Mooresville mayor announces retirement date after months of controversy

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney announced Tuesday night that he will retire from office Sept. 30, following months of controversy surrounding his time as mayor.

Carney made the announcement during a town meeting when the agenda turned to a discussion about the office of the mayor.

He said Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Dingler will take over as interim mayor beginning Oct. 1.

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The announcement comes after months of questions surrounding an alleged incident at Mooresville Town Hall.

In 2024, a town employee alleged he saw Carney on camera inside Town Hall without his pants while with a woman. Carney told Channel 9 in February that his pants were off because he became sick and vomited on himself.

In April, Mooresville commissioners voted 4-2 on a vote of no confidence against Carney.

Records show the town has paid more than $83,000 in legal costs to fight the release of a video that allegedly shows the incident. The town released invoices in the case to the Charlotte Observer, Channel 9’s news partner.

The town appealed a judge’s order requiring the video to be released. That case is now before the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

When Carney announced his retirement Tuesday night, he did not directly address the controversy. Instead, he reflected on his time as mayor and said he had accomplished the goals he set for himself.

Carney also discussed what he believes should happen when elected officials complete their work.

“I think we should tell all electeds that; get your job done and then turn your job over to someone else with some energy that can do it. This mayor job takes a lot of time, takes a lot of energy, and it is amazing how many people decided to play Monday morning quarterback but still never figured out how to do the job right.”

Carney did not speak with reporters after Tuesday night’s meeting.

The next scheduled election for Mooresville mayor is set for next year.