CHERITON, Va. (WAVY) – The Cheriton Town Council voted Wednesday to terminate town police chief Mark Marshall. Marshall had earlier been placed on administrative leave by the council . According to WAVY report, Mayor Larry LeMond said that the action was a personnel matter. Northampton County Sheriff’s Department will increase patrols in the Cheriton area until the council decides on how to move forward.
LeMond told WAVY that there was an ongoing investigation, but would not confirm if town officials or another entity is leading the investigation. Virginia State Police are not involved in the investigation, according to Sgt. Michelle Anaya.
I live here in Cheriton and still have no idea of what happened. I urge all residents to attend this Weds. special meeting , Topic : Find lost Revenue. Maybe we will find out why it was lost??
Shouldn’t take liberties with women, Chief… He deserves to be removed from his billet!
Oh, please. Rumors and slander. It all comes down to liars and a council that doesn’t know its ass from its elbow.
I have always supported Mr. Marshall and I will continue to support him.
Your friend
Jacque Strap
Mark telling sex jokes and flirting with those office girls shouldn’t get some one fired. He was joking but the PC commies are taking over. The liberals who got elected in May got Mark fired by using that flat chested office girl. Those two new board members are liberals and will ruin the town. They done caused Wes to quit. That’s two red blooded American men taken out by the feminist and BLM agenda. Mark was a white cop and it made him a target by the liberals on the board.Liberals are ruining this country. Liberals are a disease trying to push us to a civil war.
On behave of all flat chested women I resemble that remark ! Where is a creepy porn star lawyer when you need one?
Her male family members/boyfriend/husband should take care of it.
Should take care of what? I see a lot of ugly posturing and even threats, and no explanation as to why.
If you cant stand up and say what the issue is, and cite your sources, it says you’re just making it up as you go along.
Recklessly or maliciously damaging a persons reputation through written publications….Theres a word for that.
I meant for the sexual harassment of women that is being discussed. Here, there or yonder.
Sexual harassment
How does one find out such details from a closed session vote?
You can’t, not even with a FOIA request. So, if the above allegation is accurate, someone who was in the room for the vote (council members, mayor, possibly town clerk) must be leaking info. So much for secrecy. Apparently it’s only secret if you’re not tight with those in power.
Small town governance via smear campaign. Lovely!
The Town Clerk was not present at any executive session regarding this matter, no non council members were present except the Town Attorney, no X-Council members were present were present at any executive session. But one current council member who is “friends” will all commenting was present. Hmmmmm seems fishy, also seems to be the only one in opposition of the dismissal of Marshall.
Well gee “just fishing” what’s mineralization for Mary Lena Mears, former council member, having been seen meeting with. Current members (not the one you’re implying) and then divulging info from closed sessions?
For a former council member she sure seems awfully comfortable just walking into the town offices and info private areas behind the counters. just does it without an invitation. Saw it myself more than once…why is this permitted?
I also saw Mears at one council member ‘s business just before she began sharing her “secret info”. I’m happy to meet with Marshalls attorney to tell her that. One who has consistently been against the police department and emotionally spread some rather vulgar rumors.about informing before this.same one who wanted the chief to provide a special security detail every Sunday day in his own time to his church for “terrorism prevention”.
Cowards hide behind anonymity. Why do nt you say who you are? Too busy stirring the pot to own your words?
The council member I’ve heard telling tales out of executive session was one of the five that voted for the dimissal.
Mark said he was joking! PC LIBERALS ARE A DISEASE!
Don! Are you serious? Your comments are ludicrous- and all of its synonyms-absurd, ridiculous, farcical, laughable, risible, preposterous, foolish, mad, insane, idiotic, stupid, inane, silly, asinine, nonsensical.
For further info, IF you have a dictionary, look it up!
SAD.
Oh, were you there? Can you please tell me exactly what happened and why he deserves to be removed? Also …do you live in Cheriton? Because I live here and know nothing!!!
My question was directed to Ryan and J.B … were you there when what happened and when council voted? But never mind… Nancy answered me!!
The timeline and overall context of the Cheriton Police Department saga are not being accurately reported.
