Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney said he may step down in the coming months following a 2024 incident in which he was recorded late at night in town hall without pants with a female companion.
On Monday, Carney said he plans to consider his future after the town’s budget is passed.
“And then the conversation will then be, how do my wife and I go back to the wonderful life that we've had and we have given plenty of this community over our years that we weren't elected,” Carney said. “And I'm happy to go back to doing much for this community as I can as a citizen because, again, I think too many people get caught up in the highlight of thinking a title matters.”
Carney has blamed the incident on becoming ill after mixing alcohol and medication.
He has refused to resign despite a vote of no confidence from the board of commissioners, national media attention and lawsuits from Mooresville employees who say they were fired for resisting a cover-up.
The town is also appealing a ruling that it must release security video of Carney from the incident.
Mooresville Commissioner Dana Tucker said that if Carney does not resign, commissioners could hold a special hearing to hear from the public.
“We can say, what do you really feel? And is there this welling of support, or is there not? That's one option. I don't know, as we say what's best for the town, that that's best for the town,” Tucker said.
Tucker said such a hearing would allow commissioners to gauge whether Carney’s claim that he has public support is accurate.