Sharpsburg Council Member Resigns, Citing Mayor’s Conduct and Abuse of Authority

A member of the Sharpsburg Town Council has formally stepped down, delivering a sharp rebuke of the mayor’s leadership and alleging repeated misconduct. Randall Short submitted a resignation letter to the mayor on April 29, stating his decision was driven by what he described as a pattern of unprofessional and retaliatory behavior. His resignation follows a heated exchange during a working meeting in which he says the mayor lost his temper, screamed, and attempted to target a town resident over a personal dispute.

Short, who was elected in November 2024, claimed the mayor sought to silence him and other council members from communicating with residents via social media. According to his account, the mayor became irate when Short resisted efforts to remove a satirical Facebook post about the town park, accusing him of undermining authority. Short also alleged that the mayor knowingly violated local ordinances and disregarded input from citizens based on personal grievances, describing this as a breach of the responsibilities of elected office.

In his resignation letter, Short recounted a series of confrontations, including a warning he gave the mayor weeks earlier not to raise his voice again. The most recent incident reportedly involved the mayor striking a gavel so forcefully it flew from his hand while asserting control over the meeting. Short interpreted the mayor’s actions as retaliatory and stated that the mayor’s intention was to find ways to punish a specific resident by restricting parking rights.

Short also criticized the mayor for allegedly encouraging blind loyalty among council members, stating that dissenting opinions were not tolerated. He described his own background in public service—spanning roles in the military, education, and community organizations—and said he had no intention of continuing to serve in an environment where disagreement leads to hostility. He concluded his resignation by asserting that he would not support efforts to undermine citizens’ rights.

April 29, 2025

Mr. Mayor,

This is my formal letter of resignation from the town council of Sharpsburg.

After you yelled at me about six weeks ago, I informed you that if you lost your temper on me one more time I would resign. Last night when you were so enraged that you slammed your gavel so hard on the desk that it flew out of your hand, yelling, “This is MY meeting, not yours!” , when I continued to object to your attempt to find a way to take parking rights away from a tax-paying town resident that you have a personal quarrel with, was the last straw.

When you asked me to run for council last November, you told me you were “desperate” to get someone to run so that no write in candidate would be elected with only a couple votes.  I had no desire to serve on the council. But I have been a public servant my entire adult life, first as a volunteer on a rescue squad in college, then as a schoolteacher, a commissioned officer in the National Guard/ Army and various positions in churches. Since moving here in 2020 I have volunteered on the Memorial Day parade committee and the Board of Zoning Appeals. I have a strong sense of civic duty that I have exercised for 39 years.  This time was no different and I answered the call to serve once more.

Soon after my election, but before I was sworn in, you called me after I had responded to something on Facebook to tell me that the as a Council member you did not want us engaging the public through social media.  When I pushed back that it was important to talk with the citizens of the town and that I would continue to do so, you got mad and yelled at me.  I pointed out then that I was elected by the citizens and I worked for them, not the mayor.

Roughly six weeks ago you called me and accused me of something you had no direct knowledge of and were wrong about. You had heard, but not seen with your own eyes, that I had “laughed” at a satirical Facebook post about the new town park. You were so mad that you were going to try to get the post removed, a clear attempt at trying to stifle free speech. You did not know it was a satirical post and that it was protected speech.  I had to explain that to you because you decided I was in the wrong without checking your facts. I told you then I would resign if you yelled at me again.

You were also mad after I had read the town charter and ordinances and discovered you had been willingly violating them for years without having consulted our town lawyer. Your response was shocking, that you knew you were but would continue to do so until caught and told to stop. If the mayor won’t follow the law, how can we expect others to?

I was also shocked to hear from you that there are town citizens whose concerns you dismiss out of hand because you have personally had a negative experience with them. Their name would come up and you’d launch into a story how they wronged you or the town and therefore you dismissed their concerns. Or worse, like last night when you were targeting a single citizen, trying to find a way to take away his right to park on the street. It is my belief that elected officials represent ALL their citizens, not just the ones they agree with. I’m absolutely sure my name has been added to your list.

It’s clear to me that you did not want someone who would represent the interests of the town citizens to sit on the council but rather someone who would “toe the line” and support whatever agenda you have. I’m not a “Yes Man” and never have been. It’s clear that you expect the elected council members to agree with and execute your agenda. When you discovered I was not going to do so, you became hostile to me.

I have defended the rights of U.S. citizens for decades on multiple continents and in austere conditions at great personal sacrifice. I will not be party to attempts to remove those rights.

I can’t imagine why I’d stay as a volunteer to be yelled at for the next three and a half years.

Defiantly,

Randall Short

Major, USA Retired

Several days after this letter, Mayor Weaver experienced a medical emergency which resulted in cancelling the May 5, 2025 meeting. Due to this medical emergency we delayed releasing this article until the date of that scheduled meeting, and wish Mayor Weaver a speedy recovery.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a public social media post by Randall Short, Sharpsburg Town Council.

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