The Morven Town Council has been no stranger to controversy recently and the rocky relationship between the town's mayor, Carolyn Solomon, and the members of the council continued as three new members were sworn in on Monday night.

After the invocation and the previous meeting's minutes were approved, Solomon began with unfinished business on the agenda, but was interrupted by former mayor and incoming Councilman Theodore Carr, who stated that the new members should take office before the council dealt with old business. Solomon asked where it said on the books that the new council members should be sworn in first, and no one could provide written proof, but the mayor allowed the swearing-in ceremony to go ahead.

Before Carr and other new council members Marjorie Cole and Ben Atkinson were sworn in, Solomon thanked outgoing council members Annie Townsend and Alvin Solomon for their service to the town. The third seat had remained vacant for several months after the resignation of David Trotti.

The new council made very few decisions over the course of the meeting with Carr, Atkinson and Cole often stating they needed more information and didn't feel comfortable making decisions affecting the town without being properly informed. Items put on the back burner included a park for the town, which Mayor Solomon repeatedly said the town has been trying to get for seven years, a new car for the police department and new equipment for the maintenance department.

"The longer you wait," the mayor told the council, "the longer it holds up the town from operating."

The council may have a special meeting before the January meeting to deal with these issues.

Council moves to reduce mayor's duties

When the council moved on to new business, the new council members— particularly Carr— moved in to action to "reorganize" the mayor's duties. Mayor Pro Tem Susan Woodburn stated that she'd asked for the items to be put on the agenda but then gave the floor over to Carr.

"I think we've experienced a great deal of conflict and maybe some disappointments because I think we started in to this process of not fulfilling our roles," Carr said. "The mayor is not a manager. The mayor presides over meetings and acts in a ceremonial role, period. The town council is a managerial team by committee. ... I think the council, the past couple of years, failed to step up and do its job."

Carr reiterated that North Carolina's general statutes stipulate that the town council is the managerial authority for the town, while the mayor's position is more ceremonial.

"What I'm proposing is that we get back to what democracy amounts to— of, by and for the people," he said.

Carr said there would be "some radical changes" to get the town back into compliance with state law.

He asked that the council go into closed session to discuss the matter, but Woodburn pointed out that closed session is only for the purpose of discussing personnel or legal issues, not issues involving elected officials. "Everything else is open," she said.

When the mayor asked Carr to clarify exactly what he was asking for, he launched into an anecdote about a budget meeting held over the summer, during which he said the mayor told him, "I knew when you came in here, you came to make trouble. I'm the mayor, like it or not."

He also talked about how the mayor "had alienated the fire department" and called town staff "a bunch of house niggers."

At that point, several members of the audience began speaking, asking Carr why he was talking about these things in a town meeting. After a smattering of arguing between the public and Carr, Pastor Iris Tillman stood up and attempted to make peace. "We have a new council," she said, "and we are hoping we are fixing to have a new way of doing things. With the election of our new board members, we are hoping that the conflict ... can be done away with."

After Tillman spoke, Carr finally stated that the council was asking that the mayor's salary be reduced, the mayor pro tem's salary increased and that the mayor pro tem take over much of the duties of managing the town.

After a bit more discussion, Atkinson pointed out that the council needed to elect a mayor pro tem before moving forward and nominated Woodburn to continue as mayor pro tem. She was unanimously approved.

Atkinson also stipulated which council member would be responsible for which individual duty with Carr over maintenance, Woodburn over rewriting ordinances and himself over purchasing.

He then said that the council is requesting that the mayor be moved from her office in the back of Town Hall and that town clerk Shemetra Melton be moved into that office.

At that point, Solomon stated firmly, "That's my office," adding that the clerk should be in the front so that she can deal with customers.

Atkinson said the council is also requesting that the council reorganize its agenda.

The mayor then said, "It sounds to me like this is a hang the mayor up day, instead of concentrating on town business."

Woodburn responded that the council has the responsibility over Town Hall, not the mayor.

"I don't know why everyone wants to beat up on the mayor," Solomon said. "You need to grow up, take responsibility. ... What I would like for you to do is work with the people."

Woodburn said that the council was merely trying to work more efficiently.

"I think your personal vendetta against me has gone too far," the mayor told Woodburn.

After deciding to finalize these issues later, the council finally got around to town business, and Woodburn pointed out that the town needed a new zoning officer. Mayor Solomon had been fulfilling that role. Cole suggested that Carr take that position, but he declined and Atkinson volunteered. The council voted 4-1 for Atkinson to be the new zoning officer, with Councilwoman Rhonda Johnson opposed.

"I'm going to vote no," she said. "My voice doesn't mean anything but I'm voting no."

After that, the council moved on to its regular business and the conflict was not brought up again until the public comment portion at the end of the meeting, when Ethel Gatewood praised the mayor and said someone should make a list of accomplishments over the past two years.

Pastor Tillman then spoke again, saying that the last part of the meeting had been good and she hoped that the council could move forward. "I'm tired of being the talk of the county," she said, later adding, "I trust that the fussing and the screaming will no longer be part of this town."