The Cheriton Police Department was created in September 2017 primarily to generate revenue from traffic violation fines since the town’s primary revenue source–a voluntary overtime program with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department–was not delivering as much money as it had. For years Cheriton had relied on money from this grant-funded program in which Sheriff’s deputies worked voluntary overtime to run radar on Rt. 13. Over half–56%–of the town’s revenue in fiscal year 2016/2017 came from a handful of deputies choosing to work overtime. Cheriton’s FY 2017/2018 budget lists 22% of revenue coming from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department, and 25% from the newly-formed Cheriton Police Department.
Here are some dollar amounts to go with the percentages given above. It’s worth noting that Cheriton has no real estate or personal property tax. I’m not arguing for or against any sort of tax; just stating that there’s no major revenue stream from taxation.
FY 2016/2017 Budget
Revenue from Northampton County Traffic Enforcement $147,513 (56% of total)
Revenue from Cheriton Police Department Traffic Enforcement n/a
FY 2017/2018 Budget
Revenue from Northampton County Traffic Enforcement $47,172 (22% of total)
Revenue from Cheriton Police Department Traffic Enforcement $54,150 (25% of total)
FY 2018/2019 Budget
Revenue from Northampton County Traffic Enforcement 0
Revenue from Cheriton Police Department Traffic Enforcement $150,000 (52% of total)
For anyone wondering, Cheriton’s cash cow before traffic violation fines was bank franchise fees. Since FY 2016/2017 they’ve mde up about 6% of town revenue.
Here’s the timeline of events covering the creation of and apparent demise of the Cheriton Police Department.
9/11/2017: Special Meeting of the Cheriton Town Council
Three motions were passed to create the Cheriton Police Department.
Motion 1. To Develop a Resolution/Ordinance to establish a police department for the Town of Cheriton, Virginia based on Virginia Code 15.2-1701, effective September 11, 2017.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Mary Lena Mears, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Nay: None
Motion 2. To hire Marc Marshall as Chief of Police for the Town of Cheriton.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Abstained: Mary Lena Mears
Nay: None
Motion 3. To Purchase car & equipment not to exceed 40,000 and get a preliminary budget.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Mary Lena Mears, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Nay: None
I started hearing enough gossip about the Police Department and who was for and against it that I started going to town council meetings in 2018 and requested copies of meeting minutes from 2017. The combination of first-hand experience and official records is eye-opening.
What’s not reported in the 2/7/2018 Town Council meeting minutes is how Norma Spencer spoke at length and in circles going over figures from the Police Department budget. Mayor Joe Habel pointed out inaccuracies and contradictions in her statements. She continued to argue. From what I witnessed at the meeting, Councilmembers Spencer and Mears were trying to get rid of the department they voted to create, claiming that the town can’t afford it. The other councilmen were quiet. Spencer and Habel did most of the talking.
On 2/20 three-term mayor Joe Habel resigned. Former Northampton County Supervisor Larry Lemond was appointed interim mayor on 2/26.
Arguments over the Police Department and its funding continued to dominate official and unofficial town business. Ask anyone who regularly attended Town Council meetings or attended the Candidates’ Forum in April 2018. Some of the councilmembers who’d voted to create the Police Department continued to attack it despite the fact that Chief Marshall consistently brought in revenue. The department literally paid for itself as well as other town expenses.
May 2018 General Elections (* indicates incumbents)
Mayor: Larry Lemond
Town Council: Jacqueline Davis, Barry Downing*, Robert Lewis*, Norma Spencer*, Wesley Travis*, Matthew Yancy
On June 27, despite continued arguing through May and June over the Police Department and its budget, the Town Council adopted the proposed FY 2018/2019 budget by unanimous vote. Included was approval to purchase hardware and software compatible with the Sheriff’s and other local law enforcement department’s systems. None of this was a surprise to the Town Council.
Things seemed to quiet down. Revenue was being collected. Then on 8/17 the Police Chief was put on administrative leave. No notice given to residents. Some of us noticed the squad car sitting outside Town Hall. Chief Marshall had been tasked with bringing in 52% of town revenue. What on earth was going on?
On 8/27 the media began reporting about the Police Chief being on leave. Mayor Lemond gave no details.
Two days later the Town Council held a Special Meeting. After a two-hour closed session, the Council announced that Chief Marshall’s employment had been terminated by near-unanimous vote. Only Councilman Travis voted nay.
Late last week the town announced a work session for 9/5 at 7 p.m. The primary item on the agenda is “Discuss options to replace lost revenue stream.”
