Front Royal Town Councilman Meza: ‘We aren’t crooks’

“You don’t have to like every decision that a council member or a council makes,” says Jacob Meza. Photo by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

FRONT ROYAL — Front Royal Town Councilman Jacob Meza decided on Monday night during the Town Council’s regular meeting that it was time he confronted the backlash council members have received lately.

“You don’t have to like every decision that a council member or a council makes,” Meza told the audience, “but I do think that we deserve respect for the time that’s being served in this community daily … and that each and every one of us aren’t considered crooks or that we’re trying to do something malicious against the community that we live and work in.”

The councilman chose to address the situation after five citizens made general comments at the start of the meeting that basically symbolized what Meza called an overarching “disrespect” and lack of trust by area residents for Town and County government officials amid the unfolding Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA) financial scandal.

For example, Janice Hart of Front Royal questioned the Town Council’s now-approved contract to make current Interim Mayor Matthew Tederick the new interim town manager while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement, saying the action smacked of “impropriety.”

“In light of what this Town and County is enduring by the actions of the Board of Supervisors and the EDA, I would think that as a council you would want to be as transparent as possible with every single move you make,” Hart said.

Likewise, Gary Kushner of Bentonville warned Town Council members against supporting a proposal by Crooked Run West LLC for high-density residential development in a commercial zone to justify the developer’s request for public water service.

“Considering the overwhelming facts against this project, if any public representative wants to support it, I’d be concerned that there was some hidden political agenda versus maybe just a hiccup in their critical-thinking ability,” said Kushner, adding that any public skepticism is warranted by the EDA financial fiasco and, therefore, is a required and healthy attitude.

In beginning his more than five-minute diatribe following such comments, Councilman Meza said he can “certainly understand” citizens’ lack of trust during the current EDA debacle. “But what’s really unfortunate is that so much information breaks a little over time and I feel like few people have the full story,” he said.

Meza then reminded the audience that the Front Royal Town Council “was one of the first movers” in putting a stop to both the improper financial transactions occurring at the EDA, as well as how the authority was functioning during the tenure of former EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald, who has been charged on 32 felony counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, money laundering, fraud, and embezzlement by a special grand jury.

Meza said the Town Council collected all the evidence it had and turned it over to the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Virginia State Police. “We were the first movers on that,” he said, putting an emphasis on we, “and I think that gets lost in the general lack of trust from the community.”

In running for his seat three years ago, Meza said he wanted to bring in a set of fresh eyes to evaluate each new project and to be open and fair about any issue that came before Town Council, and also because he was angered by and didn’t understand the exorbitant power fees.

Now, with his term as a councilman ending in December 2020, Meza said he’s not concerned about running for reelection again.

“If you don’t want me here, that’s fine. I’m happy to have somebody else step up here and take my spot,” he told the audience. “In fact, we need more citizens to run. How many elected officials run unopposed?”

And then, with a sweep of his hand out toward residents sitting in the meeting room, Meza said, “That’s your guys’ problem. There’s nobody running against them. If you want a good candidate, put a good candidate in and have them run.”

Meza also said he’s “tired of council being constantly criticized as if every single thing has an ulterior motive or that somebody’s trying to line their pockets.”

“I wasn’t initially prepared to say what I’m going to say, but based on some of the comments from town citizens, I do want to address it because it’s hard to sit and be quiet when the comments of negativity are coming forward, and the lack of trust,” Meza said.

The criticism happens so frequently now, he added, that it’s “downright disrespectful.”

Meza also pointed out that even developers are being dissed by citizens. “Who’s going to want to bring a project before this Town or County anymore? Who?” he asked.

At the same time, Meza also defended the council’s decision to solicit and hire Tederick as interim town manager. He as interim mayor, Tederick’s leadership produced bipartisanship that enabled members to get a lot of “exciting” work accomplished and members don’t want to lose that momentum now that current Town Manager Joe Waltz has resigned. Meza said members want to continue accomplishing the work they’ve started as “a solidified, well-jellied council.”

There’s been no “deep-seeded corruption” taking place among councilmen, he added, “and we are being transparent.”

Following Meza’s comments, Tederick also said the lack of trust from local citizens is understandable, but he explained that part of his job as interim mayor is to defend Front Royal Town Council members.

“And the council did not do anything illegal or inappropriate” related to the decision to hire him as interim town manager, said Tederick.

In a short ceremony, Tederick and the council members thanked Waltz for his service and presented him with a plague recognizing his work as town manager.

Watch the video from the October 28th Town Council meeting in this related story:

Front Royal Town Council approves two significant hires