Sparta mayor plans to address sudden resignation of three town leaders
It's the talk of the town in Sparta. Three town leaders resigned at Tuesday's town hall meeting.
It's the talk of the town in Sparta. Three town leaders resigned at Tuesday's town hall meeting.
It's the talk of the town in Sparta. Three town leaders resigned at Tuesday's town hall meeting.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Watch the live stream of officials speaking on the sudden resignations here at 11 a.m.
It's the talk of the town in Sparta.
Three town leaders resigned at Tuesday's town hall meeting.
Town Attorney Whitney Ivy, Sparta Town Manager Ryan Wilmoth, and Mayor Wes Brinegar all announced their resignations.
The mayor plans to address it all at a meeting Friday.
"It is absolutely the talk of the town," said Sparta resident Jade Castevens. "It is all anyone is talking about."
The three town leaders announced their resignations without any explanation.
"I guess I just want more information on why everyone resigned at the same time," Castevens said. "Because I know they had to communicate beforehand — so I guess that's all."
The Sparta town manager and attorney were both absent from Tuesday's meeting, but the mayor read their resignation letters aloud. Then, at the end of the meeting, he announced his own sudden resignation.
"You hereby have my resignation as mayor of this town," Brinegar said. "I will not be a part of something that is so corrupt right now, behind the scenes, to eliminate a man that has done so much for this town."
"Everybody in the county is fed up with wasteful spending," said Alleghany County Commissioner Greg Walker. "And the way the county and town are run."
Alleghany County Commissioner Greg Walker doesn't find the three resignations all that surprising.
"I think the county needs to do the same thing as the town did and clean house," Walker said. "It's been building up a long time — anarchy in Sparta and Alleghany."
For now, those living in Sparta have been left to speculate with no clear reasoning as to what really happened.
"I was not super surprised because I know there has been so much going on," Castevens said. "So I expected something like this."
"The voters of the county and town speak every election," Walker said. "And they're tired of the corrupt stuff going on in it."
Wes Brinegar will remain mayor through March 29.
He will be addressing his sudden departure at 11 a.m. Friday in the council chambers located in the basement of the Sparta Town Hall on Main Street.