It sounds like the Cheriton Town Council, after nearly a year of infighting and turmoil, has decided to do away with the one-man police department it created to replace the revenue that had been coming from a handful of sheriff’s deputies working voluntary overtime.
The lack of leadership, planning, and culpability demonstrated by Cheriton’s elected officials is impressive.
‘The Cheriton Police Department was created in September 2017 primarily to generate revenue from traffic violation fines’
That is some sick sh1t right there.
We The People are not Cheriton’s piggybank. Why would anyone allow this knowing their mission was not to protect and serve?
No one would stop for them if they did not carry guns.
Many Cheriton residents–myself included–voiced our opposition to policing for profit. It’s a common practice in many rural localities. Personally I wanted to see the proportion of revenue coming from the police department go way, way down. Developing new income sources would take time. There’s no easy, straightforward solution. It would take work.
As things stand the Cheriton Town Council blew it all up by firing the police chief and probably dismantling the department. (The latter is yet to be determined.) Having a police department should provide protection to residents and give assurances to businesses interested in locating in the town. That’s gone now, and the town leadership looks flaky to boot.
If Cheriton can’t figure out how to pay its bills, it shouldn’t be a town. Turn the charter back over to the county.
If you truly believe that a police department is a revenue generator you are fooling yourself.
Let’s see we have:
Salary
Insurance
Overtime
Vehicle purchase
Vehicle maintainance (oil, gas, tires etc.)
radio(s)
rent for the police department
electric for the department
Court time for all those tickets being written which means he’s not there writting additional tickets
Weapon
Taser?
Handcuffs
Vest ( purchasing one of those every 2 years or so)
Flares ( that expire)
First Aid kit (that expire)
Time at the practice range
ammo
As much as you would like to believe that you make money off a police department – you don’t If so, don’t you think they would have hired more than one cop? Any every town would have a police department.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Cheriton’s records show that the police department was in the black. It’s public record.
I’m not saying that a one-man police department was the way to go. I am reporting the facts about the (probably former) department.
Actually they were making money from i t.
Stuart I agreed with you wholeheartedly. So did the police chief which was clearly a point of contention in council sessuons. They kept directing him to just focus on generating revenue, he countered that a law enforcement is responsible for much more regarding g public safety and crime ixnvestigation/prevention. Not surprisingly, most of them began immediately trying to find a way to get rid of him.
Tonight a special meeting was called for strategy on revenue generation. Guess what their only topics of discussion were? Getting the sheriff’s to generate that citation revenue or potentially passing a property tax, an issue most of them ran on a (manufactured) platform for reelection. “No Town Tax” they declared. Except no one was trying to pass one.
They are incapable of forwarding a single revenue generating idea. Watch the video from tonight’s meet. They had NOTHING.
Also? Unless it’s a Facebook glitch, Cheriton is now blocking citizens (like me) from commenting on their official town Facebook page. They deleted a comment I left criticizing their revenue generation folly. It was not profane or abusive.
Welcome to the 21st century, Cheriton. If you can’t take public criticism, you shouldn’t be in office.
(If it turns out to be a Facebook glitch, I will post another comment saying that my access has been restored.)
Cheriton FB page: https://www.facebook.com/officialtownofcheriton/
The Cheriton Facebook page is no more. They’ve removed it entirely. *shrug*
Yep, he took advantage and put in for thousands in overtime under their noses working on a “special project”. Spent most of his time at town hall patrolling his desk. Sell the police car as a barely used vehicle with super low mileage. With little or no safeguards in place and when you give a kid the keys to the candy store what do you expect. Even his hiring violated civil service laws. Look up the process for hiring. Guess he’ll get a job as a strategist for the #MeToo movement.
Ostracize him within the community. Don’t hire him, rent to him, don’t speak to him. Look through him like glass.
Do something, Say something, Act.
And why would any of us want to do that Kim?
By all means, explain and cite your sources.
Bart, do you live in Cheriton? If so, have you attended any Town Council meetings or read any of the minutes? Granted, since the minutes are available by request only–the town’s website is an outdated joke–it takes effort to get copies of the minutes. I have all of them from 2017 to present.
