In another manifestation of ongoing institutional turmoil at Charlottesville City Hall, General Registrar, Melissa A. Morton, has relinquished her position, effective April 19.
Morton was appointed in June 2019 to replace Roseanna Bencoach who had served since 2015. Bencoach’s infamous predecessor, Sheri Iachetta Owen, resigned as registrar following an embezzlement scandal.
Ms. Morton’s covert resignation was conveyed to a small group of co-workers via email but had not been widely disseminated:
From: Morton, Melissa
Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2021
Subject: My resignationIt is with great sadness that I will be leaving my position as City of Charlottesville Director of Elections and General Registrar. It was a hard decision but I am having personal/family issues that I must address and can no longer give the needed time and energy to the job. My last day will be April 19, 2021. I have enjoyed my time working with you.
Once again, thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of the election community. I do hope that we can stay in touch, and I look forward to working with you again in the future should the opportunity present itself. Many thanks for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Melissa
Melissa A. Morton, VREO
