On September 2nd, the City of Beaufort released an official statement that Deputy City Manager John “J.J.” Sauve announced his resignation, effective October 31st, 2025. After serving under City Manager Scott Marshall for twenty months, Sauve will step down to support his family and return to private law in North Carolina. “The timing of a decision like this is never perfect,” Sauve said, “but I leave knowing Beaufort is in capable hands and will continue moving forward.”
“The City of Beaufort is stronger and better because of his contributions,” said City Manager Scott Marshall, having referred to Sauve as an “exceptional partner”. From his work with housing programs and infrastructure projects to operating procedures and project management, Sauve contributed greatly to the transparency and accountability of the City during his employment. Some of his most notable work included the implementation of the Capital Projects public portal, which provides citizens with an in-depth view of the status of current projects in the city. “I am proud of the progress we have made together, and I am confident the City is well positioned for continued growth and success,” Sauve said in the City’s official statement. Having served as a steady and approachable bridge between residents and city government during his tenure, Sauve’s absence will be felt by the whole community.
While Sauve clearly stated that the decision to step down as Deputy City Manager was due to personal reasons, it is important to note that this news comes in the midst of an investigation into one of the City of Beaufort’s biggest blunders– 9,000 pages of unredacted documents that were released after a citizen’s FOIA request, including Social Security Numbers, identities of minors, and the identity of a witness to a murder– under Scott Marshall’s watch. Even if unrelated, the timing of these events only adds to residents’ perceptions of instability within our city leadership, making it difficult for the City to avoid critical speculation.
On the City of Beaufort’s Facebook post announcing the resignation, residents did not let their leaders forget this coincidental timing with the city’s latest scandal. Some of their comments read:
“The timing of this seems awfully suspect. I hope city leadership and electeds don’t breathe a sigh of relief that Suave can just take the fall for the FOIA debacle. Transparency is a must at this point.”
“Respectfully, City Beaufort SC, are we really expected to email questions to one of the three individuals identified as being responsible for the largest FOIA breach? Wouldn’t it make more sense to provide us with the contact information for the third-party group investigating this matter, so that council and the public can have confidence in an independent review?”
“Do you know if Mr. Sauve’s October 31 resignation date falls before or after the completion of the third-party investigation?”
As Beaufort says farewell to J.J. Sauve in the coming weeks, all eyes turn to the City Manager and City Council. The process of hiring a new Deputy City Manager will not only be about finding a capable administrator, but rebuilding the public’s trust in city government. Whether the City decides to promote an internal employee to the position or host open job applications, the community will be watching closely to see how our local leaders respond during this transition.
