Former Garland Garland Commissioner Anthony Norris, along with current commissioners Ralph Smith and Jo Strickland, during last month’s board meeting. Only Strickland and Smith are remaining members of the board after Norris, Lee Carberry and Timothy Blackburn resigned Monday, along with the town clerk. Mayor Austin Brown tendered his resignation last Friday.
Three town
board members,
clerk resign
GARLAND — In a surprising development that has left the town of Garland in a state of uncertainty, three members of the town’s Board of Commissioners submitted their resignations Monday afternoon, just days after the mayor did the same.
And, around the same time, the town’s newest in a string of clerks, also called it quits.
The sudden departures, all presumably effective Monday, places the town’s leadership in the hands of two commissioners, hands which are tied because no business can be conducted or decisions made without a quorum of the board.
The Garland Board of Commissioners were supposed to have held a regular meeting Tuesday night, but with only two active members it was not clear at press time what may or may not occur.
By law, the board must have a quorum in order to conduct business.
That cannot happen since board members Lee Carberry, Anthony Norris and Timothy Blackburn all tendered their resignations Monday, making their letters public around 6 p.m. One of those commissioner, Norris, expressed disdain with the current state of town leadership in his resignation letter.
Each resignation was accompanied by a formal letter to the board, though the tone and reasoning behind their decisions varied.
In his letter, Carberry’s took a cordial approach to his departure. He expressed pride in the work he had done during his tenure, noting, “I have enjoyed my time here, and I am proud of the contributions I have made in my role.” He also stated that he had decided to move on to new opportunities, thanking the board for the chance to serve the community.
“I wish you all the best in the future,” Carberry concluded, leaving the door open for potential future collaborations or involvement in the community in another capacity.
In stark contrast, Norris’ resignation letter revealed a different tone. While he acknowledged some positive contributions during his time as a commissioner, Norris made it clear that he had not enjoyed the entirety of his tenure. His resignation letter reads, “I have not enjoyed the entire time here and am proud of some contributions I have made in my role.”
Norris appeared to express frustration with the current state of the board, stating, “I hope some puppets can fill in to put up with the commissioners now and of the Parkersburg town council,” a cryptic remark that has raised questions among local residents about potential political friction or personal grievances among the board.
The Parkersburg reference apparently points to those posting on a Garland social media page from the Parkersburg area and not among town residents.
Blackburn’s resignation letter mirrored the tone of Carberry’s, with a more positive reflection on his time serving the town. “I have enjoyed my time here, and I am proud of the contributions I have made in my role,” Blackburn wrote. Similar to Carberry, Blackburn expressed his decision to move on to new opportunities while thanking the board for the chance to serve the community.
In addition to the town commissioners, current clerk Alyssa Hale also resigned her position, using social media to do so.
Hale said her resignation was due to constant attacks and a hostile work environment. “I simply cannot do this anymore. I am constantly under attack online and then harassed in the office… something fishy is going on there, and I don’t want to deal with it anymore. I am the 4 clerk to leave in less than a year. I have never been so harassed by a small group of people when I’m doing the job of four people,” Hale posted, gaining the support of many in the community with some sharing that they were very proud of her.
On more than one occasion, Garland Commissioner Jo Strickland has publicly — and in town meetings — taken exception with Hale’s performance, most recently questioning Hale about closing the town hall while she made deposits at the bank. In addition, there have been social media posts on the private Garland News and Information page about Hale, some of them coming from Strickland’s sister and referencing the town clerk’s recent leave.
All the resignations have left Garland with a large leadership gap, and town officials who are left now face uncertainty about what happens next.
Niya Rayner, director of the Sampson County Board of Elections, said Tuesday morning that she was unsure what next steps might be for the town of Garland as it related to its elected officials. “I have never seen a town left with only two commissioners; it truly is unprecedented,” Rayner said.
Calls to the Local Government Commission were not immediately returned.
Residents of Garland have expressed a mix of concern, curiosity, and understanding in the resignations of the commissioners, many stating that they believed that it was time for the state to take over with others calling for answers to why the town faces an extreme amount of turnover.
Mary Smith, who is a Garland native, shared, “I grew up here. I love my town and it is so sad that just a few bad fruits get to ruin the entire bunch. We can’t move forward due to just a small faction holding us back for their own personal gain.”