I was at one of the Town Council meetings in the spring when overtime payment was discussed. He had worked many extra hours to get the department up and running, perform public safety duties, and run radar as the council had directed him to do. As I recall he did not expect a fat check, but comp time instead. I have spoken to several active or retired police officers; police chiefs do not get overtime. Yet Town Attorney John Burdiss told the council that Marshall must be paid overtime. Marshall again protested. The council followed Burdiss’ advice, paid Marshall, and as later minutes and recordings of meetings show, held that over Marshall’s head for the remainder of his tenure.
The meeting minutes also show that by December 2017 at least part of the council were considering undoing the Police Department unanimously voted to create in September! In the 12-07-2017 Special Meeting Minutes “Councilwoman Norma Spencer made a motion to authorize the Commission on Finance and Budget … along with Councilman Downing to gather information upon which the Cheriton Town Council will make a decision … regarding the continuance of the existing Cheriton Police Department or reliance on the Northampton County Sheriff Department.” The motion was passed. No written report of their findings has been released to date.
As for how Marshall was employed, I hold the previous Town Council and Mayor Joe Habel accountable for that. The council members who voted aye to hire Marshall on 9/11/17 were Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Norma Spencer, and Wesley Travis. Mary Lena Mears abstained and Robert “Bo” Lewis was absent. I copied and pasted the details of that at the bottom of this comment.
Some people in Cheriton and the surrounding areas want Marshall’s head on a metaphorical pike due to rumors that have been spread as to why he was put on paid admin leave and later his contract terminated with no cause. If you look in meeting minutes, the official reason he was put on paid admin leave was to do an investigation. On 9/26/2018 Councilman Travis resigned. In his resignation letter he states that no investigation was never done. That is part of the reason why he voted against the resolution made during the 8/29/2018 to terminate Marshall’s employment effective 9/28/2018. Travis cast the only nay vote. The rest–Downing, Spencer, Lewis, Yancy, and Davis–voted aye.
On 8/29 no one mentioned the investigation. If Marshall did something warranting paid leave pending an investigation, why was an investigation not done? I asked the Town Council this at Wednesday’s meeting during the first public comment period. They repeat the same tired mantra: “It’s a personnel matter. We can’t discuss it.” Something stinks to high heaven here.
I’ll leave you with this direct quote from Mayor LeMond from the Town Council Budget Work Session held on 6/5/2018. “I’ve been on this job for three months and it seems like we go over and over and over the same stuff every work session, every meeting and either shit or get off the can, in my opinion. And at this–pardon my language, but it’s just getting old, people. Either we’re going to have a police department or we’re not going to have a police department.”
Don’t believe me? Listen to the audio at these two links. The quote is from part two.
Part 1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ialw72ymrepi7zq/cheriton_budget_meeting_part_1.mp3?dl=0
Part 2: href=”https://www.dropbox.com/s/1tjvmgnkxin76f2/cheriton_budget_meeting_part_2.mp3?dl=0
——————-
9/11/2017: Special Meeting of the Cheriton Town Council
Three motions were passed to create the Cheriton Police Department.
Motion 1. To Develop a Resolution/Ordinance to establish a police department for the Town of Cheriton, Virginia based on Virginia Code 15.2-1701, effective September 11, 2017.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Mary Lena Mears, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Nay: None
Motion 2. To hire Marc Marshall as Chief of Police for the Town of Cheriton.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Abstained: Mary Lena Mears
Nay: None
Motion 3. To Purchase car & equipment not to exceed 40,000 and get a preliminary budget.
Aye: Dan Dabinett, Barry Downing, Mary Lena Mears, Norma Spencer, Wesley Travis
Absent: Robert Lewis
Nay: None
Let’s be honest. US Rt 13 is a race track and we all complain about it. There have been some serious accidents right in the short section of Cheriton. Hell, South Bayside Road from the traffic light to the firehouse is not that much better at times! Why not tap that cash cow while slowing down speeders?! The plus side is a police presence in the town to deter possible other crime. Create a budget where as part of the fine money could support other “town / family friendly” events. Could help with sidewalk improvement, help with the drainage issues especially if combined with state and federal grant money, Citizen Crime Prevention events such as Exmore, etc… I firmly belief the pro’s out way the con’s. Don’t be so quick to hire the first blow joe that applies and do the proper back ground checks!
