Town manager resigns after 4 months in Zebulon, he says it's over a 'serious personnel matter'

ZEBULON, N.C. (WTVD) -- Zebulon's town manager is stepping down after just months in the job.

During Thursday's Board of Commissioners meeting, Gilbert Todd Jr. announced he's resigning citing "a serious personnel matter."

"I have always believed how we treat people, especially those who serve the public and work alongside us says everything about our leadership. I will not compromise those beliefs even at the cost of stepping away. Therefore, I am resigning from my position of town manager effective immediately," said Todd Jr.

He went on to thank dedicated staff and residents for their support.

Todd Jr. was appointed to the role of Zebulon town manager in December 2024. He released a statement following his resignation:

On Tuesday, April 15th, I was given a directive by the Board of Commissioners to place the Assistant Town Manager on Administrative Leave with no grounds to do so. (I have email documentation to support these statements). The Assistant Town Manager is an exemplary employee with no performance issues. She is well qualified and came highly recommended by other professionals in the field. According to NC General Statutes, the Town Manager is responsible for managing staff and administering all personnel actions. This directive by the Board was inappropriate and unethical. Up until this time, my priorities included recruiting for key vacancies and continuing the budget development process, with budget presentations set to begin in the first week of May. This and other directives by the Board and its unwillingness to allow the Town Manager to manage the Town, made it clear that I was unable to be successful in this role.

The Town of Zebulon Board of Commissioners sent ABC11 this statement about the resignation:

"On Thursday, April 17th, Gilbert Todd, Jr. resigned from his position as Town Manager. The Board's priority is to provide quality, on-time services to the town's residents. Due to a lack of budget, development activity, Town services were at risk of being impacted. Mr. Todd was only asked to perform the duties outlined within his contract. There were no inappropriate requests made. We remain committed to transparency, integrity, and serving our community with the highest standards of accountability and are eager to fill the Town's open critical positions in a timely fashion."