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Hope Mills board approves $17,762 invoice for personnel investigation over objections
Summary
The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners approved a $17,762 contract invoice from attorney M. McCarthy for a personnel investigation after debate; Commissioner Jerry Le called the charge "outrageous" and the presiding official cast a tie-breaking vote to carry the motion. Details of the underlying investigation were not disclosed at the meeting.
The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 1 to approve a contract invoice from attorney M. McCarthy totaling $17,762 for a personnel investigation.
During discussion, Commissioner Jerry Le criticized the invoice as “outrageous” and urged the board not to support the payment. After brief remarks and a motion to approve, the board’s vote was tied; the presiding official cast the deciding vote and announced the motion carried (read aloud as a 3–2 result).
The invoice was added to the agenda shortly before the meeting, and the mayor noted the final bill was received only about an hour and a half before the meeting packet was published. No additional detail about the personnel matter or the investigation's findings was provided at the meeting.
Board members who spoke on the item framed it as a concluded expense connected to a personnel investigation; the motion passed and staff were directed to process the invoice for payment. The meeting minutes and agenda packet noted the invoice amount but did not include attachments explaining the investigation's scope or outcome.
The board did not provide a public timetable for any further reporting on the underlying personnel matter. Residents seeking additional records were advised to follow up with town staff under public-records procedures.
