In a stunning move that took the Town of Summerfield by complete surprise, the entire town staff, in a show of support for Summerfield Town Manager Scott Whittaker – who’s about to become the former town manager – has resigned.
Objecting to the way Whittaker has been handled by a majority of the Summerfield Town Council, on Sunday, May 19, the complete group of full-time town leaders made their announcement together on the Summerfield Strong Facebook page.
That Facebook site has been supportive of Whittaker and town staff over the years.
The statement that was signed, “Sincerely, The Summerfield Town Staff,” makes it clear that the small town of 11,000 people to the north of Greensboro is about to face a giant hole where the town’s administrative staff once was. In addition to the departure of Whittaker – who’s leaving against his will since the Town Council refused to renew his contract this year – are the departure of the town’s finance officer, town clerk, town planner, the parks and recreation director and others.
The town does have some part-time and seasonal employees who haven’t stated their intent to quit.
On Sunday, May 19, the town sent out notice of an Emergency Town Council meeting for Monday, May 24 at 3 p.m. in the Summerfield Community Center at 5404 Centerfield Road. Normally, public bodies in North Carolina must give at least 48 hour’s notice prior to a meeting, however, in the case of emergency meetings, sudden notice is legally permissible.
The meeting is being called for the purpose of handling “a staffing/employee matter” and the council is expected to immediately go into closed session at the start under NCGS 143-318.11(a)(3) and NCGS 143-318.11(a)(5). (Those two statutes allow the council to consult with its attorney and also discuss employee compensation and town contracts.)
The public notice states explicitly that the meeting isn’t related to an ongoing de-annexation threat that’s coming from developer David Couch.
The Facebook post from the town leaders states, “It is with sad and heavy hearts that the staff of the Town of Summerfield announces their collective resignations. We are incredibly honored to have served the citizens of Summerfield for many years, and we had hoped to retire here.”
It then goes on to say: “However, the majority Council’s treatment of Town Manager Scott Whitaker in not renewing his contract, and their subsequent overstep of staff duties, has made it impossible for us to stay.”
The announcement from staff stated that, if the Town Council had been fairer with Whitaker and let him go with the dignity he deserved after serving as town manager for a dozen years, and if the council had given him proper severance and allowed his wife, who has cancer, to continue on the town’s insurance, then the staff would have been sad to see Whittaker go – but they would have remained in their jobs.
However, the statement maintains that that’s not what happened.
“We would like to thank Scott 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, and for always keeping the storm on the outside until now. Working for him and with him has been the greatest privilege of our professional careers.”
The statement also notes that the top town staff do believe Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms and Town Councilmember John Doggett did treat Whittaker with respect, however, the majority of the town council did not, they contend.
Town staff also thanked past town councils for their “unwavering support of the staff” and stated that the leadership of former town councils prior to the current one had been invaluable to the progress of the town.
Good riddance. It’s obvious that they serve themselves and not the citizens. This is a personal vendetta by the town staff at the detriment of the whole town. Guess they don’t need a paycheck.
You know zero about Summerfield to make that comment.
This reminds me of the wholesale reaction of the British public sector after Mrs Thatcher was elected in 1979.
She began to do what she promised in the election campaign, laying off unnecessary parasites who had what she called “pretend jobs”. She took a scalpel to the Parasitic Sector and the howls were blood curdling.
But Maggie had the backbone to endure it all, and prevail. The self-indulgent parasites who sought to thwart the elected leadership were vanquished and had to find real jobs in the Productive Sector. What a reality check it was!
By the end of her 11 year reign as PM, Maggie had grown the UK into the 4th biggest economy in the World, the people were free, happy, and prosperous, and the self-serving tyrants of the public sector had been put in their place.
We could use another Maggie Thatcher.
The UK is but a shadow of Maggie. The electorate should know better, but they don’t. They want freebies and special treatment.
Now, if our Federal Govt would just resign…..
I gives me a heavy heart to say so Miller, but I agree with you.
Britain is finished.
After 14 years of rule by the “Conservative” Party, the tax burden in the UK is the highest it’s ever been SINCE World War II, the Public Sector (more correctly called The Parasitic Sector) is now the same size as the Productive Sector, Wokery is the norm, free speech is dead, and the elite continue to roll out the red carpet for millions of illegal Third World immigrants who are unskilled, uneducated, and uncivilised.
The Tories are, in effect, the British Democrat Party.
And they’ll lose power in the next General Election to make way for the hard left socialists & Marxists of the Labour Party.
We’re done.
Agree. She was one of those old school conservative leaders that understood when raising taxes was important in addition to reducing spending and that for long-term benefits it often required short-term pain and disruption for some communities. (coal mine towns for example). She was by no means perfect as she created a great deal of division in UK politics and many of per policies tended to be carried on the back of lower income communities, especially in in areas where the opposition was in power. She was certainly a leader willing to make the hard choices.
Regan tried to copy her but used federal deficit spending to feed his failed economic policies that were strictly short-term focused.
If making the wealthy wealthier and the poor poorer is the goal. Thatcher would be the person for the job. Maybe that’s what you’re about?
Maybe you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Thatcherism made EVERYONE richer, which is why she never lost an election.
