Harbin was the townmaster of Phandalin in 1489 DR, but has since been voted out of office.
As the Redbrands began to terrorize Phandalin, Wester did not seem to want to engage the rough bunch. In fact, he felt threatened by them and claimed that they were "not all that much trouble, really". Wester refused to take formal actions against any Redbrands until their leader had been slain, or the group disbanded, as the townmaster feared retaliation.
When the time came for elections, Sildar Hallwinter was elected as the new townmaster of Phandalin, due to his more direct action against the Redbrand threat.
Harbin remains quietly in Phandalin, avoiding Sildar and The Party as much as he can.