Hornsby Mayor Abruptly Resigns at Board Meeting {video}
Hornsby Mayor Megan Hedwall abruptly and immediately resigned her position two minutes into the regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Ms. Hedwall won the position in the November 2020 election when she ran against incumbent Mayor Mack Carter, Jr., becoming the youngest mayor and first woman elected as mayor of Hornsby. She shared that she ran for mayor due to what she saw as mismanagement and a lack of concern for the citizens’ liberties.
“I proclaimed the excellence of our Founding Fathers’ ideals: Individual liberty and its’ preservation, as the only legitimate purpose of government,” stated Hedwall.
The tension has been thick at board meetings as alderman regularly quarreled with the mayor. As she read her resignation letter, Hedwall stated, “It would seem that there is a lust for power, as there is an almost monthly occurrence of unethical, immoral and illegal use of the Aldermen’s power.”
In October, Hedwall accused the alderman of violating the Sunshine Law for not providing adequate public notice for a special meeting that an alderman called. At the January meeting, the alderman voted to give themselves the authority to add items to the agenda at the beginning of the board meetings, which would limit the public’s knowledge of what items would be addressed and voted on at the meetings. And at the February meeting, alderman voted to appoint Pat Plunk-Spencer, who has been called one of Mayor Hedwall’s biggest critics, to fill a vacancy on the board.
After Ms. Hedwall read her resignation letter and turned over her keys and town issued phone to town recorder Melissa Wilson, she promptly exited the building. Wayne Isabell nominated Melissa Wilson to preside over the meeting as temporary mayor, but she declined. He then suggested Curtis Vandiver and he accepted. A motion was made, seconded and voted on to appoint Vandiver to oversee the continuation of the meeting.
The meeting proceeded, but eventually turned chaotic as multiple citizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the Hornsby Water Department and requested the board look into turning the water department over to Selmer or Bolivar, an idea Mayor Hedwall previously presented to the board, but at the time the alderman preferred to keep the water department in-house.
The Hornsby Board of Aldermen are expected to appoint a new mayor at their April meeting. The Hornsby charter states, “In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of the Mayor, the Board shall proceed at its next regular meeting thereafter to elect a person to fill the unexpired term, and they shall have the power to fill all vacancies occurring in the Board.”
The mayoral appointment would fill the remainder of the term until the next Hornsby election in November 2024, when the mayor’s position and all five aldermen will be up for election.
{ Click here to view the full meeting. }
Megan Hedwall’s full resignation letter follows:
Over two years ago, I ran for Mayor due to what I saw as mismanagement and a lack of concern about our citizens’ liberties. When I ran for Mayor, I proclaimed the excellence of our Founding Fathers’ ideals: Individual liberty and its’ preservation, as the only legitimate purpose of government.
Something that many do not realize about the position of Hornsby’s Mayor, is that the Mayor has very limited power. The Board of Aldermen have the power to override the Mayor at any point. The only thing that a Mayor, who values individual rights can do, is attempt to steer the Board of Aldermen in a manner that protects the town, the citizens, and themselves.
Once elected to the position of Mayor, I was able to address each of the issues that I ran on. Some of those issues were unobtainable, only because the Board and I do not share the same values. In the process, I worked tirelessly to convince the Board of Aldermen to do what was best for our Town as well as our Water Customers.
It would seem that there is a lust for power, as there is an almost monthly occurrence of unethical, immoral and illegal use of the Aldermen’s power. Due to these acts of harmful, divisive and illegal dictates I have been forced to make a most honorable decision at this time. In fact, our Town Charter recognizes that such an issue may arise and has allowed the Mayor to protect herself from the misguided actions of the Board.
As a moral and ethical individual, the decision that I must make, is to refuse to assist the Hornsby Board of Aldermen.
I will no longer abide having to execute their harmful policies, against our wonderful Town.
I do hereby, immediately, resign as Hornsby’s Mayor.
For the information of our Citizens, you all need to be aware that if any pornography is left on the City Hall/Mayor’s Phone, it is not mine. The amount of deviant pornography: written, pictorial, and in video format was astounding. Over these past years I have continued to uncover and delete these immoral files. Anything left on the phone is there only because I did not notice it. None of the vile content has anything to do with me as I received the phone from the former Mayor. Any inquiries regarding these misogynistic files would need to be directed to the individuals in his administration who were privy to the passwords.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as the Mayor of Hornsby. I look forward to seeing you all at next month’s meeting as an informed citizen.
Together, we as citizens can still fight for what is legal, ethical, and best for our town.
Sincerely,
Megan Hedwall
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