Sheldon Poplin Morley Mayor of Mount Gilead NC

08/22/2026

08/12/2026

My final Mayor's Report from my final meeting:

"I love this town.

I know that's a big, nerdy thing to say out loud into a microphone, but it's true, so I'm going to say it. I love representing this town as its mayor.

I love the people who pack into this room when something matters to them, you all know who you are, and you keep me on my toes. I love the people who never come to a single meeting but trust us to get it right anyway; that trust is a responsibility I've never taken lightly. And I love everybody in between.

I love that a town this size, a town I thought I had figured out, still manages to surprise me on a regular basis.

So please believe me when I tell you that stepping away from this is not easy. It's one of the harder things I've ever had to do. Mary and I made this decision together, and we did not make it lightly; we've decided to move our family to Asheville so that I can pursue a new career opportunity.

It's the right thing for us, and it's the right thing for our daughter, but that doesn't make it hurt any less to leave a place I've come to love so much.

I've said it before and I'll say it one last time: being your mayor has been one of the great honors of my life. And not because the job is glamorous; anyone who's ever sat through a full town meeting knows better than that. It's an honor because of what the job actually is. It's showing up. It's listening, even when the listening is hard. It's doing the slow, unglamorous, deeply unphotogenic work of keeping a community running for the people who call it home.

You handed me that responsibility, and I want you to know that even on the days I didn't get it a hundred percent right (and there were some of those!) I tried my level best to be worthy of the trust you put in me.

So let me say some thank-yous. To the Board, who put up with me and pushed back on me and made every decision better for the arguing.

To our staff, who do the real work while the rest of us talk about it.

To our Town Manager, who is a genuinely good dude who really cares about this town.

And to every single resident who ever emailed me, texted me, stopped me in the aisle at the Mount Gilead Market, or looked me dead in the eye and told me exactly what they thought of a decision I'd made…

Thank you. All of you. You made me better at this job, and more than that, you made me love it.

Mount Gilead, hear me on this: I am not going far in the ways that count. I'll still be your mayor all the way through September 1st, and I intend to work right up until the last day. And after that, I'll be cheering you on from up in the mountains, watching this town keep doing the good and stubborn work of being itself.

Keep looking out for each other, friends. And please take care of this place. It’s absolutely worth it.

Thank you."

08/11/2026

Hi, all.

Please note that tonight‘s board of commissioners meeting will be held at the Highland Community Center, 131 Hoffman Road, Mount Gilead, NC 27306.

08/11/2026

Tonight will be my last Board of Commissioners meeting as mayor of Mount Gilead, and I'll be honest, I'm having some Big Feelings about that. But rather than get derailed by those Big Feelings, let's focus on the work and talk a little bit about what's on the agenda.

For New Business, we'll be having first-reads of two proposed positions: a part-time Enterprise Manager, and a new Public Works position that will focus on grounds management and park maintenance. We will also be discussing the proposed stipend for our Fire Chief as well as several proposed budget amendments.

Old Business will be similarly non-controversial.

First, the Board will be voting whether to adopt a formal rental contract with the Town Creek Indian Mound for their temporary use of the Gilmont Theater /Old Town Hall. For the record, I'm very much in favor of this proposed arrangement. It would be an honor to provide a temporary work home for their staff and their museum displays while they complete renovations to the site over the coming year.

We will also be voting whether to adopt amendments to Mount Gilead's scooter ordinances that were proposed during the July meeting. These amendments provide more clarity around the policy and bring our town in line with state standards surrounding the use of these devices.

Additionally, the will be discussing extending our Town Manager's contract, as his original contract was only for a twelve month period. I don't foresee there being any issues with that, considering how awesome he is. 🙂

Finally, the Board will be voting whether to accept my resignation, effective September 1st.

I won't pretend that's an easy one to type, and I'll have more to say about it during my Mayor's Report tonight - more than a Facebook post can really hold. For now I'll just say that leaving this town is going to be the hardest part of a decision that Mary and I are otherwise at peace with, and I'm grateful that I still get one more meeting in that chair.

I hope to see you there.

08/04/2026

Heads up, Mount Gilead! Tonight's National Night Out event has been moved to the Highland Community Center. See you there!

07/24/2026

Greetings, friends.

I have an important personal announcement that I'd like to share with the community.

Over the next several months, my family will be relocating from Mount Gilead. This decision was not made lightly. We love this town and had hoped to make it our permanent home.

Earlier this year, I lost my job. Since then, I have spent months looking for comparable work, both locally and remotely, without success. Unfortunately, that means I need to pursue opportunities elsewhere. As many of you know, serving as Mayor of Mount Gilead is a volunteer position that provides only a small stipend. That arrangement worked when our family had a second income, but it is no longer sustainable.

We are still in the early stages of this transition. Our home has not yet been sold, and there are many details to work through before the move becomes final.

I also want to be clear about what this means for my role as your mayor. North Carolina law requires that a mayor maintain their primary residence within the municipality they serve, and I intend to honor both the letter and the spirit of that requirement.

Until the day my family relocates, I will continue serving as your mayor with the same commitment I have brought to this office from the beginning. There is still work to do, and I intend to keep doing it for as long as I have the privilege of serving this community.

Serving the people of Mount Gilead has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me, and I look forward to continuing this work until the time comes to pass it on.

Thank you, Mount Gilead.

07/17/2026

Now's your chance, friends! If you've ever wanted to get involved in public service or town government, these committees are a great place to start.

Thank you for your interest in serving the Town of Mount Gilead. Applications are reviewed by the Town of Mount Gilead Board of Commissioners. Applicants may be contacted for additional information or invited to attend a meeting prior to appointment. Paper versions of this form are available at Town...

07/17/2026

I see what you did there.

This is a great dam photo.

Completed in 1918, Narrows Dam was the tallest concrete structure in the world, at the time. People came from all over to see it.

Narrows Dam created Narrows Reservoir, better known as "Badin Lake" at the very south end of the Yadkin River. Four years later, Falls Dam was built just 2.5 miles down river, creating "Falls Reservoir".

Because of the large vortex of water that funnels through such a narrow passage, this stretch of the Yadkin River is the 2nd most sought after place in the nation to generate electricity; second only to Niagara Falls.

This is a rare photo of still water at Narrows Dam. Extreme currents are possible and this area should be explored with great caution.