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Tuesday, October 7, 2025
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🏛️ New Mayor Sworn In at Richfield Town Meeting
The Town of Richfield has a new mayor. Sharon Blatt was sworn in before the start of the town’s latest meeting following the resignation of the former mayor, who stepped down saying “his ideas didn’t align with other town members.”
The meeting quickly turned tense with Stanly County Sheriff Jeff Crisco in attendance as board members discussed whether to end or review the town’s policing contract with the sheriff’s office.
🚓 Dispute Over Sheriff’s Contract
A key issue during the meeting involved confusion over a letter that Council Member Barry Byrd sent to county officials, indicating that Richfield wanted to cancel its law enforcement contract with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Crisco told council members that the board never officially voted to end the contract, and that Byrd’s letter was sent prematurely.
“The only thing I failed to realize is we did not vote to cancel the contract,” one council member said, adding that a formal vote was needed to make such a decision legally binding.
Sheriff Crisco clarified his previous conversation with Byrd, explaining:
“You asked me point blank if you could get out of the contract today. I said, no, we can’t do it today.
You can talk to anyone you want to, but I never said you could cancel the contract.”
Crisco also said the deputy assigned to Richfield no longer wants to work there due to the “political turmoil” surrounding the town council.
“Nobody wants to come up here because of the uncertainty,” Crisco said. “The perception is this board doesn’t want a contract anymore, so they’re waiting to see what happens.”
🗣️ Tense Exchange Between Sheriff and Council Member
The discussion between Sheriff Crisco and Council Member Byrd grew heated at times, with Crisco accusing Byrd of misrepresenting their past conversations.
“It’s my opinion that you have a personal agenda of some sort against me or the sheriff’s office,” Crisco said. “That letter proves it — you sent it without the board’s knowledge.”
Byrd responded that he misunderstood the situation:
“I would’ve never moved forward talking to the Village of Misenheimer if I knew we were still tied to that contract,” he said. “I inferred that we could explore other options.”
Crisco reiterated:
“You can talk to anyone you want to. That’s not breaching the contract. But you cannot cancel it without board approval.”
⚖️ Meeting Ends Without Resolution
The special-called Richfield Town Council meeting adjourned without any formal votes or new decisions. The status of the town’s policing agreement with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office remains unresolved.
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