Summerfield town staff announce resignations over alleged mistreatment of manager

Staff members at the town of Summerfield announced Sunday they're resigning and that the move was spurred in part by town council's decision to part ways with a high-ranking official.

Summerfield Town Council voted not to renew Town Manager Scott Whitaker's contract in February. Town Attorney Bob Hornik resigned shortly afterward.

In a statement on Sunday, all nine members of the town's staff announced their resignations. Town Finance Officer Dee Hall has worked for Summerfield for around eight years. She says the work environment for staff began to deteriorate after the election last year, and Whitaker's treatment was the final straw.

"We decided that it was better for us to leave than stay and we're very sad because we love this town, we love the people in it, we've worked here for a very long time," Hall says. "We've worked together for years and years."

In a statement, Summerfield Councilmember Jonathan Hamilton said he believed the resignations were "in part politically motivated." He said the transition will allow the new town manager to "carefully assemble a dedicated team committed to serving Summerfield."

The resignations come amid external challenges for Summerfield. In February, the Greensboro NAACP filed a complaint alleging the town's zoning practices were discriminatory. And an ongoing dispute with a developer has left officials concerned about a potential de-annexation by the General Assembly.