Apex town manager resigns after only 2 years in the position
Apex Town Council on Thursday voted 4-1 to accept the resignation of Town Manager Katy Crosby, the first woman and the first African American to hold that position in the city.
Council member Brett Gantt told WRAL News he was on the losing end of the vote and did not support the council's decision. Immediately following the vote, Deputy Town Manager Shawn Purvis was appointed to serve as interim town manager.
WRAL News reached out to Crosby to learn her reason for resigning. She declined to comment.
Crosby came to Apex in July 2021 after more than three years as Chief of Staff for the city of Toledo, Ohio. Her resignation came two years later.
Crosby said in 2021 she would focus on issues involving growth, diversity within town staff and community engagement following a report detailing "deeply entrenched" racial bias in the Apex Police Department.
The report described the police department as a family unaware of its dysfunctionality. While some officers provided glowing reviews, others called the culture "toxic," "stressful" and "horrendous."
The majority of residents in Apex are white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The police force is also made up of mostly white people, the report says.
The report said officers said that the police department only serves the "wealthy" and white side of Apex and is "abusive to minorities."
