Isle of Wight County Administrator Anne Seward resigned Thursday night following a closed session meeting with the Board of Supervisors. Seward’s resignation is effective Dec. 31 and she will receive six months severance pay of $80,070. The two month notice of resignation stipulated in her contract was waived by the Board. The Board voted 4-1 to accept Seward’s resignation, with Smithfield Supervisor Al Casteen being the only one to oppose the action. Reading from a written statement, Board Chairman Rex Alphin said the Board accepts Seward’s resignation, and given the fact that the three newly elected supervisors campaigned on taking the county in a new direction, Seward thought it best to resign. {mprestriction ids=”1,2,3,4,5,6″}

Seward was appointed county administrator in October 2013, and had worked previously for Isle of Wight for 10 years as budget director. She is credited with reducing the county’s multi-million budget deficit, but was criticized for several initiatives, particularly the failed ISLE 2040 plan to pave the way for a dramatic increase in residential density in the northern end of the county. ISLE 2040, as well as the controversial fire and rescue facilities use agreement, led to contested races for three supervisors seats in November. Incumbents Casteen and Buzz Bailey decided not to run, although Bailey mounted a unsuccessful last-minute effort as a write-in candidate in the Newport District. Windsor Supervisor Dee Dee Darden tried to hold on for a second term, but was overwhelmingly defeated by Carrollton Volunteer Fire Chief Joel Acree. Pastor William McCarty won the Newport seat and businessman Dick Grice took the Smithfield seat. All three ran on issues of transparency and lack of trust at the courthouse, as well as opposing several initiatives brought to the Board by Seward and her staff. {/mprestriction}