WYTHEVILLE, Va. – People packed the Wytheville Town Council meeting room Monday night amidst continued controversy over gun rights in the town.
Residents confronted council members after a Freedom of Information Act request filed by a citizen indicated that some council members were aware of a proposed ordinance banning guns from public parks.
That ordinance ended up on the council agenda in late October, for a first and final reading.
But after major pushback from citizens, council members took the item off the agenda before that meeting.
Monday night, citizens questioned council members again on the issue, how they responded to the public outcry and whether they had prior knowledge of the ordinance.
“How can we trust you guys to run the town if you can’t be honest with us in a meeting?” Randall Hamm, a Wytheville resident, said.
“Transparency, that’s all we are asking for. It’s what we were asking for two weeks ago. It’s what we are asking for tonight,” said Robin Fasano, another Wytheville resident. “We have a right to know what’s being discussed because what is being discussed affects all of us, it affects everyone in this town.”
The mayor said the ordinance will not be placed on the agenda again during her tenure.