Newport mayor resigns, citing threats and intimidation from council member

NEWPORT, Vt. (WCAX) - The mayor of Newport, Vermont, has stepped down, citing threats and intimidation, including from a city council member.

Beth Barnes, who was elected on Town Meeting Day, resigned prior to a special council meeting Monday night. Reading from a statement, Barnes said she has been bullied, intimidated, and berated during executive sessions and claims that at least one of those meetings on May 9 violated state laws because it was not properly warned.

She said she had also received threatening text messages from a council member but did not disclose their name.

Newport’s city manager - who herself is retiring next week -- says they’re researching what they’ll need to do now.

Barnes won a four-way election contest with nearly half the votes, taking over from long-time Mayor Paul Monette, who stepped down. She said her top priorities were overcoming the obstacles the city faced following the EB-5 scandal and expansion of the landfill. She also campaigned on bringing “tighter controls” to the mayor’s office.

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