as the City Manager and think that’s who I am. I’m also a husband, father and a member of the community.” At peace with the effort he and his team put forth on a daily basis, he’s able to rest easy knowing he’s doing his best for the city he loves.
Next time you see Charlie or his staff moving about town on your behalf, give them a nod or maybe even a gesture of thanks. After all, that’s what people do in a small town, and Charlie aims to keep it that way.
(photo credits: Cliff Nichols)
