A string of mysterious departures from the town of Knightdale’s staff raises questions about the leadership style within town government.

Town officials are hiding behind an interpretation of North Carolina’s personnel laws that allows – but doesn’t require – them to keep secret information about employees’ work histories and the reasons behind their departure.

Going back a few years now, planning director Mike Frangos was pushed out the door, followed quickly by finance director Ren Wiles – under whose leadership, we might point out, the town won numerous awards for sound financial work. Now come revelations that a long-serving police officer was demoted, then essentially pushed into early retirement. The latest in the string of departures is public works Director Tracy Pedigo, who resigned for reasons that remain unclear.

Only in the case of Powers, the public safety officer pushed into early retirement, has the town offered anything in the way of explanation. But even in that case, they remain unwilling to release documents that would back up their claim that Powers failed repeated weapons tests – documents that the state law allows them to make public.

In all cases, the departures were officially voluntary – none of these people were outright fired.

But none of their decisions were truly voluntary. Pedigo’s admission last week that his resignation was unplanned is about as clear an indication as we’ve received that folks are cleaning house.

The town’s refusal to explain all these moves leaves so many more questions than answers.

That the town hides behind a favorable clause in the state’s personnel law only serves to muddy the waters even more.

Perhaps there was a really good reason, in each case, to move these folks out of their jobs. We don’t know. The town put the clamps on Frangos and Wiles, requiring them to sign documents that forbid them from discussing their reasons for their departure.

All these factors lead Knightdale residents to wonder just what’s going on at town hall.

Shaking the public’s confidence in local government is never a good idea and at this point, the town has a long hill to climb if it wants to rehabilitate its image.