Some members of the Summerfield Town Council have called a special meeting for Tuesday, Feb. 4 to discuss the matter that has been dominating the town’s news since mid-January, when former NC Auditor Beth Wood, who had been hired by the town, presented a report at the Council meeting at which she said she had found evidence of financial mismanagement of staff pay, the deletion of a great deal of data from the town’s computer system, and a myriad of other misdeeds such as part-time employees getting full-time benefits and at least one town staff member who allegedly used town property to further his private business.
Wood’s presentation, which implicated, without naming, former town staff such as former Town Manager Scott Whitaker and former Finance Director Dee Hall, hit like a bomb exploding at the Summerfield Council Meeting and the Town Council voted unanimously to seek firms to launch a full-scale investigation of the alleged wrongdoing.
Not long after that, some wind fell out of the sails of the effect of Wood’s report.
Whitaker, Hall and Bill Stone, the town’s former long-term IT administrator, all came out with strong public rebuttals and Stone had a highly detailed, lengthy and technical defense which explained that the massive data deletion was the removal of redundant backups rather than an attempt to mask wrongdoing.
Also, days after the meeting, the current and past mayor of the town jumped to the defense of the implicated former town staff and others spoke up as well about their good characters.
In addition, one Town Council Member, John Doggett, said after the meeting that, given what he knows now, he likely wouldn’t have voted for the investigation.
Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms, who sits on the Council but can only vote in case of a tie, has been a defender of town staff and said this week that he believes this proposed investigation was unnecessary.
He, like Whitaker and Hall, has been highly critical of the fact that the town hired Wood and let her make all of these allegations in a public meeting that the media had been forewarned of, but never even bothered to speak to the accused to get what they say are simple answers to all the allegations.
When the February meeting was first called, some political observers in Summerfield thought that perhaps that special meeting was to call off the investigation’ however, according to Summerfield Town Council Member Janelle Robinson, that’s not the case at all.
“Oh, we are moving ahead with the investigation,” she told the Rhino Times in no uncertain terms on Thursday, Jan. 30.
She said that several firms had sent in proposals and the Council would look at those and decide.
Sessoms, the mayor, said he wasn’t even told about the coming February meeting ahead of time. In fact, he learned of the special called meeting when the Rhino Times asked him about it. He had just arrived back from a business trip to New York and he said no one had bothered to text him or had even contacted him to see if he was free that afternoon – and he does have a conflict.
“They always do this,” the mayor said. “They keep me out of the loop.”
Sessoms later texted Doggett, who told Sessoms that no one had told him about the meeting either.
Sessoms added, of the majority of the board, “They call all the shots.”
Sessoms and former Summerfield Mayor BJ Barnes have said they feel the current Town Council is essentially trying to get back at former town staff since, after staff didn’t like the way Whitaker was shown the door with no severance pay last year after 12 years of service, the entire town staff resigned at the same time leaving Summerfield in dire straits.
Sessoms said the Town Council managers going after Whitaker, Hall and others were being really disingenuous at the mid-January meeting when Wood dropped her plethora of allegations.
“They said, oh we’re just following the recommendation of Dana Luther [former interim town manager] and Twig [current town manager]. but that’s not the case.”
Sessoms said the town council members had an agenda of their own.
“They were giddy about it,” Sessoms said. “They were giddy about trying to ruin someone’s careers.”
He called the mid-January meeting a “Tuesday night lynching” and said that, in the end, he has no doubt that the names of those accused will be cleared.
The mayor also said it was very rich that Town Council Member Lynne DeVaney said a prayer before a Town Council meeting about working together and moving forward when she was a lead player in these kinds of ridiculous antics.
Very unprofessional for certain Town Council members to not communicate with the Mayor and other council members. It appears Beth Woods discussed her findings with select Town Council members in private prior to the January town meeting. If everyone will recall Beth Woods resign from her State Auditors position in 2023 due to misuse of her state provided vehicle and other issues. She is one not to trust.
“Thou doth protest too much.” If there is nothing to hide then why are they trying so desperately to stop the investigation? What you are witnessing is the downfall of the Summerfield old guard political elite. Bit by bit they are being upended, are in panic mode, trying to stay relevant and retain their power. Kudos to the Fabulous Four for draining the swamp! Keep up the good work!
It’s just taxpayers’ money lining the pockets of folks that stand to make more than a potential $10,000 or less. That’s all, I guess that’s nothing to an unthinking person.
Just Saying, I’m with you, I can’t wait until Gail “Soros” Dunham’s investments in the 4 and the Scoop pay out to usher in the new guard who only care about preserving their own massive, chemically maintained lawns and keeping the riff raff out of their sweet Johnny‘s and Susie’s schools. Isn’t that what Keep Summerfield Rural means, right? I think turning all of Summerfield into ballfields and beer patios is a great idea.
