Mooresville commissioners issue vote of no confidence, urge mayor to resign

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Monday night, Mooresville’s town board issued a formal vote of no confidence in Mayor Chris Carney and is requesting that he resign, following weeks of controversy and multiple lawsuits involving town leadership.

The vote came Monday night, shortly after the mayor publicly apologized for the turmoil surrounding the town but defended himself against allegations raised in three lawsuits filed by former town employees.

Before commissioners took action, Mayor Carney addressed the board and residents, acknowledging what he called “poor judgment” on the night of October 10, 2024, when he was captured on surveillance video inside Town Hall without pants.

The incident is referenced in lawsuits that accuse Carney and other town leaders of retaliating against employees who raised concerns about that night.

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Carney apologized to the community and his family but strongly denied any involvement in the termination or treatment of the employees now suing the town.

“If I, in any way, had anything to do with the people who are not employed here, I promise I’ll happily resign,” Carney said. “But here is where we have gotten out of place with this whole discussion — this is just good old-fashioned ugly politics.”

After speaking, the mayor recused himself from the discussion and left the meeting chamber.

Commissioner Dana Tucker introduced the resolution calling for a vote of no confidence and urging the mayor to step down.

Tucker said the mayor’s actions violated multiple standards in the town’s code of ethics and that the board had a responsibility to act.

“It shows that we take the code of ethics seriously and signals to the community that we want to rebuild trust with them,” Tucker said. “It shows a desire for us to get past these issues so that we can return to governing under regular order and spend precious money, time, and effort helping our community thrive.”

When asked by another commissioner when he expected the mayor to resign, Tucker did not give a specific timeline.

Immediately after the vote, the board entered closed session. The mayor did not return to the meeting, and it remains unclear what his next steps will be.

A newly filed amendment to one of the lawsuits adds another allegation: that the woman who was with the mayor during the October incident was also in a partial state of undress and retreated into the mayor’s office when police arrived.

The filing, however, does not provide additional details.

The lawsuits continue to move through the legal process, and the town has not publicly commented on the new claims.

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