Council moves toward mayoral appointment at next meeting

Following a relatively brief, half-hour open meeting work session review of the status of Downtown Business District revitalization utilizing State Community Development Block Grant funding, the approaching expiration of a five-year option on exercising a first right of refusal on a sale of the old Town Hall building, and other goals the Front Royal Town Council adjourned to closed session on a variety of topics.

Prominent among topics discussed during the one-hour closed session were the potential awarding of a franchise agreement and council’s appointment of an interim mayor within the required 45 days to serve until a special election to fill out the term of resigned Mayor Hollis Tharpe is held.

In the wake of an April 15 grand jury indictment on solicitation of prostitution, Tharpe resigned effective May 2, while proclaiming his innocence and intention of fighting the charge in court.

The Town has petitioned the court to allow a special election to be held with the November County elections. The Town’s next election is not until November 2020. The court could order a special election prior to the next municipal election but with that election just over five months away chances are the Town request will be allowed and an appointed mayor will be allowed to serve until the next elected mayor is chosen by town citizens.

While no announcements were made following the May 20th closed session, Vice-Mayor William Sealock did address council’s plans on moving toward the mayoral appointment he has expressed no interest in. Sealock, who has chaired council meetings and work sessions since Tharpe’s resignation went into effect, said he prefers to remain vice mayor in order to retain his vote on all matters before council. The mayor only votes to break ties.

Sealock said that council approached six candidates, three of whom said they would accept the appointment if offered to them. Council will vote on selecting one of those final three candidates, who the vice mayor declined to name, at the next council meeting on Tuesday, May 28. Council’s second meeting of May is moved from Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday.

“I promised you May 28, and that’s when you’re going to get it,” Sealock said of the mayoral selection date.

Behind closed doors is where the interesting things are said, and written.

Pressed by media present on clues as to who those final three candidates might be, Sealock laughed and said, “No, that’s why I erased the board,” the board being the white board on the wall next to him. As media closed on the board for residual clues, the vice mayor did a quick additional wipe down to assure no clues remained.

Sealock did, however, verify that none of the three remaining candidates were current council members. Asked if there were former council members or perhaps mayors on the list, Sealock deadpanned, “I can’t remember,” adding of former elected town officials, “Some were considered.”

Asked if he felt the vote on a new mayor would be unanimous or split, Sealock said he believed it could be a split vote.

And the drama continues.

Some conjecture “on the street” has placed Chris Morrison, who lost his council seat in last year’s election but has allies remaining on council, in the running. Some citizens informed this reporter they had seen sample ballots for mayor in 2018 with Morrison listed as a write-in candidate. Tharpe ran unopposed in 2018 and no mayoral write-in got more than 10% of the vote resulting in no specification of those write-ins by the Voter Registrar’s Office.

See the vice mayor’s conversation with reporters in the Royal Examiner video: