Wachapreague council issues formal censure of Mayor Charles Elliott after contract dispute and cease-and-desist letter

The Wachapreague Town Council on Nov. 13 formally recorded a censure of Mayor Charles Elliott, saying the mayor exceeded his authority by unilaterally cancelling a council-approved Letter of Intent tied to the Phase II sewer project and by taking actions that strained vendor and community relations.

The censure was formalized after public comment and written statements from residents. Town Clerk Susan Springer read a petition statement submitted by resident Sue Fountain and a signed petition was appended to the minutes. Fountain’s statement, read at the meeting by Beth Mendez, asked the council to seek the mayor’s resignation and said the petition’s focus was the mayor’s leadership and decision-making, not his character.

Several residents addressed the council before business continued. Resident Steve Joseph read a statement outlining the sequence of events he and other volunteers said led to the contract controversy. Resident Aleena Elliott read a statement in support of the mayor and raised concern about sewer bills for fixed-income residents. Resident Judy Bilicki told the council she had signed the petition and raised First Amendment concerns after the mayor sent a cease-and-desist letter to Fountain.

Mayor Charles Elliott offered a prepared rebuttal at the meeting and said he would not resign. The minutes include a copy of a cease-and-desist letter from the mayor to Fountain, dated Nov. 3, 2025, which demands that Fountain "immediately cease and desist" making allegedly defamatory statements and asks for retraction within seven days. The mayor also provided signature sheets he said supported his leadership.

Council members voted to prepare and deliver a formal censure/reprimand to the mayor and asked Town Attorney Carl Bundick to research relevant case law and deliver a written opinion to the council. Bundick told the council he would provide an opinion and confirmed his representation of the town.

A motion to formalize the censure was made by Councilwoman Aileen Joeckel and seconded by Councilman Bob Bilicki. The minutes record votes in favor by Vice Mayor Sandie Puchalski, Councilman Bob Bilicki, Councilwoman Aileen Joeckel, Councilman Craig Baker, Councilman Robert Hipple and Councilman Glenn Schagelin; the mayor votes only to break ties and did not participate in the vote. The censure is appended to the minutes as a formal record.

The appended censure letter lists specific concerns: that the mayor cancelled a council-approved Letter of Intent for Phase II of the sewer project without council approval; refused to sign finalized documents the council had approved; and that those actions harmed vendor and community relations and morale among staff and volunteers. The council wrote that the censure "acts as a formal record of the Town Council's position" and urged the mayor to take corrective action.

Next steps recorded in the minutes include the town attorney's commitment to provide a legal opinion and the council's request that he send that opinion to all council members. The minutes do not show any immediate move to remove the mayor from office; they instead document the censure, appended complaints and petition materials, and a 30-day offer by Councilman Bilicki to attempt professional reconciliation with the mayor.

The meeting record includes full text of the petition, signatory lists, a formal complaint enumerating alleged misconduct, and the mayor's cease-and-desist letter. The council adjourned after completing the agenda. The minutes make clear both the formal action taken by the council (the censure) and unresolved community division over mayoral conduct.