Mayor Pro Tem Jesse McQueen resigns from Hamlet City Council; council sets process to fill seat

Jesse McQueen, mayor pro tem, told the Hamlet City Council he would resign effective immediately, saying he and his wife have moved to Rockingham and that he is grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.

McQueen, who described a public-service career that began as a Hamlet police officer in 1991 and included council terms beginning in 2005 and again in 2013, told colleagues he was proud of his accomplishments and thanked his family, fellow council members and staff. "I will be resigning from the Hamlet City Council effective here in just a few minutes," he said.

The council presented McQueen with a plaque reading, in part, "Presented with gratitude and appreciation to mayor pro tem Jesse McQueen in recognition of 14 years of serving faithfully on Hamlet City Council," and officials gathered for photos. Mayor (speaker 1) read the plaque text aloud before the presentation.

Council discussed how to fill the vacancy. City manager (speaker 8) recommended announcing the opening publicly and inviting letters of interest to the mayor through Oct. 31, then reviewing candidates at the November meeting; any interviews would be held in open session because the position is a public office. Council moved to follow that process and the motion passed.

The replacement will be appointed by the council at a future meeting unless the council chooses to point someone this evening, the manager said. No appointment was made the night of McQueen's resignation.

What happens next: the city will accept letters of interest through Oct. 31 and expect to review candidates at the November council meeting.