Politics

Flat Rock mayor 'disappointed' that two council members resigned

By Lightning Reports, Published: December 3, 2020

FLAT ROCK — Flat Rock Mayor Nick Weedman has been emphatic that reviving the collegial atmosphere of the Village Council is one of his highest priorities.

And even though Weedman and two council members who quit last week were on opposite sides of numerous votes, he said he is sorry to see them go.
“I’m very disappointed,” he said of the resignations that Sheryl Jamerson and Paige Posey. “I thought we were making progress in trying to build a working relationship and most council members say we were moving in the right direction.”
In her resignation letter, Posey listed three reasons for her decision. WTZQ radio, where her husband is manager and she is a morning show cohost, was making changes early next year that were going to require more of her time.
“She told me also she felt like I personally didn’t support continuing to make financial contributions to the Flat Rock Playhouse, which is not correct,” he said. “I have always been opposed to making donations to 501(c)3 organizations but we made an exception and we’ve made substantial contributions.” Weedman said he wants to ask the Henderson County Board of Commissioners and Hendersonville City Council to appropriate money to the Playhouse, which could reduce the pressure on Flat Rock to donate.
Paige also told the mayor she felt the Village Council opposes sidewalks.
The village has sidewalks from the Village Hall to the Campfire Grill and to the Carl Sandburg Home and on West Blue Ridge Road.
“I don’t think we’re opposed to sidewalks,” he said. “You need to look at cases separately and see if they’re justified.”
The council dropped a proposed sidewalk from Pinecrest Presbyterian Church to the Sandburg Home after a study found that property owners opposed it.
“We are not opposed to sidewalks generally but on specific projects they need to be justified,” he said.
Weedman also praised the work of Jamerson, a retired CPA first elected in 2013.
“She was the budget officer and she worked very closely with the village clerk in getting the accounting system really up to good speed,” he said. “She had the accounting experience and she contributed and that was much appreciated.”
Who will replace her as budget officer?
“Don’t know,” he said. “We’re down to four council members and I don’t think any of them have a financial or accounting background.”
The town councils of Laurel Park and Mills River both invited town residents to apply when they had vacancies to fill this year. With the holidays coming up, that would be too time-consuming, Weedman said.
“We’re going to identify some potential candidates, interview them and then bring nominations to the council on Dec. 10,” he said.
For his part, Weedman said he would not consider a litmus test for prospective candidates.
“I’m not going to say that I’m going to ask are they member of the Cultural Landscape Group. I’d like to have a balance on the council,” he said. “We have been from a gender standpoint balanced — three women, three men. I’d like to keep that. I’m not going to ask them if they’re in favor of or opposed to the road. We’ve got to get that behind us.”