SUNSET BEACH — After serving just five months as mayor, Greg Weiss announced his resignation at Sunset Beach’s Town Council meeting Monday.
In an appointment surrounded by controversy, Weiss was picked to replace former mayor Robert Forrester, who resigned last March, just months after being re-elected.
Related: Insults, gavels, and gag orders: The Sunset Beach saga continues
Before the town’s Council meeting adjourned Monday, Weiss said he would resign, effective 21 hours following the announcement.
“Sometimes in working together, honest people see things differently. Sometimes one or more of those people may feel that a process has worked in a way that makes them so uncomfortable that they feel a need to take action. So I’m taking this opportunity to announce that I am resigning as mayor,” Weiss said.
Council mediator
In recent months, Sunset Beach Council meetings have been filled with personal attacks and squabbles between council members.
The town’s mayor does not have voting power. So, in Weiss’ short five-month mayoral stint, he often functioned as a mediator between sparring elected officials.
For example, in November, Councilman Rich Cerrato accused fellow council member Charles Nern of conducting private and illegal meetings with the president of the Sunset Beach Business Guild about a park permit. Nern responded to Cerrato’s claims by calling them another one of his conspiracy theories.
Visually frustrated, Weiss ended the exchange, slamming his gavel a total of four times. (Watch the moment here.)
Town Administrator Susan Parker’s firing
Sunset Beach operated without a mayor for six months after its former mayor Robert Forrester’s resignation. He resigned because Council voted 3-2 on March 5, 2018, to fire its town administrator, Susan Parker.
In a nearly nine-minute-long prepared speech, Forrester said the town’s leadership consisted of “secret cabals,” prejudices, and personal agendas.
And the controversy didn’t just start last year, Forrester said. He cited a “publicly recognized” and “notoriously dysfunctional council” stemming back to 2016. Susan Parker’s leadership, he said, was one of the only things that kept him around.
Nern, also opposed to firing Parker, said he was “disgusted” with the decision. He said Parker, with a masters in administration, left with a final salary of $101,125. The previous town administrator, Gary Parker (of no relation to Susan Parker), made over $16,000 more, the town’s clerk confirmed. Nern said Gary Parker only had a bachelor’s compared to Susan Parker’s higher degree and cited sexual discrimination.
Councilman John Corbett, who also presented a prepared speech opposing the firing, speculated Parker was being targeted for standing her ground. He said she did not “bend the rules to accommodate inappropriate council demands.”
Councilmembers Jan Harris, Rich Cerrato, and Mark Benton voted to fire Parker. Without explaining further, all three said the town was going in a “new direction.”
“It’s a right to work state,” Benton said. “We are definitely going in a new direction.”
Benton, Sunset Beach’s mayor pro-tem, was arrested and charged with a DWI the next month.
Mayoral vacancy
In July, Sunset Beach’s Council voted 2-2 to appoint Greg Weiss as mayor. Without a majority vote, and with Cerrato absent, Sunset Beach still had a mayoral vacancy. Just after the vote, Corbett motioned to keep Benton on as mayor-pro-tem, the role Benton was already serving. This was apparently construed to mean Benton would serve as mayor, according to Cerrato.
In a letter to the town’s administration, according to Cerrato, Corbett explained he intended his motion to appoint Benton as mayor.
Because no motion had been made to officially fill the vacancy (watch the moment here) Cerrato fought back: He introduced two agenda items, which were both removed before September’s meeting began. The items called for a legal review of the mayoral appointment, accused Council of violating North Carolina Open Meetings Law, Public Official Vacancy Statutes and the town’s ethic’s policy.
Council later voted to appoint Weiss in September 2018, 5-0.
Town administrator
Following Parker’s firing last March, the town has also operated without an official town administrator. Hiram Marziano, the town’s Planning Director, was given a raise to $90,000 while serving as interim town administrator.
On Monday, Council voted 3-2 to officially hire Marziano for the job, at a $95,000 salary.
Cerrato and Harris voted against Marziano’s hiring. Cerrato cited discontent because the town voted 3-2, declining to hire a search firm to fill the vacancy.
“I’ll do my best to hopefully change the opinions of some of you,” Marziano said.
Then, one hour and a half later, Weiss resigned.
Inquiries to Weiss, Benton, Harris and Cerrato were not returned by press time.
Send tips and comments to Johanna Ferebee at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
