By Patricia Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Walton’s colorful mayor Gabriel Brown, tendered a verbal resignation last week at an executive session held after the regular council meeting meeting.
The executive meeting was called to discuss the possible discipline or termination of an unnamed city employee.
Walton Mayor Gabriel Brown (Photo by Patricia Scheyer/NKyTribune)
Turns out that employee was Mayor Brown.
According to some city council members, when they came back to the regular council meeting, they announced that they plan to look into what they think could be improper spending and/or credit card use by the mayor.
A Walton businessman, Kelly Fulmer, apparently requested open records, and when he didn’t get them, filed a lawsuit to get the files he wanted.
The credit card records for the last two years were among the files. He turned those over to the city as evidence of Brown’s wrongdoing.
At the same meeting, there was an ordinance that tightened down the regulations on credit card spending by employees, officers and elected officials. It passed unanimously.
Brown’s resignation has to be made in writing to be legal. A verbal resignation is not final.
So far, Brown had not submitted a written resignation.
Brown sometimes interrupts his Saturday morning hunting to attended the monthly Mayors’ group. The mayors enjoyed his unusual attire. (Photo by Patricia Scheyer/NKyTribune)
Gabe Brown has been mayor of Walton since he won in 2018. He has been known for his spontaneous acts to bring attention to things, but he is a spontaneous person, so the argument could be made that he has always been himself.
Unfortunately many people take offense to the way he does things, and like as a few mayors before him have learned enemies can do a lot of harm.
There is a special meeting tonight to see if things can be resolved. It is rumored that council will vote to censure Brown, which would act as a reprimand.
Brown has not officially replied to requests for information. The Northern Kentucky Tribune tried to contact him to no avail despite leaving repeated messages. Telephone calls to the City of Walton were not answered and no one responded to repeated messages.
