Chadbourn Town council is scheduled to meet Tuesday night, after a dramatic series of meetings in February and March that were ended without being adjourned or were cancelled at the last moment.
The town also cancelled a budget workshop March 28 due to not having an attorney and because the town manager was out.
The town will meet without an attorney present Tuesday. Town Clerk RaMonda Crosby has been handling some of the manager’s duties while Town Manager Jason Robinson has been on medical leave. Robinson announced his resignation in February. He will leave the town March 31.
In addition to discussing a new town attorney and an interim manager, the board will vote on a measure to allow churches in any zoning district in town; review two major infrastructure grants; and hear from a representative of the Police Benevolent Association. Brandon McGaha of the PBA was scheduled to attend the March 3 meeting.
Town Attorney Mike Stephens walked out of a closed session and abruptly quit during a special called meeting Feb. 21. Mayor Phillip Britt said after the meeting that Stephens resigned because he felt very strongly that the council was meeting illegally. The meeting was briefly announced as an “emergency” meeting, but personnel discussion are not grounds for an emergency called meeting state statutes.
That meeting was reportedly called in an attempt to fire Police Chief Ken Elliot. The town council does not have the authority to hire or fire personnel other than the fire chief, town manager and town attorney. Only the town manager can hire or fire a police chief or other personnel. Mayor pro tem Tony Jordan’s wife Lakeisha works for the sheriff’s office. Britt is a courthouse deputy.
Jordan called the Feb 21 meeting without consulting the mayor or town manager. Elliot was one of four candidates, including Sheriff Bill Rogers, running for the county’s top law enforcement post. Elliot was defeated in his bid for sheriff in the primary.
Clewis, Britt, Jordan, and Councilmember Avala Nealey were the only members of the board in attendance at the Feb 21 meeting. Councilmembers Colene Faulk and Rashad Roberts did not attend.
Clewis followed Stephens out of the meeting, and Jordan had to ask Clewis to return to the meeting so the board would have a quorum to close business. Clewis, Britt, Jordan, and Councilmember Avala Nealey were the only members of the board in attendance. Councilmembers Colene Faulk and Rashad Roberts did not attend.
Immediately after the Feb. 21 special meeting Clewis and Mayor Phillip Britt had to be separated during a confrontation on the porch of the Chadbourn Town Hall. Clewis grabbed Elliot by the arm and briefly prevented him from entering the police department.
Jordan, Clewis and Nealy later insisted on the board bucking tradition and meeting on Election Day, March 3.
On the March 3 agenda were a rezoning decision, and discussions with the Police Benevolent Association about a request by those three board members to have access to the police department.
The PBA said in a letter that representatives wanted to discuss possible interference by Clewis, Nealy and Jordan in town police operations. Minutes before it was set to convene, Clewis, Nealy and Dorman told the town clerk that they would not be able to attend.
The town is facing scrutiny from the Police Benevolent Association after two complaints were filed against board members with the PBA by Chadbourn officers. The PBA questioned Britt in the letters about allegations that members of the council were trying to influence the police department, and whether board members were attempting to use officers “for political purposes.”
Nealy has reportedly claimed the town’s animal control officer, who is not a certified law enforcement officer, was using blue lights while driving her police-issued truck, sources close to town leadership said. Chief Elliot said the light module for the truck has been disabled so it could be used by for Animal Control. Nealy also refused to speak with the investigator assigned to handle her complaint, and instead had her attorney contact the police department. (See related story) In an email, Nealy later denied having any improper contact with any member of the police department.
Clewis has frequently claimed Britt and his wife Shannon, a former council member, were possibly under investigation by federal authorities. Clewis made the same statement during an on-the-record conversation with Columbus County News.
When pressed, Clewis said he had to “get permission from my higher-ups” to explain the statement. He said he would contact CCN later with more information, but has never returned telephone calls or emails. The Britts said that they are unaware of any investigation.
The councilman was ticketed for operating a vehicle with an outdated registration tag in 2024, and was accused of soliciting prostitution in 2018. Former Police Chief Henry White closed that investigation after the reporting officer left the department, eight days after the complaint was filed. A shoplifting charge against the alleged victim was dropped around the same time.
Tuesday’s meeting convenes at 7 p.m., and may be attended in person or viewed on the town’s YouTube channel.
