By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The City of Beaufort has a new city attorney.
Benjamin T. Coppage of Coppage Law Firm, LLC, was appointed to the job on Tuesday, Aug. 22, during City Council’s regular meeting.
“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to support the elected officials and staff who are dedicated to the preservation, progress and promotion of Beaufort,” Coppage said in a press release from the city.
“I’m very excited about working with Ben Coppage as city attorney,” Mayor Stephen Murray said. “One, he is a very respected attorney, he has a relatively diverse background in law experience.
Murray also said that he is very smart and hungry to do the job.
The role of city attorney has been open for several months, since former city attorney William (Bill) Harvey stepped down from the position in May 2023 to “focus on the other areas of his practice and the continued success of his law firm.”
The city issued a press release in May 2023 advertising that they were seeking proposals for the city attorney job.
Coppage has been practicing law since 2009 and founded his law firm in 2016.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
