Worthington mayor resigns and ends turbulent time in office

Worthington mayor resigns and ends turbulent time in office

FAIRMONT — Deb Heflin stepped down as Mayor of Worthington on July 31.

Heflin submitted her letter of resignation to the town on July 24. On July 31, the Town Council held an emergency meeting where they read the letter in its entirety. Council approved Heflin's resignation and appointed Town Recorder Melvin Lindsey to the position of mayor. Heflin did not attend the meeting.

Heflin provided each member of council, Janet and Melvin Lindsey, Mike Basnet and Trudy Cain with copies of the letter. Heflin included other documents with her resignation letter, including a copy of an ethics complaint form filed against her by Basnett and a dismissal order by the state's ethics commission of the complaint. Also included is an email from Sheena Hunt, executive director of the Region VI Workforce Development Board, to Heflin regarding the town's issues with outstanding invoices to multiple service providers including its engineering firm, The Thrasher Group.

Through her resignation letter, Heflin provided her perspective of the town's sewage crisis covering the past three years of her time in officer. Heflin said she was essentially drafted to be Town Recorder at a council meeting in March 2023. Heflin said she took on the role despite personal reservations. One year later, Melvin Lindsey resigned as Mayor. Under state code, the town recorder becomes interim mayor. Heflin insisted she never asked to be either recorder or mayor.

Heflin completed Lindsey's term and won election in her own right after Lindsey's unexpired term ended in 2025. From the beginning, Heflin said she had to contend with problems not of her own making related to the town's two decade-old sewer problem.

Heflin said progress was made on the sewage system to bring it into compliance with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. She reported the amount of complaints were decreasing, but that hostile social media discourse took attention away from the progress and turned increasingly personal. Heflin said many of the complaints about the sewage system could not be substantiated.

In March 2025, two town councilors resigned. Lindsey returned to the fulfill the role of recorder, while Janet Lindsey and Trudy Cain filled the empty council seats. During the 2025 election, in which fewer than a dozen town residents voted, accusations of fraud circulated. The state Election Commission investigated and found no evidence of fraud or other irregularities.

Heflin heaped criticism on members of the council. She placed responsibility for the town's fines from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on Lindsey, which Heflin said, she was able to reduce through negotiation. Heflin also said Lindsey did not fulfill his administrative responsibilities as recorder when he returned to service.

Heflin added neither Lindsey nor his wife, Janet, did anything to help address the challenges the town faced.

Heflin also accused Basnett of creating a hostile working environment. However, Heflin praised council member Trudy Cain for doing what she could to help. Heflin said both Lindseys resigned from council in August 2025, which left the town without a quorum and unable to pass ordinances when and if ccouncil met. In April 2026, a court order forced both Lindseys to return to office.

Heflin and Cain also expressed a desire to resign around the time the Lindseys left office. Heflin said Dave Accord, director of the Public Service Commissions' Water and Wastewater Division, told her "such a filing would not be accepted" because Heflin was the only authorized signatory on the Town's bank accounts. Heflin faced legal consequences if she did so.

Heflin also criticized Basnett for supporting a recall petition against her when he knew she was willing to resign.

Heflin said she tried to resign on four separate occasions. Heflin alleged Basnett would not let her resign, despite continuously stating publicly that Heflin was not fit to serve. Heflin claims Basnett did not want her to resign because he himself did not want to become mayor.

He indicated the town hall keys should be turned over to the Marion County Commission, despite commissioners repeatedly declining to operate the town.

Heflin also had plenty to say on the Michael Bowman matter. The Marion County Sheriff arrested video creator Michael Bowman a few months ago for obstruction inside Worthington Town Hall. She accused Bowman of misconduct and casting false accusations about her. She said she declined Bowman an interview because of his conduct the day before and said Bowman entered a restricted area when he crossed through a security door.

Heflin said during her tenure, the Town successfully passed every audit conducted to date. She also said 21 complaints filed against her were either dismissed, withdrawn or closed without judgment against the town.

"I have never claimed to be perfect and I am certain I have made my share of mistakes along the way," Heflin wrote. "But I leave this office with my head held high, knowing I fulfilled the responsibilities entrusted to me to the very best of my ability."

Council accepted Heflin's resignation at its emergency Friday night meeting. Recorder Melvin Lindsey was appointed mayor. Basnett, who attended by phone, accused Heflin of not writing her own resignation letter.

"Only 80% of everything in that letter is true," he said. "That's all I've got to say."

Melvin Lindsey said he was taking the role against severe personal reservations. Lindsey said he's also been fighting cancer since 2023. One of Lindsey's first actions was to restore public comment, at least for the emergency meeting. Lindsey said council is under court order to stay until June 2027, unless someone steps up to take their place. The town currently has signs posted asking for council member applications.

Heflin will likely remain a controversial figure.

"Others are free to form their own opinions of my time in office, but I know the effort, the sacrifices and the commitment I brought to this position every single day," she wrote. "That is the record I leave behind and I am at peace with it."