Viva weaponizing auditors and the judicial system to overthrow your opponents! Yes, slam the natives! Colonizers all the way! GOLLUM GOLLUM
BS
Just Saying, The “protest” is against slanderous, malicious, unfounded allegations. Why be so sneaky and conniving? The hypocrisy and absence of integrity of the accusers will come out. Referring to those who resigned because they had principles as “the swamp”. reflects that you’re either part of the secretive, self-serving, vindictive crew, or you’re simply brainwashed. “All looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.”
draining one swamp only to be replaced with another…just like DC
“Kudos to the Fabulous Four for draining the swamp! Keep up the good work!” What a hoot! The “Fabulous Four” have been very entertaining. For all of my complaints about the GSO leadership, and there are many, I never dreamed the sleepy little pretend “town” to the north would provide so much comic relief. No need to rehash all the comical misdeeds. Let’s just say David Couch was right to do whatever it took to de-annex his property out of Peyton Place. This is how bad Summerfield is: Couch would rather deal with Skip Alston. That says it all. The “Fumbling Four” brought in an auditor, although she didn’t really audit because she looked for questions without looking for answers. That isn’t how it works. The “Four” didn’t want to know the answers because they are clowns. Live streaming the so called “report” (shouldn’t a report have some answers?) was just another ploy. Very unprofessional to broadcast half baked allegations that haven’t been investigated. I hope the former employees have a good case for defamation. I am popping the corn. PLEASE spend lots of money on an “investigation!!” This childish train wreck of a council is going to be fun to watch. Thank you Summerfield!!! You are the entertainment gift that keeps on giving!!!! 🙂
Please do not bring David Couch’s sleazy theatrics into the picture. Couch is a contributor to Skippy’s endeavors. Money buys access and money buys the political results desired. In my view, the audit was a revengeful act. The Summerfield’s council members are not subtle, unlike seasoned politicians. This is due to lack of experience. They need to get their act together for the good of Summerfield. Revenge is best served cold.
As soon as I read they had to “drain the swamp” I understood what all of this is about. Watch out Summerfield, pretty soon you may have people invading the town council and defecating on it, then building a wall along Greensboro and renaming Lake Brandt as Lake Summerfield. Only then Summerfield will really be great again.
Slummerfield would be a great location for low income housing. Acres and acres of vacant land. Listen up developers: your money is guaranteed back from the government, so what’s the problem?
The fine people of Summerfield that were opposed apartment development, but they weren’t opposed to the new liquor store that was placed in the middle of Summerfield, they voted for that in favor of overwhelmingly
Johnny rust, don’t forget the pickleball. the good citizens of Summerfield want their liquor and their pickleball. The moms gotta do something when they’re not waiting in the elementary school car rider line.
Johnny rust, your wish will come true, brought to you by David Couch. But first he must acquire the city of Greensboro water and sewer. Couch’s actions have consequences, consequences that cannot be avoided and consequences that are not always welcomed. It is difficult to determine what your problem is with the little Town of Summerfield. I wish them well but they really need to elect more savvy, experienced members to their Council. As cities and towns go, Summerfield is a very young town having been incorporated in 1996. David Couch wheeled and dealed to accumulate his land in a town that was incorporated. He knew that before buying almost a thousand acres. What he did not know was that the city of Greensboro would not agree to run water and sewer to his thousand acres. And what he had not counted on was a town council that did not share his growth vision. Couch liked to say that he did not own the land but was a steward of the land. A steward of land evokes visions of conservation that involves protecting and maintaining the land. David Couch’s plan for his land does not equate to stewardship.
“Some members of the Summerfield Town Council have called a special meeting for Tuesday, Feb. 4”
“Some members” = Lynne DeVaney, Janelle Robinson, Heath Clay, Jonathan Hamilton
Don’t forget their names.
Summerfield is a joke! Contaminated wells from the tank farm, airport noise, 10 cent millionaires, inflated prices, now apartments will be going up everywhere.
Ridiculous HOA restrictions , which is nothing but snobbery at best. So let me guess, the little busybody board members who want to ride through a neighborhood and they want the neighborhood to look exactly the way they wanted to look, how about the person who wants his house to look a little bit different, where is his right? Restrictions and HOA restrictions are a violation of constitutional right to free settlement.
A registration and HOA restrictions are nothing but a violation of everyone’s constitutional right to free settlement. So when the snobby HOA member rides through the neighborhood he wants the neighborhood to look exactly the way he wants to look. So a person who doesn’t play follow the leader and he wants his house to look little different, He doesn’t have that right is that correct?
what happened at the meeting on the 4th, Scott?
The town council voted to move forward with the investigation of former staff.
Investigate the snobbery in northwest Greensboro. Home of the ten cents millionaires. What a joke of a section of Greensboro. Contaminated well water from the tank farm, contaminated soil, airport noise, and they have the nerve to have an HOA? Nothing but snobs who really have nothing.