‘Is there a problem?’ Audio tells story of Elsmere mayor’s resignation

Before Elsmere’s Mayor Eric Scott Thompson shockingly resigned during the middle of a town council meeting last month, a chain of increasingly heated events occurred.

Audio of the town council meeting obtained through an open records request shows how former-Elsmere Mayor Steve Burg sparked a tense confrontation during the meeting when he voiced a pointed criticism about Thompson’s decision not to attend the funeral of a town police officer. 

“When you put somebody in the ground, six foot under, you need to be there. No matter if you’re in town or out of town,” Burg said during the public comment period of the meeting, according to the audio obtained by Spotlight Delaware.

Burg’s words sparked a confrontation with Thompson, followed by what reportedly was an off-the-record conversation between Thompson and Elsmere police officers. Minutes later, Thompson returned to the council meeting room, where he again faced a critical Burg.

“Is there a problem?” Burg asked.

“There absolutely is,” said Thompson.

Murmuring can then be heard on the audio recording before Burg shouted, “What’d you say? Say it to my face! Don’t walk out and say it.”

Other meeting attendees stepped in to calm things, and soon after the meeting resumed.

That’s when Thompson addressed the council to announce that he would resign his top political post in the blue-collar town of about 6,000 people that sits just west of Wilmington.

The episode highlights how a former mayor who now lives at the Delaware Beaches can still impact the political dynamic in the modest town. It also shows the outward reverence that many in the town display for law enforcement.

Spotlight Delaware could not reach Burg for comment on this story.

Thompson’s announcement ended his nearly 8-year tenure leading Elsmere, after taking over from Burg in May of 2017. Thompson was set to run unopposed again for the seat in May, according to Scott Allen, administrative assistant to the town manager.

Three days after the incident, former Council President Pro Tempore Joann Personti, was sworn in as mayor to take Thompson’s place.

Tensions rise over funeral absence

During a public comment period at the beginning of the April-10 meeting, Steve Burg, who previously served as mayor from 2013 to 2017, was the only person to speak, according to the audio of the meeting.

In his comments, Burg said he drove the nearly 100 miles to Elsmere from his home in Lewis “because I was so mad at the situation” – a reference to Thompson not attending the funeral.

“It’s showing a non-respect to our police department,” he said during the meeting.

About two weeks prior, the town held a funeral and memorial service for 44-year-old Lieutenant Gregg Shelton, a 20-year veteran of the Elsmere Police Department in Delaware, according to his obituary.

According to the Rick Jensen podcast, which interviewed both Burg and Thompson, Thompson was the only member of the council who did not attend. He told Jensen that he had been on a pre-planned vacation with family in Florida during that time.

After Burg ended his comments during the council meeting, Thompson directly addressed the police officers who were present. 

“Is that your feeling?” he said. “That because I had a commitment of which I couldn’t get out of and could not be here, and did things a little different way, do you feel that that is me turning my back on the police department?”

A member from the police department spoke up in response, saying that Thompson did reach out to them in advance. Thompson also made it clear that he reached out to others in the department.

The room went quiet after Thompson’s comments. He then addressed Burg, saying that he knew his comments were directed toward him, to which Burg responded, “Yes.”

Again, the room went quiet before Thompson spoke.

“I know I’m making this a public forum on this, but I will happily go off the record. We can go outside, and you can tell me how you feel, because it will absolutely impact where we go from here,” he said.

Thompson then made a motion to move the meeting into a recess so that he could go off the record and talk to anyone who had feelings toward him for not attending Shelton’s service.

According to Burg’s and Thompson’s separate accounts on the Rick Jensen Podcast, Thompson then went into an office to speak to members of the Elsmere Police Department.

A little under 15 minutes went by before Thompson re-entered the council meeting room. That’s when the verbal altercation broke out, with Burg asking Thompson, “Is there a problem?”

Thompson then addressed the full council. 

“After taking a brief recess to reflect on some things, I hereby formally resign my position as mayor. Effective immediately,” Thompson said.

Confusion broke out amongst the public while Thompson gathered his things and left.

Personti then took over to lead the rest of the meeting.

Elsmere’s police department has declined to comment on the incident. And Thompson also declined to recount the full situation.

“What happened happened and it’s over and done with,” he told Spotlight Delaware.

During Jensen’s podcast episode, Thompson said that he did not have any prior ill relations with the local police department. He said he did not want what occurred at the meeting to be a future distraction from things the city needed to get done.

“Some people took this to heart, and I don’t want that to be a focus of meetings or interactions going forward, and for me, this was a way for that not to happen,” he told Jensen.

After his resignation, town officials released a statement regarding the incident.

“The Town and residents applaud Mr. Thompson’s dedication to public service, the time and effort he put into his position, and his focus on what is best for the residents, and wish him the best of luck in future endeavors,” town officials said in the statement.

On April 13, former Council President Pro Tempore Joann Personti, who represented the Fifth District, was sworn in as mayor.

Personti had previously served as a town councilwoman for 11 terms.

Her seat for the 5th district on the council is now vacant and will be up for election.

Under Elsmere’s charter, the pro tempore steps in in the event of a resignation for the remainder of the mayor’s term, which will run through May.

Allen says he is unsure whether Personti will serve for the next two-year term or whether the position will be up for election next month.