ELLERBE — Mayor Brenda Capel delivered her final address during the town’s December meeting, closing out her historic tenure as Ellerbe’s first Black female mayor and offering gratitude to board members, supporters and residents.
Capel, elected in 2021, had spent more than 30 years working in the mental health field before entering public office. She previously operated a group home for disabled residents in Rockingham for about 15 years while contracting with Sandhills Center. She also served as a social worker for Richmond County Schools and worked as a qualified mental health professional for Carolina Behavioral Care.
“I thank each and every one of you for everything that you have done,” Capel said. “When I walked upon this journey, I didn’t know my right from left, or my left from right, but I knew it was something I wanted to do — and I wanted to make a difference… You have been my support and you have been my backbone and I thank you for everything.”
She went on to recognize the many people who supported her throughout her term.
“I’m 72 years old and I learned a long time ago, don’t name names, ‘cause when you start naming names, you get in trouble because you’re going to leave somebody out,” she said. “We have had some people that have really supported us… I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I do have to mention David Richardson… I almost had him on speed dial.”
Capel added that her family “has been an asset to everything that I’ve done,” noting their encouragement throughout her leadership.
She then highlighted key accomplishments achieved during her administration, crediting both the board and community partners for assisting in those efforts.
“We’ve accomplished quite a bit,” she said. “One of the things we did was we paid a loan of $1.8 million to USDA, which we had 44 years left to pay. We purchased and paid for a new garbage truck. We purchased and paid for new garbage receptacles. We demolished the old Howell building, which was the old bank building on the corner and we established the Howell Park. We replaced some of the town’s water and sewer lines that had been here over 100 years. As you can see, we renovated the town hall conference room. We updated the town’s website which allowed for tax and water bill payments to be made online.”
She added that the town also implemented a one-call notification system designed to alert residents quickly about important updates.
She continued by noting one major improvement she felt had been unnoticed.
“Nobody has mentioned this and I’m surprised… the property tax rate has been reduced 8%,” she said. She also pointed to added security cameras at town facilities and a revision of town policies and enforcement manuals, again thanking Richardson for his help.
As she neared the end of her remarks, Capel expressed appreciation not only for her supporters, but also those who challenged her.
“So again, I just want to say thank you to each of you that supported me. Thank you to each of you that didn’t support me — we thank you anyway,” she said. “Most of all, I want to say thank [you to] this tremendous team that I’ve had working with me… we work together and that’s how we got so many things accomplished.”
Before stepping down, Capel presented each board member with a puzzle piece inscribed with: “A truly amazing team is hard to find. Thank you for being a key piece about team success.”
Mayor Pro Tem John Sears praised Capel’s dedication before presenting her with a plaque.
“Nobody in this room realizes how hard she works, but I do,” Sears said. “She really has the best interest of the citizens [of] the town.”
Council members Bennett Hawks and Elsie Freeman also concluded their terms and were recognized with plaques. Freeman was not present.
Following Capel’s address, new council members Jimmy Bowles and Heather Pack were sworn in alongside incumbent Jean Fletcher. Lee Berry then took the oath as the new mayor.
During commissioner reports, Berry thanked voters for returning him to office. Berry previously served three terms as mayor.
“Thank you to everybody that voted to put me back in office. I hope I don’t disappoint anybody, and the people that didn’t vote for me, I hope I can prove to them that I am the right choice. I’ve already been out to Parks and Rec and walked around some and rode through the streets and got a couple appointments. I’ve already made some contacts with a senator and House of Representatives and I’m not above begging for money when it comes to the town of Ellerbe.”
During commissioner reports, Heather Pack said residents have expressed concerns about trash along the streets of Ellerbe. Pack added that she had spoken with Chris McLaughlin, director of Parks and Recreation, and plans to explore ways she can assist the department.
Council member Jimmy Bowles also noted concerns about roadside litter and said he hopes “maybe we can get a lot of that removed before Christmas.”