Walton Mayor Gabe Brown says he'll resign amid scrutiny

Jolene Almendarez and Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·2 min read
Walton Mayor Gabe Brown told city council members Wednesday night that he'd resign from his position, though, city officials are still waiting for his resignation letter as of Thursday morning.
Walton Mayor Gabe Brown told city council members Wednesday night that he'd resign from his position, though, city officials are still waiting for his resignation letter as of Thursday morning.

Correction: This article has been changed to accurately reflect when a lawsuit was filed.

WALTON, Ky. – Walton Mayor Gabe Brown told city council members Wednesday night that he'd resign, though city officials were still waiting for his resignation letter as of Thursday morning.

Brown announced his departure after the six-person council met in executive session at a special meeting Wednesday night for what the agenda described as "discussions or hearings which might lead to the appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an individual employee."

Along with the executive session, an ordinance governing the use of city credit cards by employees, officers, and elected officials was also on the agenda.

Local 12 reported city councilmember Terri Courtney said there would be an effort to investigate the use of public property and city credit cards.

City council members have not responded to Enquirer requests for comment as of Thursday morning.

In a Boone County Circuit Court filing from last year, attorney Steve Megerle wrote he requested credit card statements for Brown's city-issued card, on behalf of a client. The statements should have been public record because the card uses public funds, he argued.

He told The Enquirer he was able to get the records unsealed and presented that information to the city.

Brown has not been publicly accused of wrongdoing by Walton officials.

He has been mayor of Walton since he won the seat in 2018. The city of 5,500 is located about 20 miles south of Cincinnati.

Brown has been a mayor who makes headlines in a small town. Previous reporting by Fox19 shows he offered to let the Boone County Sheriff's Department tase him for charity and lost a Fortnite dance-off with a Walton preteen in 2018.

He also faced scrutiny in 2020 for calling people "dips----" and urging them to stay home as a COVID-19 precaution and for allegedly bullying private citizens online in 2021.

This article will be updated when more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Walton Kentucky mayor Gabe Brown says he'll resign