Two Town of Mineral DMV Select employees and other concerned citizens cited issues with staff salary and transparency with the Mineral Town Council during public comment at the June 8 meeting.

But before public comment, Mayor Pam Harlowe — who is currently filling the role of town manager duties in the absence of former Town Manager Nicole Washington after the council voted to terminate the town’s contract with her in January — started the meeting by reading a 1,025-word prepared statement in reference to the recent resignation of town treasurer Kelly Singletary among other recent conflicts.

In an email to the mayor and members of council on the evening of June 4, Singletary outlined that her decision to resign was not made lightly, but that during her tenure, she has experienced “unfair treatment” and observed practices that she believes are “inconsistent with professional, ethical, and operational standards.” She started her position in the town in March 2024.

“The persistent hostile and toxic work environment has made it impossible for me to continue performing my duties while maintaining my personal and professional well-being,” Singletary wrote. “I am deeply concerned that personal agendas and conflicts have, at times, taken precedence over the best interests of the citizens the town is entrusted to serve.”

Singletary cited a lack of communication, direction and meaningful supervisory involvement and expectations that staff perform duties outside the scope of their positions and professional responsibilities. She also cited public discussion of employee salary reductions before affected employees were informed.

In a May budget meeting, council was tasked by Harlowe to find $125,000 in the budget to fund a new town well. Staff salaries were discussed, including a decrease in pay from $90,000 plus benefits to between $55,000-$60,000 for a future potential town manager, and also a reduction for the positions of the town clerk and the town treasurer.

“It has no bearing on the people’s performance or their ability,” Harlowe said. “For a small town of 500 people with a budget like we have, we shouldn’t be paying the clerk and the treasurer the rates that we are paying them — it has nothing to do with their performance.”

In Harlowe’s prepared statement that was read to council, she stated that she has never harassed or bullied Singletary and performed her mayoral duties from home to avoid being accused of micromanaging. Additionally, Harlowe stated that Singletary was hired to get a new accounting system operation for annual audits, but the audits for 2023 and 2024 are still incomplete.

Harlowe also reiterated the town’s need for a new water source.

“This is a major concern of mine,” Harlowe wrote. “I value the town residents and the town. We cannot survive without a productive water source. I chose to run for mayor to complete the previous mayor’s term of one year in hopes of getting the water system upgraded with a new well…continuing to spend as the 2023-2025 council has done, will bankrupt the town. They increased the water bill by 29% and then increased the salaries to a scale unheard of for a town of our size. I believe in compensating our staff in a reasonable manner, and I appreciate their efforts, but I also believe the town needs a reliable water source to be their priority.”

Harlowe explicitly mentioned council member Michelle Covert as someone who “continues to harass and bully” her, noting property disputes that have occurred at Covert’s residence. She concluded by encouraging Town of Mineral residents to run in the November election where all six council seats and the mayor’s term will be on the ballot. The deadline to run for mayor or council is June 16 at 7:00 p.m. For interested candidates, two forms of general information are available at the General Registrar’s Office located at 103 McDonald Street.

“You can have a voice in how your local town operates; I encourage you to step up and make the Town of Mineral a place that you can say you live in,” Harlowe wrote. “Help take the circus tent down.”

Covert responded to several of Harlowe’s claims, first outlining a brief history of their contracts with the Louisa County Water Authority (LCWA) since the town has been purchasing supplemental water after experiencing issues with their well system. Regarding the audit, Covert claimed that progress was being made, but when the leadership changed in November when Harlowe was elected mayor, the treasurer’s time was dedicated to assisting with town manager work.

Covert also said that she finds it “offensive” to have their government body called a circus. Regarding the well, Covert stated that discussions with staff at the Virginia Department of Health have stated a well could be at least $250,000.

“I would love to get some paperwork for the council so we know when we are scrounging and cutting and doing all this stuff for $125,000 [so] at the end we aren’t going to end up half short,” Covert said.

Covert ended her rebuttal by stating that she disagreed with the personal attacks directed at her during a council meeting.

The meeting then moved into the public comment period. Former council member Blair Nipper voiced concerns with what she considered a concentration of authority in local government to a single officer, directly mentioning Harlowe serving as mayor, acting town manager, zoning administrator, and treasurer, ostensibly in the recent absence of Singletary.