Concerned citizen, Mr Marshall was trying to, and doing a good job of getting people slowed down in town. The council repeatedly told him to get out on the highway. The council absolutely did not care about the police department for the public safety aspect, they said many times that they only were in it for the ticket revenue. When he sat on Stoakley or Sunnyside watching, he was chastised because those areas didn’t provide a chance for big money like the highway did.
He caught several DUIs in town, including one that was going over 60 MPH.
I partly understand, they say they don’t want town taxes, but they don’t know any other means to gain revenue for the town. They have several good people that show up to council meetings, and a few that were town council candidates that have good ideas, but those ideas are turned down because “I’ve never heard of that”
Jb and Ryan care to explain who told you that? Just spreading rumors.or are you two of the annointed few given insider info from privileged sessions?
You know…And can say how…or you dont.
Mark and Wes have been saying a lot about what got him fired. Those two guys are the only ones telling the truth. I can see why you don’t know the truth cause they aint gonna talk to women about it but they will tell men like me who understand what is going on with the liberal agenda. Those office girls are trouble. This is America and men should be allowed to be men. Mark flirting with those girls and telling sex jokes shouldn’t get him fired. It is the liberals who are trying to take over this town causing problems. Not Mark or Wes. Those are real men. Those liberals who just got elected got him fired and made Wes quit. They are PC and are going after red blooded straight white men like Mark and Cavanah on the supreme court. They voted in a man hater and voted in a thug on that board in town now. Something is fishy in that election. They’ll go after the white men next. Wait and see.
If the town ever decides to hire another police chief please do the hiring legally according to civil service laws. Put in simple safeguards like gps tracking in the police car and a camera that records and has a live stream feed of the chief’s office that only the mayor and maybe a few selected others can monitor and access.
Please do a forensic examination of of any computers that were used during his employment for porn, surfing the net, etc. You might also want to look into his use of NCIC database for abuses which is a crime. Agreeing to and submitting to a yearly polygraph and or random drug testing as terms of employment.
It is corrupt from the bench to the squad car. The bench pushes the political agendas of the people than nominated them. The good cops cover for the bad ones. Even secretaries that work for them will try to get out of a ticket, by claiming they work for the court or Sherriff’s office.
Even in a medical setting…nurses cover for nurses and doctors. It is madness.
The council likes to not worry about doing thngs according to the law.
Can I borrow that police car for a few weeks?
The PC liberals took outMark. He was doing a good job. I knew him way back. The board is a joke That new black guy and new woman got him fired all because of that blonde chick in the office hated his jokes.Girls need to know that we are going to hit on them and tell them how pretty they are in their bikini on facebook. She too flat chested. I told Mark that when he said what happened. Just because Mark told her some sexual stuff doesn’t make him a bad guy. This is America where men are men. But the PC crowd of dirty liberals is making white men bad guys. i got news for you. White men are the victims. Not these girls and blacks. They get all the breaks while white men work for everything they got. Mark worked for everything he got and they took him down. I got black friends so I know what I’m talking about. They don’t act like the other blacks and the one that is on the board. They should recount his votes cause something fishy their. he hated Mark from day one. There was only one good board member who knowd how blacks and girls act and he quit. The liberal agenda got him to. I’ll tell it like it is. Mark don’t play the PC game. he tells good looking girls like it is and it got him fired. The new communist America where blacks and women have all the power and make good men like Mark look bad.Mark needs to tell the world instead of just a few of us. It’s wrong what the sick liberals did. The liberals are taking over. If we don’t watch they will take our guns next. We need more people like trump and stewart and mark to tell it like it is.
Yikes. Please stay off our side, Don.
I don’t think “Don” is actually on your side.
Interesting how “Don” and “artj@bako.ch” started commenting on this weeks-old article after the 9/26 Town Council meeting where Wes Travis resigned his seat on the council and several members of the public asked questions and made statements about the Cheriton Police Department fiasco.
List of Town Council meeting recordings and minutes: https://www.cheritonva.com/2018-meeting-minutes-and-recordings/
Video of the 9/26 meeting: http://bit.ly/Sep2018meetingvideo
The town should hire a very pretty looking women police chief to beautify the town and to enforce the law. Maybe future candidates for police chief can engage in a swimsuit pageant prior to them being hired. Just a suggestion.
Let’s support Mark. Would you want to be going through what he has been through?
No one is perfect. If we all had a chance to do it all over again I think most of us would do things differently. Compassion is needed for all.