Resident accuses interim candidate of past misconduct and announces recall petition against Paonia mayor

During public comment at a Paonia trustees special meeting, resident Pete McCarthy read a prepared statement alleging issues in Greg Sund’s previous municipal posts and announced he will file a petition to recall Mayor Paige Smith. The accusation and the recall announcement became a central reason trustees deferred final hiring action.

McCarthy said the candidate’s "last permanent job was city manager of Trinidad" and asserted, "In September 2019, he resigned to avoid being fired." He framed the broader concern as a critique of the board’s speed in presenting a single candidate in a special meeting rather than conducting a broader search.

Sund responded that he did not always receive specific reasons for departures and that differences in approach between managers and boards can lead to separations. He noted he had completed long-term projects in other jurisdictions and described his approach to continuity and grant management.

Trustees acknowledged the seriousness of the public statements and concluded they needed additional time to complete reference checks and vetting before taking a hiring vote. The board scheduled a special meeting for June 3 to consider written reference-check results and any contract revisions.

The claim that Sund "resigned to avoid being fired" was presented as a statement of a public commenter; it was not proven during the meeting and remains contested pending outside verification. The board’s decision to delay the hire reflects the trustees’ stated preference to have documented references and time to consider contract protections before a final vote.