The petition to remove Martinsville Mayor L.C. Jones from office will remain under the purview of Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Flinn and not a special prosecutor.
In a late Thursday evening email, Flinn confirmed his office’s jurisdiction over a citizens’ petition to remove Jones from office. Patti Covington, the lead petitioner, said she and her team secured the minimum number of 375 signatures after a petition campaign lasting almost two months.
Flinn said he asked the circuit court on Jan. 14 to refer the petition to a special prosecutor. The court denied that request the next day.
“I am now tasked to promptly review the petition and to determine if valid grounds exist,” Flinn wrote in a press release accompanying Thursday’s email. “I have already started this review, and it is my top priority.”
Flinn wrote that he plans to “act promptly” but said that there is no time limit for his review of the petition.
In his motion to the circuit court, Flinn cited conflicts of interest as the primary reason behind seeking a special prosecutor. This includes financial and professional concerns, such as Flinn’s office working closely with the city council.
“The Commonwealth’s Attorney and City Council are elected by the citizens of Martinsville, and are thereby professional peers,” Flinn wrote in his circuit court motion.
He also cited the working relationship between his office and the city council.
Jones could not be reached for comment Friday. He has said in the past that he hopes the petition will exonerate him from, what he described as, unfounded rumors.
Covington said mismanagement was one of the reasons she is seeking to remove Jones. She said events following last year’s firing of former Martinsville Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides and subsequent spending investigation were concerning.
Referencing the investigation into the city’s spending, which was referred to special prosecutor Wes Nance of Bedford County, Flinn urged the public to stay patient.
“I would like to remind the community that the matter that was handed over to the special prosecutor had over a thousand pages of documents,” Flinn wrote in the release.