Questions about the status of the Embassy Foundation need answers. While giving very serious consideration to running for Mayor, I started researching some city issues. Among these were the budget and expenditures of the Redevelopment Commission, the perceived conflict over a council member’s employment, budget amendments, past due taxes, water operations, minimum housing enforcement, as well as the status of Embassy Foundation. My concerns with these issues were and remain grave. A decision not to run for Mayor was based on the fact that I know I can speak out and reveal facts about these and other issues more forcefully as a private citizen.
Now, to address the Embassy Foundation. Past audits of H. Leslie Perry Library as well as the tax returns for the Embassy Foundation revealed the library donating money to Embassy. My question became “Was the library using operational money which the library received from taxpayers –money that may have extended hours– and instead donating that money to Embassy?” This is still a question that has not been satisfactorily answered. So, in my follow-up investigation I found that Embassy’s tax returns were no longer available to the public. The Embassy’s non-profit status had expired; thus, the Secretary of State no longer had the records. Since it took a change to our City Charter (a change that was done without a public hearing and, to my mind, in a very questionable manner) to allow the city to give property to the non-profit Embassy, then how does this affect the contracts?
Why should we care about the library building or contracts at this stage of the game? We know the city is suppose to acquire the actual building, and of course the city would prefer that the loan would have been paid on the building, but a citizen cannot find out if the loan has been paid or how much money is owed. Could the building be mortgaged? The City Council does not seem to want the answer either. Why is this important? This building is being used jointly but the county has not put money into the building. Remember the city was asked to buy the county’s part of the old library on Rose Ave., but the county uses the new building without paying a cent. There are many financial advantages for the city to own this building. For instance, when the city has ownership of the building, then, at the very least, the city could barter with the county for land fill fees to dispose of demolished dilapidated houses. The city taxpayers invested greatly in the library building and, believe me, the city was left in perilous financial straits over these expenditures. It is time to recoup some of that investment.
There are other multiple questions that need clarification. The Daily Dispatch interviewed Sam Watkins recently and it appeared that the Embassy Foundation has not shelved plans for an auditorium. Now finding out who other than Mr. Watkins is on the Embassy Foundation Board, when they meet, and who is their registered agent is also important as Mr. Watkins has alerted opposition voices to “get out of his way.’ Do the other Foundation members feel he can act with impunity?
Much of the business about Embassy has not been straight forward and certainly it has not been open, but The Embassy Foundation contracts with the city are public business and unfortunately it is business that the city has not been very professional in administering. What better time than election time to get some answers and get the path forward straightened out?
If Mrs. Yount’s article doesn’t light up HIH today–apathy has silenced this blog.
Doggone right answers are needed NOW–I’m not even sure the City Council really understood what a mess this always has been.
Time perhaps for the State of North Carolina to get involved in sorting out all the confusion.
Welcome back to HiH Mrs. Yount, I have really missed reading your articles. Keep up the good work, Henderson needs more citizens like you exposing greed and corruption.
Embassy Square Foundation can be best compared to the infamous “Weed & Seed” program that was in Henderson. Why weren’t charges ever brought against the people who were PAID to oversee this program? Were they made to repay the $$$ that they used for personal items/trips/etc? or was it just forgotten? If you do a little research you can find out the names of the culprits. Seems as if one of the people now want a city council seat!! Only N Henderson!!!
P.S. Good News so far this morning. No reports of murders within the city last evening!! Guess they were watching the UNC/Duke game?
Have you noticed that the Library Board only meets every other month now instead of every month?
It’s really easy for me to remember how private citizens pulled together to build the library. It was quite a feat and something that had to be done in spite of the lack of support from our local governments.
Over these last 30 years I’ve not seen not too many people in our community that try to add beauty and community opportunities that all can share w/o catering to just a few. On this issue (the library) I have to give Sam and George Watkins a lot of credit. They have raised their families here and do care for our community. And it’s OK if their efforts at improving Henderson and Vance County bring financial blessings. That’s just the way it works and I’m happy for them.
Ms. Yount I am a little confused with the last sentence in the first paragraph. [Your] “decision not to run for Mayor was based on the fact that [you] know [you] can speak out and reveal facts about these and other issues more forcefully as a private citizen.” I wish you had decided to run. I think I read that candidates for unaffiliated offices can register for the November general election. Please tell us that is your intent. If it is not, then I need a better understanding how those out of office (unable to vote) have more power than those in office (able to vote).
Readers I am not questioning Ms. Yount’s discovery and conclusions. I am trying to understand why she feels she has more force as a private citizen than a member of the club of those with power to vote.
OILF, I wondered over to the Board of Elections office this morning and asked Ms. Gill if what you said about candidates for unaffiliated offices registering for the November general election was correct. This is what I learned. Assuming OILF wants to run for office he/she will need to collect signatures on petitions from 10% of the district’s registered voters by the end of June. This does not apply to the city elections in May. That is because the city elections were delayed from last fall to this spring to allow time for redistricting the voters.
Somebody needs to help the paper write headlines, “Planners: B&Bs not hotels”. Of course not B&B or Brandy and Benedictine is an adult type liquor not a hotel. (Just playing with the B&B.) According to Wikipedia, “A bed and breakfast (or B&B) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals.” “Typically, bed and breakfasts are private homes with fewer than 10 bedrooms available for commercial use.” Why did the city need to define a B&B? Who in their right mind would want to open a B&B in Henderson, in an area that has with minimal scenic attributes. Unless one thinks a large array of wind turbines or solar panels is a scenic attribute to be viewed from your B&B.
Mrs. Yount,
Sam Watkins was quoted as saying something along the lines of if you don’t agree with him then get out of the way b/c according to his memory, others hadn’t put any $$$ into his “dream project”!! Yeah right!! He will continue to pull the strings of his puppets on both the city council and the county commissioners. You want to see something funny as ****, go to a city council meeting and listen to the explanation that each speaker is given 3 minutes to speak,etc. Then if Sammy has something to say and it exceeds 3 minutes watch the Mayor and other council members as they melt over his every word. The Mayor’s face got so RED one night that I thought he was going to have to excuse himself. Evidently the rules that other speakers must follow don’t apply to Sammy? Just wondering…………God be with the citizens of Henderson b/c you have 2 choices for Mayor. Somerville or O’Geary.