“Each of these positions exists for a reason,” Nipper said. “They were created to provide independent review, financial oversight, administrative accountability, and checks and balances within local government. When multiple roles are consolidated into a single office, those safeguards begin to erode.”

Transparency and accountability within the town government was cited by Nipper as a chief concern, noting that Harlowe serves over council meetings and often provides a tie-breaking vote when the council is deadlocked.

“Residents and voters should not have to choose between competing stories on social media,” Nipper said. “They should be able to review public records, attend meetings, ask questions, and make informed decisions based on facts.”

Paul Snyder, the owner of Mineral Laundromat for just over two years, encouraged council to set aside their differences and perform their council duties in a time when he said it’s difficult for small businesses to survive.

“From a personal standpoint, the 29% water increase took the majority of profits away from the Mineral Laundromat,” Snyder said. “Another 30% increase, I’ll close the doors. That’s how tough it is to operate small businesses in this town and in this country. Our water rates are 30% higher than the Town of Louisa. Our water rates are 100% higher than the Town of Hanover.”

Two Town of Mineral DMV Select employees, McKenzie Brooks and Jessica Osborne, addressed council.

Brooks, a dedicated title specialist who has worked at the DMV for five years, raised concerns about compensation and working conditions. She stated that she processes 70100 transactions a day that includes titling and registering vehicles while managing vendor calls among other ongoing daily work.

“As the council evaluates the town’s budget and revenue source, I want to highlight that the DMV select is a consistent high producing operation,” Brooks said. “The workload has increased a ton within the last month and a half without additional staffing, or most importantly, adjustments to compensation.”

According to the FY26 projected year-end total for the Town of Mineral draft budget, the DMV select revenue is $349,309.13, which is 40% of the FY26 projected year-end revenue in the general fund.

“Many team members are experiencing significant strain due to ongoing rumors about performance, repeated suggestions that we are not doing enough, and messagings that imply our current efforts are insufficient despite the workload already being at capacity,” Brooks said. “Additional discussions about reducing compensation — which is already a level that makes it challenging for employees to meet basic living needs — have created a sense of instability and concern.”

Brooks cited a need for a work environment that includes clear communication, respect, appreciation, and realistic expectations and for council to address her concerns. She also acknowledged council member Rebecca “Becky” McGehee for her support and willingness to check in on DMV employees.

At the May budget meeting, DMV salaries were discussed. Mc-Gehee said it would be “a tragedy” if the town chooses to cut DMV salaries, citing a letter that was not included in the agenda packet allegedly from DMV employees. In a follow-up interview with The Central Virginian, Harlowe said that reduction in salaries for DMV staff have never been considered.

Osborne, a DMV Select Supervisor of almost four years, stated that she has witnessed “countless turnover” of council and several mayoral transitions.

“There has been no communication on how our time and our paychecks will be processed [due to absence of the treasurer],” Osborne said. “The mayor has asked about a decrease in revenue and hinted at cuts, yet there has been no staff meetings or town manager to DMV manager meetings to discuss what we do and how that revenue fluctuates.”

Osborne stated that performancebased evaluations and step-based pay adjustments are listed in the staff handbook, but that her last evaluation was in February 2023.

Christopher Adams is the owner of Patriot Auto Tag and Title, a small, veteran-owned company that provides DMV services across multiple states. He stated that his wife and vice president of the company, Rena Adams, has worked with the town since 2016.

“We serve a wide range of clients, from local businesses to fortune 500 companies and government agencies, and a significant portion of that work is processed right here in Mineral,” Adams said. “Based on your budget discussions, the DMV select produces approximately 40% of the town’s general fund revenue and more than 75% of the vendor work flowing through this office comes from our company. This is not just business activity. This is a real financial partnership that directly supports the town’s stability.”

Adams noted that staffing has decreased, while the workload has increased, and that the DMV select should not be viewed as a typical expense but revenue generating operation. Rena cited similar concerns to the council.

“I need the DMV staff to be supported,” Rena said. “Without them, my business will not succeed.”

Later in the meeting, during the DMV report, Harlowe stated that she appreciates the DMV and that they are a vital part of the budget. She expressed optimism that they can work together for better compensation.

The council will hold a public hearing on the budget on June 18.