Sayre publicly acknowledges civil suit against EDA executive director

The tension was palpable as Tom Sayre, far right, and Jennifer McDonald, blue dress seated in upper left, both occupied county board work session meeting space on October 2, 11 days after Sayre filed a $25,000 civil suit against the EDA executive director. Photo/Roger Bianchini

During board member reports at the Tuesday-morning county supervisors meeting, Shenandoah District Supervisor Tom Sayre acknowledged his civil suit against Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jennifer McDonald.  Late in the afternoon of September 21, Sayre filed a $25,000 civil claim against McDonald alleging an effort to frame him for an alleged act of vandalism at her home in June 2017. See Related Story

In a perhaps surprisingly emotional delivery, Sayre raised the issue of what he termed his “malicious prosecution and defamation case” against McDonald in stating his intent to recuse himself from a scheduled closed session later in the October 2 board meeting agenda.

Sayre declined to respond to media questions during the closed session about the subject matter that led him to choose to remove himself from closed-door discussion involving pending county legal matters.  During his statement presented in full in the forthcoming Royal Examiner video, Sayre acknowledges that the Virginia BAR Association advised that he “was probably not mandated to do so” regarding the recusal.

The motion to adjourn into closed session said only that the lone item of discussion involved “consultation with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel” and that the discussion would be limited to “the provision of legal services.”

County Attorney Dan Whitten also serves as legal counsel to the EDA, though there was no indication in the motion that the discussion involved EDA business.  Sayre’s defamation suit is against McDonald personally and would not involve EDA counsel in presenting a defense.

While Whitten adjourned with the board to the closed session in his role as county attorney, no EDA staff or board members were present.

However, at about the halfway point of the 25-minute closed session McDonald entered the Warren County Government Center meeting room where the press, Sayre and Board Clerk Emily Mounce awaited the board’s return and adjournment to a scheduled work session.  McDonald was not summoned into the closed session.

Would a craft beer do about now?

She did, however, participate in subsequent work session discussion of county and EDA involvement in applying for state grant money requiring a local match for an expansion of the Backroom Brewery.

Sayre did not recuse himself from that discussion.  However, no direct verbal exchanges were made between Sayre and McDonald during the work session.

Following discussion of the parameters of the grant application, the supervisors agreed to sign onto a $55,000 grant application through the EDA that would net a $110,000 investment in Billie Clifton’s projected million-dollar expansion of her Backroom Brewery and meeting space off Reliance Road on the county’s northwest side.  Expansion of a northside citizen and tourism asset that already produces significant county tax revenue was cited as reason for the county’s involvement in seeking financial assistance for the project.