Town council votes to terminate employee, approves payout of accumulated leave

At a special town council meeting on April 6, 2026, the council voted unanimously to terminate a municipal employee and approved distribution of the worker’s accumulated paid time off.

The council entered executive session at 7:20 p.m., citing West Virginia Code 69A-4 (exceptions to the Open Meetings Act) to discuss personnel matters. After returning to open session, the Chair moved "that we terminate the employee," a motion seconded by Jesse, and the council approved the termination by roll call. The Chair stated the motion carried by a 7-0 vote.

The move followed the executive session that the Chair said would include the town attorney, the public works administrator and the finance officer. The Chair authorized the town attorney, Mr. Ken Ser, public works administrator Steve Parody and finance officer Debbie Kelly to join the executive session along with the employee identified in the meeting as “Mr. Chris.”

Mayor (name given in the meeting as Mayor) said he and Council member David would prepare an appeals-rights letter for the employee "in the next day or two" and would provide it to the employee so the person would know how to pursue any appeal.

Council also discussed the employee’s accumulated paid time off. Meeting remarks referenced the employee handbook, noting that annual leave is not payable in some resignation cases and that reimbursement in the event of termination "for cause" is payable only upon the mayor's recommendation and council approval. A motion to distribute the employee’s accumulated paid time off — the transcript reports an amount rendered as approximately "$6,8637" — was moved and seconded; the council approved the distribution by voice/hand vote and the Chair declared the motion carried.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn; the council adjourned at 8:03 p.m. The Chair asked public works staff to make arrangements with the employee, Mr. Chris, after the meeting.

Notes on sourcing: All actions and procedural steps described above are documented in the meeting transcript. The council cited West Virginia Code 69A-4 as the legal basis for the executive session. The exact numeric figure for accrued paid time off appears garbled in the transcript (shown as "$6,8637"); the article therefore reports the amount as "approximately $6,863" with a note that the transcript amount is unclear.