‘As the Audit Turns’ – local EDA soap opera plot thickens

Ron Llewellyn, far left, and Greg Drescher have now joined Jennifer McDonald, right, among others who have resigned their positions with the EDA in recent months. It is noteworthy that Drescher and Llewellyn’s terms expired at the end of February though the county supervisors have yet to name replacements. Royal Examiner File Photo Roger Bianchini

While the big news to develop out of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority’s second hour-plus closed session of Friday, March 22, was the resignation of board members Greg Drescher and Ron Llewellyn, an interesting side plot to the escalating EDA soap opera developed upon the arrival of Shenandoah District County Supervisor Tom Sayre.

Prior to Sayre’s arrival, as previously reported by Royal Examiner, the blockbuster out of closed session number one Friday morning was the authorization of litigation to be filed on the EDA’s behalf by the law firm contracted to handle EDA interests related to the six-month, quarter-million-dollar-plus audit and investigation of EDA finances. See Related Story:

As audit information received in closed sessions, EDA authorizes litigation

Those finances under scrutiny are believed to stretch past the last fiscal year audit conducted annually at a cost of about $17,000 by Yount-Hyde-Barbour, across much of the decade-long tenure of former EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald. McDonald resigned by email on December 20 prior to the EDA board’s second scheduled closed session discussion of her job performance held within a week.

Sayre, who is engaged in dueling defamation civil lawsuits with McDonald surrounding alleged circumstances surrounding a reported May 18, 2017 break-in at the EDA office that showed no signs of forced entry and a reported June 15, 2017 vandalism at McDonald’s residence, arrived at the EDA office in the old American Viscose Admin building at 12:20 p.m., 45 minutes after the EDA Board of Directors convened that closed session. The first topic of discussion announced behind those doors closed at 11:35 a.m. were issues related to the audit and investigation of EDA finances. A second topic was the process of selecting a new executive director to succeed Jennifer McDonald on a permanent basis.

Tony Carter and Doug Stanley remain seated in meeting room as EDA board convenes to closed session. Photos/Roger Bianchini

In addition to a suspected audit consultant representative, the EDA board and legal representatives, present behind those closed meeting doors were Warren County Administrator Doug Stanley and Happy Creek Supervisor Tony Carter.

In the wake of EDA Administrative Assistant Missy Henry’s resignation earlier in the week, other than two reporters the only person present in the front office was former County Finance Director Carolyn Stimmel. Stimmel, who has retired from her county position, has been assisting Interim EDA Executive Director John Anzivino on a part-time basis recently.

Upon discovery of Stanley and his board colleague Carter’s presence in the closed session, Sayre began lobbying Stimmel to see if he could join the closed session as a county supervisor. In fact as board vice chairman, upon his arrival Sayre was the highest-ranking elected county official present. Stimmel’s inquiry resulted in an apparent “no” with the added information that Carter and Stanley would be exiting the closed meeting “in a minute”.

Unsatisfied with that answer, an additional inquiry forwarded by Stimmel for Sayre led EDA and County attorney Dan Whitten to exit the closed session to engage in a lengthy discussion with Sayre outside the closed meeting room. A second person, Sands-Anderson attorney Cullen Seltzer, eventually joined Whitten in conversation with Sayre outside the closed meeting.

Above, Tom Sayre lobbies EDA attorney Dan Whitten to join other county officials in EDA closed session discussion of audit topics; below Sayre follows as Carter exits.

As promised, Carter and Stanley soon left the closed session, as did Sands-Anderson attorneys Seltzer and Dan Siegel. Siegel was present to present the same capital improvements bond issue options to the EDA in open session that he had presented to the county supervisors on Tuesday. Closed session number two finally adjourned at 12:45 p.m.

Immediately upon re-adjournment to open session, Drescher read his statement on his resignation; followed by Llewellyn’s. Both indicated their resignations were not related to any information presented in closed session (see related story). However both alluded to troubling revelations that may be forthcoming from the audit report, as did Chairman Gray Blanton in thanking Drescher and Llewellyn for their service to the EDA. See Related Story:

Drescher, Llewellyn explain EDA departure decisions

As board Vice-Chairman Bruce Drummond and Ed Daley listen, former chairman Greg Drescher reads from prepared statement on his decision to resign from EDA board.

Upon adjournment of the regular meeting Sayre approached EDA Board Chairman Gray Blanton about Carter and Stanley’s closed session presence and his exclusion. Blanton explained that Carter and Stanley had requested to be allowed in prior to the meeting, and were consequently invited to participate. Blanton suggested Sayre make a similar pre-meeting request if he desired to be included in any future EDA closed sessions.

Nodding to the two reporters present, Sayre made it clear he was making such a verbal request to the EDA Board chairman.

Contacted later, Carter said that in November while still board of supervisors chairman, he and Stanley met with a representative of the audit consultant. More recently following a meeting with Sands-Anderson staff, Carter said that in light of his and Stanley’s earlier consultant meeting it might be wise to include them in Friday’s closed session reports.

Stay tuned for future episodes of “As the Audit Turns” on your favorite Royal Examiner news and soap opera channel:

In first two photos Tony Carter plays hide and seek with Royal Examiner camera, first behind Carolyn Stimmel and then his coat – you got me, take one of my good side; County Administrator Doug Stanley wasn’t in as playful a mood as he exited the EDA closed session.