New Carrollton mayor voted out by city council after allegations she violated hiring freeze

NEW CARROLLTON, Md. - The mayor of New Carrollton was voted out Wednesday by the city council over allegations that she hired staff during a hiring freeze. 

What we know:

Mayor Phelecia Nembhard is the city's first African American, first Caribbean American and first female mayor. She served as the council chair from 2018 to 2020 and was elected as mayor in 2020 and re-elected in 2025. 

Nembhard is accused of hiring two former employees back to the city in different roles. She denies those allegations.

According to councilmember Braina Urbina, the city was under a hiring freeze at the time of the alleged hirings. Anyone who wanted to hire someone during that time was directed to ask the council for permission; something the mayor did not do. 

"The allegation is that she hired people despite that," said Urbina. "It's alleged she attempted to intimidate the staff and the only reason these people weren't given any keys is because the city manager chose to resign, and the city manager resigned because she believed this action was unlawful and tried to warn the mayor." 

Nembhard was given 10 minutes to address the council and defend herself before the vote. Each member was also given five minutes to speak before public comments. 

Chaotic council meeting 

The council meeting devolved into chaos after the vote as the mayor got up and accused the council member of misconduct. 

The mayor had support from residents who called her a gift from God and the best mayor ever, as they urged the council to keep her. 

Following a 4-to-1 vote, councilmembers argued that Nembhard violated the city charter and broke the law when she re-hired a former staffer during the council-mandated hiring freeze. 

"How dare you get up here and accuse this God-fearing woman. You’re all a bunch of crooks," said one resident who was later escorted out of the meeting by police. 

"She’s making the city work, you’re not making the city work. Getting rid of her is the worst thing that could ever happen to this city," another resident said during the public comment period of the meeting. 

Following the vote, Nembhard accused one member of the council of intimidating city staff to hire her wife. She accused others of using police and city staff for personal favors.

She also denied the allegations that she violated a hiring freeze, saying, "The people were never reinstated. There's no proof. It's all personal, it's a personal witch hunt."

What's next:

The mayor pro tem will stand in for the mayor until a special election, which must be held within 65 days. 

One councilmember said, based on the city charter, the former mayor cannot run again in that special election to get her seat back. However, Nembhard said she can and she will. 

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