Council members on Nov. 18 pressed the mayor about an application for a planning and zoning vacancy submitted Oct. 15 that, they said, had not been acted on.

Phyllis and others said the application had "sat and sat" and asked for a clearer tracking and handoff process so the mayor's office would transmit applications to the council within two weeks. The exchange turned into a dispute over authority: the mayor repeatedly said the council could not direct how his staff performs its duties, stating, "You can't direct the mayor's office to do something like that," and insisting Vernon operates under a strong-mayor form of government.

Council members asked whether the town posts openings and how vetting is handled. The mayor said positions are advertised and that he reviews resumes and prior service on commissions before deciding whether to appoint a candidate; in some cases, background checks depend on the position.

The council asked for a clearer, more transparent process for confirming that applications are received and tracked; the mayor said he would "deal with" the immediate concern but rejected a council directive about staff actions. No formal policy change or binding deadline was enacted at the meeting.

Council members urged residents to apply for open boards and commissions and said they would seek to expedite consideration of applicants at future meetings.