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By Lisa Geraci, for the SNAP

The event calendar on the Town of Red Cross’ website indicates a board meeting for Monday, but this meeting has been cancelled.

“We will not have a quorum present, efficient enough to have the meeting,” Town Administrator Aloma Whitley said.

Understandable, considering the resignation of Mayor Larry Wayne Smith and Councilman Jerry Jordan last month. Less understandable are the reasons behind the resignations.

“There is no controversy,” Whitley said. “The citizens of Red Cross all have a decent understanding of what is going on. I have a lot to do to keep everything around here running smoothly. But there are no issues, the council members and I are working great together.”

Jordan claims, “We had a great mayor with Larry. The Town of Red Cross just needs some new ideas and new blood. I have been on the town council for the past 13 years, time for someone new. Red Cross is in great standing with most of the town having sewage and water, we operate three fire departments and we are basically debt free.”

Councilman and now Mayor Pro Tem J.J. Curlee said the next meeting will be Jan. 13.

“The resignations were a total surprise to everyone,” Curlee said. “We have no idea why or what happened. Jerry Jordan made it clear he didn’t want to run this year and he didn’t, but he was written in on the ballot. He said he would do it for a year, and now his year is up. The two, Jordan and Smith, are hard workers. Them being gone is like missing your brothers. I haven’t spoken or seen Smith since the resignation, but I believe he went to the beach for a couple of weeks. The mayor now is Kelly Brattain. Now we just need to find some more council members.”

Former council member Barbara Carpenter does not plan on becoming a council member again but states, “Nothing is wrong. I think they just resigned for personal reasons, but nothing newsworthy. I guess you’d have to talk to them to know for sure.”

Phone calls were made to the mayor, but no response has been given.