'I'm afraid it was everyone:' Entire Summerfield town staff resigns in latest shakeup for small town (2024)

The entire staff of the town of Summerfield is resigning in protest of what they see as unfair treatment of the town’s manager, staff and certain elected officials.

On Sunday evening, Summerfield Finance Officer Dee Hall shared a statement which read in part: “It is with sad and heavy hearts that the staff of the town of Summerfield announces their collective resignations.”

Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms confirmed the mass resignations in a text.

“I’m afraid it was everyone,” the mayor said.

In an interview, the mayor said nine employees had announced plans to leave — seven full-time and part-time employees and two seasonal employees.

Town Manager Scott Whitaker, whose own contract with the town is expiring, also confirmed the resignations and said he informed council members on Sunday afternoon in a text but declined further comment.

Town operations in the community of roughly 11,000 people are low-scale. The town’s budget for the current year is $4.7 million, and the town does not have its own police or fire department and does not offer public water or sewer service.

When asked which jobs are most important to fill, Sessoms said, “They are all crucial” before adding that bringing in an interim manager and clerk would likely be the top priorities.

The statement from the staff cited the town council’s decision to allow Whitaker’s contract to expire as the reason for the resignations.

In February, four members of the council voted in favor of letting the contract end: Mayor Pro-Tempore Lynne DeVaney, Councilmen Jonathan Hamilton and Heath Clay and Councilwoman Janelle Robinson.

Councilman John Doggett was the only member to vote against ending the contract. Sessoms did not vote since there was no tie.

Whitaker said he was blindsided by the council’s decision. He noted in a statement shortly after the vote that the decision came as his wife is fighting cancer.

The staff’s statement made note of that health battle.

“If they had treated Scott (Whitaker) with the dignity and respect he has earned after 12 faithful years as manager, let him go with his severance from the very beginning and allowed his wife to continue her cancer treatments with insurance, we would have been sad to see him go, but we would have remained,” the statement. “However, this is not the path they chose.”

The staff members praised Whitaker “for being our fierce defender, the head of our work family, the constant smile, the epitome of professionalism and kindness, our mentor and example of what we should all wish to be.” They thanked Whitaker for “keeping the storm on the outside until now.”

They also expressed gratitude for Sessoms and Doggett.

Hall said in an interview Sunday that the staff members were also upset by what she described as disrespect from the council majority and by the majority’s treatment of Sessoms and Doggett.

“It’s a toxic work environment,” Hall said. “It is affecting our mental health.”

Whitaker previously said there was a dispute over when his contract ends. On Sunday, Sessoms said it appears Whitaker’s employment with the city will end in June, but mediation is still ongoing.

On Monday, Whitaker said he expects June 10 will be his last day working for the town.

“It could change, but that’s the date we’re working with today,” he said.

The resignation of the city staff comes as the town faces the threat of losing control of nearly 1,000 acres of its territory.

N.C. Sen. Phil Berger, the leader of N.C. Senate who also represents the town, has brought forth a bill that would de-annex the land in an effort to pressure the town to accommodate developer David Couch’s request for a major mixed-use development.

That piece of legislation, House Bill 5, is currently pending in the legislature.

The Greensboro NAACP has also filed a complaint with the N.C. Human Relations Commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development accusing the town of discriminating against minority and lower-income residents by enacting restrictive zoning laws and opposing projects like Couch’s. The town has denied those claims.

The fight over Couch’s development has provoked tensions on the council, with the different factions on the council blaming the other for the town’s predicament.

Whitaker said earlier this year he believes DeVaney, Hamilton, Clay and Robinson voted to end his contract because they faulted him for working on a zoning change intended to appease Couch.

The town manager asserts he was simply working to enact the policy of the majority of council.

The zoning text amendment passed by 3-2 vote in October. That following November, the two members who voted in favor of that change lost their reelection bids to Hamilton and Clay, who were critical of the zoning change and of Couch’s plans.

Asked where the town goes from here, Sessoms said, “We’re a town at the mercy of those four people. I don’t know the answer to that. You’d have to call them.”

Councilman Jonathan Hamilton released a statement in which he said he felt that the staff’s resignations “were at least in part politically motivated” but that the situation provides “a great opportunity for Summerfield.”

He continued: “With our current town manager’s contract ending soon, we will be able to hire a new town manager that can start fresh. This transition will allow that manager to carefully assemble a dedicated team committed to serving Summerfield, while also forming a cohesive staff that is essential for effective governance. I believe this is going to position our town for success.”

Hamilton went on to say he has “already had multiple citizens volunteer to step in as we move forward, and I am confident that our town won’t miss a beat.” He also emphasized the town’s continued opposition to de-annexation.

The statement did not address the specific concerns outlined by the staff members. Hamilton had not responded to a request for further comment as of 2 p.m. Monday.

Doggett said in a text Monday morning that he is “saddened to hear of our staff’s resignations, as each of the nine staff members along with Town Manager Scott Whitaker, is very important to our town.”

He added: “This is a massive blow to the town of Summerfield, and as a member of the council, I will work to support our town as we begin the daunting task of trying to fill the void left by this team of dedicated employees. Through the process, I will continue to do the best I can for this town as we say goodbye to these great people.”

DeVaney, Robinson and Clay had not responded to requests for comment as of 2 p.m. Monday.