I know. I lived it.
What about Wales?
What about Wales?
What a great time to live that was. P.M. Thatcher along with President Reagan during his first term, gave those of us in the military confidence and pride in our Nations.
What a sordid pair of leaders these two countries have now. Would NEVER advise a youngster to join the military today.
No we do not, she systematically stripped the UK people of rights and served the wealthy backers in her party. She only got 11 years because she backed the Falklands campaign
No Markus, you’re just plain wrong in each of your assertions.
Tell me what rights of mine she stripped away, because I didn’t notice any, and I was there.
She was indeed power for 11 years, because she never lost an election. Eleven years is not a brief tenure in Downing Street, it’s an unusually long one. No Prime Minister since her has come close to being PM for so long.
And the liberation of the British people in the Falklands, attacked by a tin-pot South American military dictatorship, caused her polls to soar and led to her landslide victory in 1983.
—-
Sorry, but it’s clear that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
ditto
Tell me again how any of this relates to Margaret That her? This is a town of 11,000 people, ost of which moved there from the north states for lucrative airport jobs. They don’t want middle income or poor people or minorities in their town. They have basically taken over the town from the local farmers and residents that have lived there all of their life. They have illegal zoning regulations that prevent affordable housing. They ignore the needs of the poor, waiting until their housing falls apart and hope they leave. They buy mobile home parks and do not inform HUD, as required by state and federal law to assist tennants in finding new housing. They gave them 7 days notice instead of the legally required 30 day notice. This ain’t England or London. This is a small former farming town take. Over by northern elites who don’t care one bit about the middle class, minor the poor. You must be one of THEM.. get real!
I am no Yankee. I am no elitist.
You need to take a deep breath, buddy.
I don’t put a lot of confidence in what anyone says who does not have the guts to identify themselves but use some “cute” moniker to hide behind and I suspect many of you don’t either. The Summerfield Town Staff including the manager Scott Whitaker has been committed to the well being of Summerfield from the beginning. They still would be if they had been treated professionally and with the respect all should be treated with. Each of them are a talent other towns have recognized and will benefit from. There has been a faction in Summerfield that has spread lies and innuendo to try and control the town. They have that control now and the result is an attorney that has quit, a staff that has quit, law suits, money wasted on studies and consultants they paid no attention to, and the potential for almost a thousand acres being removed from the town core. They have done all this since the first of the year. Now I ask, who has the towns best interest a heart.
Anyone you can suggest?
Working class “libertarians”/free thinkers don’t care about anything but themselves. They don’t even realize it is not a viable form of government. Survival of the fittest(richest) doesn’t build much of a society.
Well stated Sheriff Barnes.
“Who has the town’s best interests at heart”…?
Those who were elected by the people?
Not the four! They all should be removed from office for incompetence.
I agree. Summerfield has been in a downward trajectory since Gail Dunham was elected major several years ago and had Todd Rotruck (who had not established residence in Summerfield illegally elected), costing the town hundreds of thousands in legal costs once he was rightfully removed from office. Once Gail and her and her cronies moved into town they wanted to stop all development in Summerfield.
Well voters got what they asked for and de-annexation is next.
Who has the town’s interest at heart? Certainly not the ones who cared so little for Summerfield that they would jeopardize the town by leaving it in a lurch. As far as a “cute” moniker, even Thomas Jefferson understood the benefits of a moniker.
BJ Barnes is trying to impersonate John Wayne!
“,,, Ah have the “guts” to identify maself…” –
The town staff has my full admiration for what they did. Maybe some of the others leaders can take note.
Running away is not a trait to be admired. If I were an employer, I would not look favorably on a candidate who exhibited knee-jerk behavior. Of course, it seems that now employers are not so discerning. They are more worried about discriminatory DEI practices.
A small percentage of an entire work force may exhibit a knee jerk reaction and quit their job in a moment of irrationality. When an entire longtime staff of professionals resigns in unison, there’s a bigger issue.
Air traffic controllers’ union (PATCO) declared a strike in 1981 for better pay and a 32-hour workweek.
President Reagan gave the strikers an ultimatum to return to work by a certain date or be fired. The controllers who chose to challenge Reagan’s perceived bluff were subsequently out of a job. Point is, everyone is replaceable. This goes for the Summerfield walkaways too.
They all have jobs lined up.
Sounds like a mini Greensboro. We just don’t have the backbone with our staff.
Well, well well. The young Turks who took over now get to figure out what to do next. Reminds me of the old Laurel and Hardy saying: “What a fine mess we are in!” I am not from Summerfield and don’t know the personalities and agendas. It seems to me Sessoms has been a reasonable person and the town manager deserved better than after 12 years, learning his contract wouldn’t be renewed, with no apparent reason given. Who knew such a sleepy little community could invite big city disfunction?
Never too late to make a correction. Eat crow and keep the town manager.
Attn: Developers!!!!!!!
Slummerfield town staff resigns. Now is a good time for a developer buy land in Slummerfield for low income housing. That area would be a great location. Any developer would be guaranteed your money back by the government. So what’s the issue? Let’s get busy! Help people who are not so fortunate.