Anger in Apex

An increasingly strained relationship between Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert and Town Council have left employees demoralized and the area’s future unclear.

Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert attempts to end debate on an appointment during a Sept. 9, 2025, Town Council meeting.

This story was done in partnership with Indy Week, with additional support from The Assembly.

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Apex mayor Jacques Gilbert was trying to push through a nomination for the town’s board of adjustment last month.

Normally, the town council would sign off on such appointments with little debate. But on this September 9 night, things were going to be different.

Several council members saw the nominee as someone who had riled up citizens against town staff in the past. And behind closed doors, they were telling the mayor they’d sink the nomination if he brought it to a vote.

Months earlier, Gilbert had ended debate on the same nomination when it became clear he didn’t have the votes. The kerfuffle prompted the Apex Town Council to update its meeting minutes to reflect that the mayor had apparently violated parliamentary procedures known as Robert’s Rules.

“I requested that he not nominate her so that we didn’t embarrass this person,” councilman Brett Gantt told the INDY.

Gantt is one of two outgoing council members who isn’t seeking reelection next month, which has freed him up to be more vocal on such matters than in years past. Now, he and his colleagues are sounding the alarm on a mayor they see as pitting the public against town staff. They also worry a Gilbert-endorsed candidate will make the council more deferential to the mayor.

The two sides continue to butt heads on the response to a cyberattack that decimated the town’s billing system last year, a private parking lot across the street from Apex Friendship High School, and much more. Meanwhile, an INDY records request uncovered questionable reimbursements given to the mayor.