By Taylor Boyd and Jessica Dillon
The Martinsville City Council approved releasing the full workplace investigation by July 14 with a 4-1 vote at its Tuesday, April 28 meeting.
Council also directed Steve Durbin, of the Sands Anderson law firm, to apply clarifications it made to the workplace investigation in closed session.
Vice-mayor Kathy Lawson and council members Rayshaun Gravely, Aaron Rawls, and Julian Mei voted for the release.
Mayor LC Jones abstained from voting. Following the meeting, Jones said he abstained from voting on the motion because he’s been away from council.
“I haven’t been here, so from my understanding they have been given several reviews of what they may or may not put out. I haven’t seen any of it, so I didn’t think it would be my place to just jump back in and make a decision based off what I’ve seen in a 30 minute meeting and then come out and make a vote on that,” he said.
Jones said he also started questioning whether or not Sands Anderson was actually Martinsville’s city attorney in December 2025.
“I requested lots of information on it and meeting minutes, and I haven’t been shown anything that shows that we actually appointed them as our city attorneys. So, I had an issue with that,” he said.
Jones said he also believes the law firm was advised that it has a conflict of interest regarding the workplace investigation.
“I think there’s a lot of issues with it that haven’t been talked about and that haven’t been presented to the public, so for me to continue to abstain I think is the best because I’m just out of the loop with a lot of things,” Jones said.
Before the vote was taken, Rawls said Durbin had pulled together a set of facts to ensure the city’s protected and that what residents get to read makes sense.
“You all know how fierce I’ve been about this. I’m very pleased with what he’s put together, what the firm’s put together, and I want them to feel comfortable about what they’re putting out, so I’m comfortable with that timeline,” Rawls said.
In other matters, the council:
*Heard Lawson read a statement from former council member Jennifer Bowles who thanked the council for its transparency with the released audit and discussed how an in-house city attorney could be better financially for Martinsville instead of outsourcing services.
*Heard from Robert Mann who discussed accountability for elected officials, especially for those who make accusations that turn out to be untrue.
*Heard from Jerry Brimmer, a Five Points resident, regarding the housing and road issues the area’s facing.
*Heard from Sharon Carter about suggested tax increases and how internal city issues are causing problems for residents and the potential tax increases.
*Scheduled a public hearing for the May 12 meeting to hear names for the Martinsville School Board.
*Heard a presentation of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget by City Manager Rob Fincher.
*Heard a presentation from local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Chairman Kim Glisson and Naomi Hodge-Muse on Five Points Resident complaints. They requested the council ask the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to stop downhill traffic from 220 and West Church Street to Massey Street and to commit funds to help inspect/repair houses as needed.
*Transferred the property located at 201 Second Street to the West Piedmont Planning District Commission for the purpose of developing the property for housing purposes as the Martinsville Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
*Adopted the 2026 Rules of Council with an amendment to public participation, and heard a presentation of changes from the 2025 Rules of Council from Assistant to City Manager/Deputy City Clerk Peyton Nibblett.
*Heard the monthly financial update.
*Heard an Planning Commission update from Joey Martin.
*Approved a proclamation honoring Boy Scouts of America Troop 326 and Scoutmaster Nelson “Burr” Fox, III for the troop’s 55th anniversary.
*Approved a proclamation honoring the week of May 3-9, 2026 as National Corrections Officer and Employees Month.
*Approved a Police Officers’ Memorial proclamation.
*Recognized employees for their tenure with the city.
*Approved the March 30 meeting minutes.
*Approved the April 10 meeting minutes.
