Wilmington council votes to hire outside legal counsel after public calls for independent review

Wilmington City Council on Thursday voted to authorize the hiring of outside legal counsel after a night of public comment in which residents urged an independent investigation into allegations involving the mayor and city administration.

The move is the council’s immediate response to growing public concern: Resolution 25-25, "authorizing Wilmington City Council to hire additional legal counsel," was moved by Councilman Don Wells and seconded by Councilman Osborne and passed on a unanimous roll call.

Public commenters at the meeting urged the council to pursue independent review and to protect due process. Elaine Silverstrom, identifying herself as a Wilmington resident, told the council she was “deeply concerned” and urged an independent review board and possible administrative leave for the mayor to “appropriately diffuse” the situation. Jason Stoops said claims of misuse of city resources and improper actions “warrant further review and possible investigation by a neutral outside agency.” Kelsey Swindler, who said she participated in a recent community event at Sugar Tree Ministries, asked the council to “take these allegations seriously and support further investigation.” Chuck Watts and other speakers expressed support for seeking counsel and emphasized due process for city employees and leaders.

Mayor Patrick Haley spoke during his portion of the agenda and told the council he was willing to bring forward documentation to answer questions. “I ran simply to serve the community,” Haley said, adding he did not want to violate confidentiality but wanted an opportunity to provide explanations. Service Director Don Crow and Safety Director Eveland also spoke during the meeting; Crow addressed specific operational questions raised by commenters, and Eveland highlighted recent police department activities, including a joint undercover operation and plans to reinstate bike patrols.

Council members moved the measure as additional legislation. The resolution was read, the council voted to suspend the usual rules to allow immediate passage, and the roll call recorded unanimous approval. The council president noted there will be no further regular council meeting until early June and said the council would report back on the retention of counsel at that time.

The resolution does not specify a firm budget, a law firm name, or a scope of work for the outside counsel; those details were not provided during the meeting and were not specified in the text of the resolution read into the record.

The council also received extensive public comment about community trust and civic tone, including multiple appeals for transparency and healing. Several speakers framed their remarks in moral or religious terms while urging accountability; others emphasized the need to avoid premature conclusions and to follow due process.

Council officials said the hiring of additional legal counsel is intended to allow the council to obtain independent legal advice. The council did not vote on placing the mayor on leave, nor did it open a formal, independent investigative contract during the meeting. Any additional steps, including the scope and cost of retained counsel, are expected to be reported at a future meeting.