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Council member accuses mayor of concealing invoices, cites $31,000 payment to outside counsel and urges inspector general inquiry
Summary
A council member accused Mayor Harlow of selectively paying vendors, concealing invoices, and authorizing more than $31,000 to an outside law firm without council review; the speaker urged contacting the Virginia inspector general and called for the mayor's resignation.
During a sustained statement, Max Colbert (identified in roll call) criticized Mayor Harlow's handling of vendor payments and town business, asserting that checks spanning May to the present had been concealed and that "more than $31,000 was paid to the Conrad firm without any review or approval by the governing body." Colbert also said he would contact the Virginia office of the inspector general and the VML risk underwriter.
Colbert said the council had already voted to pay certain bills but alleged the mayor "unilaterally overrode that decision, selectively paying only the invoices she preferred and concealing the remainder." He urged council members to consider whether to continue affirming the mayor's conduct and said, "Mayor Harlow should resign."
Other council members disputed some of the characterizations and questioned the financial trade-offs of pursuing appeals and litigation. The transcript records disagreement about whether pursuing the dispute would save money or increase exposure, with references to an $11,000 unemployment payment and a previously discussed possible $300,000 lawsuit exposure.
The allegations were made in open session and may prompt follow-up requests for documents or external inquiries; the transcript does not record contemporaneous accounting documentation or a mayoral response in the meeting minutes.
