Purcellville Mayor Christopher Bertaut postponed any council budget discussions after the Loudoun County prosecutor barred the city’s Vice Mayor Ben Nett from participating in council discussions.
The prosecutor’s decision came amid Nett’s criminal investigation for violating conflict of interest laws.
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WATCH HERENett worked in the Purcellville Police Department and was under internal investigation, according to town officials. He was fired on April 4.
Four days later, he and three other council members voted to eliminate the department to save the town money. had just been fired from the police department and accused of having conflicts of interest.
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SIGN UP Purcellville residents have been outraged with their town council and mayor. The council is split into two opposing sides that aren't explicitly partisan.
"I remain firm in my commitment to provide the essential services to the town as efficiently as possible," Bertaut said.
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Many people who said they voted for Bertaut took issue with that comment when he and other council members considered eliminating the town's police department last week.
"I believe this is all part of a well coordinated effort by the now-town council minority to take away the power of the majority to decide the future of this town," Bertaut said.
Bertaut said he canceled a budget work session Tuesday night because it wasn't clear whether or not the Loudoun prosecutor's office would legally allow the vice mayor to participate. The town is short on revenue and has eight weeks until the budget is due.
"People understand this is a bad situation," said Brian Morgan, who is organizing a recall effort to remove Bertaut, Nett and two other council members.
Recalling elected officials is usually unsuccessful in Virginia, but Morgan has two-and-a-half times the number of signatures legally required to get the recall effort submitted in court.
"We feel like we've been lied to," Morgan said. "We feel like we've been deceived. We feel like things have been done in secrecy that the town doesn't really know about."
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