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FEDERALSBURG – Even as Federalsburg welcomes a new town manager, yet another key official has left.
Federalsburg Police Chief Joseph Gasser resigned June 25, 2025, Mayor Kim Abner announced as she opened the town council’s July 7 meeting. The town’s official announcement was posted on the Town of Federalsburg Facebook page on June 9.
In the meantime, Lt. George Paugh III of the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office is providing interim oversight of the 7-officer department. He is currently commander of the Office’s criminal investigation division.
Gasser’s resignation comes six months after former Police Chief Michael McDermott resigned Jan. 5.
During the public comment portion of the agenda, several residents voiced their concerns about the changes and expressed their fear that the Sheriff’s Office might eventually replace the department. Abner said a public forum is scheduled for Monday, July 21, to discuss ideas regarding public safety and policing.
“The forum will provide an opportunity for community members to share their thoughts and concerns related to town, including public safety and policing,” Abner said. The 6 p.m. forum will be held in the senior center on the second floor of the town hall at 118 North Main Street.
Also attending the meeting were Paugh, Caroline County Sheriff Donald Baker, County Commission President Travis Breeding and County Administrator Katheleen Freeman.
Abner introduced the newly hired town manager Sally Slook. According to her LinkedIn profile, Slook earned her bachelor’s degree from Wesley College in Dover, and her Master of Public Administration degree from Villanova University, where she was an adjunct professor for over 11 years. She has served as a town manager in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and was director of building and housing in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Slook joins recently hired town treasurer Jamie Washington, town clerk Amy Cyrus and office administrator Sheri Hendrix.
Washington reported that the town’s financial records are “not at a healthy state.”
She said she has “finally catching up” and would report the next week on “how much we’re actually spending per monthly invoices.” The council has spent months discussing the town’s budget, revenue and expenses, trying to untangle “a magnitude of chaos,” Council Member Brandy James said on May 15.
The town is soliciting requests for proposals for a forensic audit to uncover how the town’s finances have been handled by past employees for the past five years.
The Town of Federalsburg announced April 29 on its Facebook page that it “had received a complaint with allegations of misappropriation of Town funds, including personal use of Town accounts and wasteful and unnecessary spending, unlawful hiring, retaliation, sexual misconduct, and inappropriate workplace behavior.”
Washington said after paying the current bills, the town’s account balance is just shy of $22,000.
Later in the meeting, James presented a motion to switch from a quarterly billing schedule for water and sewer to a monthly billing schedule “to provide a more reliable stream of income” and increase the town’s monthly cash flow.
Council Member Debra Sewell seconded the motion “because I think it'll also be a little kinder on our residents’ finances,” she said. The motion passed unanimously.
During the public comment portion of the agenda, several residents voiced concerns about the future of the town’s police department, previewing the main topic to be discussed at the July 21 public forum. Also brought up was vandalism of the splash pad that occurred twice during the week following its June 27 reopening. The incidents are under investigation.
Leslie Fraley reported positive information about the new Farmer’s Market organized by Federalsburg Parks and Recreation and promoted on the department’s Facebook page. Nine vendors have committed to the Market scheduled on fourth Saturdays through October.
To watch the entire meeting, visit townhallstreams.com and choose Federalsburg, MD from the alphabetized dropdown box.
