Council appoints Anthony Sabio interim town manager amid protests and legal questions

The Percival Town Council voted 4–3 on Nov. 11 to appoint Anthony Sabio as interim town manager, setting a Nov. 14 effective date and the same rate of pay as the incumbent. Council member Khalil moved the appointment, saying the council had interviewed and vetted the candidate; the motion was seconded and adopted by roll call.

The brief motion text read, "I move that the town council appoint Anthony Sabio as the interim town manager for the town of Percival effective November 14 at the same effective rate of pay as the incumbent," which Council Member Khalil read aloud when making the motion. That motion drew immediate public and council criticism about the timing and process.

Opponents said the candidate’s resume — provided only minutes before some members and members of the public reviewed it — lacked municipal budget experience and did not show residency within the 15-mile requirement for the town manager role. Several speakers asked whether the council had budgeted funds for a new interim manager and whether the appointment should precede a formal budget amendment. The town attorney noted the charter requires a town manager to establish residency within 90 days, but there was disagreement about whether that applies to an interim appointment.

Residents in the gallery and multiple council members questioned whether the selection had been coordinated privately. One resident accused the majority of "putting a buddy in" and said the hire would worsen the town’s fiscal strain; another urged the council to post the interim job publicly and direct HR to conduct a search. Supporters said Sabio had been interviewed by several council members and that he met the council’s need for immediate leadership.

The appointment passed on a 4–3 vote; the transcript records the final tally as "4 to 3." The council did not take further immediate action to amend the budget at the meeting. The vote capped a contentious segment of the evening that included shouted exchanges from the public and repeated procedural objections from minority council members.

The council’s next regular meeting, scheduled Dec. 9, provides a window for the body to consider any budget amendments or procedural clarifications related to the appointment.