Monroe councilman resigns as city completes ethics probe into incident with minor
Monroe City Councilman Gary Anderson resigned Friday as the city completed an independent ethics investigation into allegations involving a 15-year-old boy.
Read more Your Instagram-worthy weekend plans, with help from Charlotte influencers
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police previously found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges, but Monroe continued its separate review of whether Anderson’s conduct violated the city’s ethics policy.
Anderson’s resignation is effective at 5 p.m. Friday, according to a letter he submitted to City Clerk Bridgette Robinson. In the letter, Anderson did not mention the investigation, its findings or the allegations in the letter. Instead, he blamed the “current political climate,” for his decision.
“This decision was not made lightly; however, the current political climate has diverted attention from the important work of the City Council,” Anderson wrote. “I have concluded that I cannot continue to serve under the current circumstances.”
Mayor Robert Burns confirmed to The Charlotte Observer Friday the city’s investigation has completed. The city has not released its findings.
Anderson did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
Burns told the Observer he believes Anderson’s decision to resign is in “the best interest” of the city.
“The responsibility before us now is to put the interests of our residents first and approach the important work ahead with the seriousness it deserves,” he said.
The Monroe City Council voted 6-1 in June, with Anderson as the lone dissenting vote, to launch an outside ethics investigation into allegations involving Anderson and a minor. Records obtained by the Observer showed a 15-year-old boy contacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s non-emergency line May 23 to report an incident at a south Charlotte barbershop that “caused him concern.” The publicly released police report did not identify Anderson by name or describe the allegations in detail, but the Observer independently confirmed it was the same incident that prompted the city’s review.
Read more Woman missing for days may have been kidnapped from her home, NC sheriff says
The case was assigned to CMPD’s Crimes Against Children Unit. Police later closed their criminal investigation after finding insufficient evidence to pursue charges. CMPD presented the case to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office, which concurred with that determination, the Observer previously reported.
Under the scope approved by the council, an independent investigator was directed to review reports, records, communications, witness statements and other information related to the allegations. The investigator was also instructed to determine whether any prior allegations, complaints, reports, investigations or incidents involving Anderson were relevant before issuing written findings and recommendations to the council.
After police declined to pursue charges, Anderson told the Observer he hoped the city would end its investigation.
“I still maintain that the city ‘ethics’ investigation is nothing more than political theatre and hope that it is rescinded in the next council meeting now that the matter is closed,” he said in July.
Anderson, a Republican, lost his primary election this year. In his resignation letter, Anderson defended his record in office.
“I have consistently acted in the best interest of the residents of the City of Monroe,” he wrote. “It has been my honor to serve them.”
Read more Popular drive-thru coffee chain plots next Charlotte store. Here’s where
