Mayor admits: we ‘drank the Kool-Aid’ in apology to former councilwoman

“The report of the mayor: Bébhinn, please accept my sincere apology. I was never under the intention of quieting you or putting words in your mouth. But as we moved along we were told different things that sounded great – and we took it and drank the Kool-Aid. Thank you again for everything you did for the council. And thank your dad, Mr. Egger for coming and speaking to the council – please accept my apologies also.”

And so began and ended Front Royal Mayor Hollis Tharpe’s “Report of the Mayor” at the March 25, 2019, town council meeting.

The object of the mayor’s apology concerning his and council’s ignoring of warnings about the veracity and verifiability, or lack thereof, of EDA projects and processes was former Councilwoman Bébhinn Egger. Egger resigned her council seat effective June 30, 2017, to marry and move out of state.

As reported in Royal Examiner’s related story, former Councilwoman Egger – now Bébhinn Rowland of Maryland – returned Monday to remind former colleagues present and absent about the resistance she met over two years ago when she raised alarm bells about assertions being made by the Economic Development Authority and its then Executive Director Jennifer McDonald on a variety of fronts.

Council confronted over past protectionism of EDA and its chief executive

Following her remarks, her father Mark Egger, rose to call for both individual and collective apologies for the dismissive treatment his daughter received during that 2016-2017 timeframe from her colleagues.

And ALERT the MEDIA, those apologies were offered – at least by three who were there at the time, Mayor Tharpe as cited above, as well as Eugene Tewalt and Jacob Meza. As those apologies were offered, Mrs. Rowland listened from the hallway at the meeting room doorway.

Former Councilwoman Egger – now Bébhinn Rowland of Maryland in doorway listening to apologies

Councilman Tewalt began the council mea culpa to their former colleague concerning the Kool-Aid they all appeared to have drunk regarding the EDA and its former executive director regarding projects from workforce housing to ITFederal and the New Market Tax Credit Program.

“I dealt with Ms. McDonald for quite a few years – before this time we didn’t have a problem with Ms. McDonald on anything that we’ve done. It came out later, and I don’t want to get into all the details, but when she came in and told us the stories that she told us, which becomes a lie. It became a lie and we know it’s a lie because of the things that are going on … and I do want to apologize to Bébhinn for that. I appreciate what she did when she was here.”

Next up was Jacob Meza, who opened by acknowledging his recent work session call for a joint full board meeting between council, the EDA and county supervisors. Then Meza acknowledged the current Mrs. Rowland and her father’s earlier remarks.

“First and foremost I wanted to say thank you to former Councilwoman Egger for all the information she brought forward related to the EDA and the transactions that were going on. And I want to thank Mr. Egger for his relentless perseverance in bringing to our attention the problems we are having at the EDA.

“I do regret that this action didn’t come sooner. And particularly as I hear Mr. Egger recount the actions that I was able to be a part of and witness for Councilwoman Egger – it does make it totally bad. And I do, from my point of view, I extend an apology. But that was the case, because I was there and I remember seeing it and I did not have enough information to act accordingly. So for that, I do apologize.”

And if Councilman and former EDA board member William Sealock didn’t apologize, he did try to explain the reasons, including apparent misinformation given to him as an EDA board member, for his reluctance to accept or act on then Councilwoman Egger’s suspicions that something was amiss in the state of EDA over two years ago.

As for councilmen departed who received some of Mark Egger’s most scathing criticism, Bret Hrbek and John Connolly, well time will tell if they choose to acknowledge Mark Egger’s request for atonement for past lapses of judgment regarding Councilwoman Egger’s calls for independent verification of assertions made to local government by the EDA and its former executive director while they were on council.

“John Connolly’s shameless arrogance towards Bébhinn knows no bounds,” her father began of the now-retired councilman. “At the May 8 and May 22, 2017 Council meetings, he accused her of grandstanding, airing personal grievances, having a personal vendetta, unprofessional behavior, disrespecting public officials, disgraceful behavior, and publicly shaming people. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. If anyone wants to hear a disgusting tirade of Mr. Connolly, go to the Royal Examiner YouTube video of May 22, 2017.

“Mr. Connolly, you owe her an apology,” Mark Egger concluded.

And of Hrbek he added, “At the November 28, 2016 Council meeting, Bret Hrbek, in disparaging remarks directed towards Bébhinn for daring to ask questions, said, ‘It seems that ITFederal, the owner specifically, Mr. Curt Tran, has become highly offended by the hostility that he feels directed towards him and the accusations that have been made in his direction.’

“He went on to further express complete confidence in Jennifer McDonald and the EDA saying, ‘I don’t believe that there are any back-room deals or shenanigans going on that will cause harm to our community and this Town.’

“At the December 12, 2016 Council meeting, Mr. Hrbek stated that the EDA had seen factual evidence of award letters of substantial federal contracts to ITFederal, even though there was absolutely no proof that this was true. And the rest of the Town Council, in a 5-1 vote, without any evidence given, approved a resolution stating this in support of ITFederal. Bébhinn was the sole negative vote.

“Mr. Hrbek, you owe her an apology.”

Neither Connolly nor Hrbek were present to react to Mark Egger’s request Monday evening.

Royal Examiner Editor Norma Jean Shaw reached out to Bret Hrbek on Tuesday evening, to follow up on questions Hrbek had agreed to answer regarding our recent story on the EDA, land purchases by its former director and current Warren County Sheriff Daniel T. Mceathron and the status of ITFederal, and he responded, “After looking at the questions I don’t think I would add anything useful to the discussion.  I’ve been out of public sphere for two years and really only know the information that I’ve read in your paper and the NVD.”

Shaw replied, “I hope you will, at least, then, be gracious enough to extend a public apology to fellow formal council member Egger, as most council members have done.”

Hrbek stated, “Apologize for what?”

Watch the remarks: