Editors Note: July 2nd, 2013 – Added Michaels Notes From The Peanut Gallery below the public hearing notes.
Below is what Mr. Michael Bobbitt said at the Vance County Board of Commissioners during their public meeting tonight. He may write a traditional Notes From The Peanut Gallery later.
Good Evening Chairman Hester, Commissioners, Mr. Asycue and your staff.
My Name is Michael Bobbitt
I want to first thank the Chairman and the Commissioners for holding 16 hours of public meetings regarding the proposed county budget.
Thank you Mr. Asycue for posting the proposed budget to our County’s website, for all the world to read.
A special thanks you to Commissioner Taylor for a copy of your work showing what parts of the proposed budget are mandated by regulatory authorities or required by the citizens from the rest of the budget.
I personally learned a great deal about the business of our County’s government following along from the peanut gallery.
Now that the budget is ordained, you can focus your collective attention on new county objectives.
This week we recognize in celebration two historical events in our Nation’s history. The outcome of one event a nation endured; the outcome of the other a nation was severed.
At issue in one event was a divisive business and social structure that deprived one people of their inalienable human rights. At issue in the other was a divisive business and social structure depriving one people of equality in tax representation.
The last time I spoke to you about the issue of taxation and representation the source of the public data was factually incorrect creating a false impression.
Today the technology and staffing changes you authorized has improved the accuracy of the public data. Using the public data and technology I prepared a detailed analysis of unpaid property taxes as of May 2013. In late May you received a complete copy of my research forwarded to you from Mr. Asycue.
As you should be aware from your personal review of my research there are 100 individuals or their businesses who owe more than $1,000,000 in unpaid property taxes, some going back to 2003.
Among the whole list of individuals and businesses in the May 2013 public tax lien data are two elected officials who voted to appropriate and spend other taxpayers’ money.
In Sunday’s Henderson Daily Dispatch was my letter to the editor outlining a resolution to change our modern day taxation without representation. I offer my suggestion to you, the Board of Commissioners of Vance County, to formalize an enforceable resolution requiring all elected officials in the County and City and School to pay their individual and business taxes by the appropriate due date. Failure to do so, the elected officials abdicates their ability to vote favoring or opposing any issue before their respective body from date the payment was due and up to one year after their payment is made.
As a nation we are still healing from the outcome of a great battle our Nation endured. One would think an individual so honored to be elected to public office would know they are a leader and their example shows the way. Two hundred thirty-seven years ago this week a nation was severed in part over taxation by a leadership who set the wrong example.
Thank you for your time and good night.
Follows: Notes From the Peanut Gallery
Public Hearing – Rezoning Request RZ1306-1
Another of the public hearings without the public’s input for or against the rezoning of three lots into one large lot. Although some commissioners were curious why someone wanted to convert the property from Planned Manufactured Housing Community to Residential Medium Density they were unable to gleam an insight. The rezoning request was approved swiftly.
REO Properties
In the June meeting the County Attorney’s report included two county owned properties being sold one for a $1,000 and one for $2,000. My notes from the June meeting indicate that the cheaper one was sold and the more expensive one was withheld pending a property tax question about the buyer, EarlyFalsom Properties, Inc. At last night’s meeting Mr. Care again presented the offer to sell the property at 601 E. Andrews. Mr. Care said the buyer is on a payment plan for their past due taxes although paying slowly. After some pointed discussion about selling property to person or business that is not paying their property taxes on the due date, the sale was declined.
Volunteer Fire Department Audits
The Rescue Squad is asking for another 30 day extension to be in compliance with the Board’s edict for a financial audit. Mr. Asycue informed the Board that he had drafted an inspirational letter to encourage the Rescue Squad’s compliance by month’s end or their funds will be withheld. During one of the public budget work sessions Commissioner Brown said she was surprised to learn fire station’s audit could cost $2,100. She asked if the there was the potential for a volume discount. I asked a local authority on the topic of audits how to reduce the total cost of the fire department audits. The expert I asked said one way to achieve a lower overall audit cost would be for all the fire departments and rescue squad to use the same centralized accounting system under the complete control of one management team. A centralized system would eliminate seven independent fiefdoms all struggling with their own bookkeeping practices and individual audit expenses.
Water District Board
High School government or civics teachers should schedule class attendance when the County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a Water District Board meeting. It is a perfectly legal way to have the same players on two different teams.
The Water District Board meeting was like a ride down a swollen mountain river starting calmly before reaching the class 5 rapids. Robert Bernard, Hobbs & Upchurch’s project manager for our little ol’ water project, first summarized construction status. Speaking extemporaneously, Mr. Bernard said that phases 1A and 2A should be completed in the next 30 – 45 or 60 days depending on Mother Nature’s cooperation. Mr. Bernard didn’t bring any documents to help him answer a few pointed questions about outstanding construction costs and payments. Apparently Mr. Bernard was only intending to get the commissioners’ approval to buy the water meters.
Before the meeting started I asked if the meters used electronic signals to report usage. That was not evident in the documents submitted by Hobbs & Upchurch. Mr. Bernard verbally assured the commissioners that the third party Hobbs & Upchurch recommended the county hired to manage the new water district required radio or electronic meter readings. Mr. Bernard said he had no reason to reject Carolina Meter and Supply’s bid of $162,126.55 for 1,035 Badger water meters. Carolina Meter is the lowest bidder of the three bidders presented by Mr. Bernard. Commissioner Wilder was first to ask Mr. Bernard a question about the quality of the meters. Mr. Bernard reveled, ‘you might find someone who is more of an expert on this than I am’. More assurance our guide knows this river. When Commissioner Taylor asked if the warranties are the same across the board, Mr. Bernard answered he did not know. Commissioner Taylor asked about the life of the unit recommended, the technical differences between vendor’s products, and the mean time between failures of the units recommended. All question someone who is more of an expert than Mr. Bernard would have been prepared to answer. Here we are moments form spending $162,126.55 on a critical part to the whole water project and the best Hobbs & Upchurch can provide is someone who is less of an expert than needed. The Water District Board continued down the rapids towards a decision based on less than an expert’s guidance until Chairman Hester grabbed the rudder of our raft and steered us to the shore. A sub-committee was quickly formed out of the whole Water District Board. The sub-committee would meet with Hobbs &Upchurch next Wednesday (July 10 at 4:30) to get answers to the commissioners’ questions about the meters and if assured would approve the purchase of 1,035 Badger water meters for $162,126.55.
Next Commissioner Brummitt re-opened the outstanding issue of the cost of water. Mr. Asycue said he was working with Hobbs & Upchurch on that and the policies. Commissioner Brummitt reminded Mr. Asycue that the Environment Committee was to be a participant in the discussions about the cost of the water. Still no hint as to the actual cost per month for water.
I doubt Mr. Bobbitt will receive a positive response on his resolution. Not only do the county commissioners have persons who do not pay taxes; they also have businesspersons who gain financially from their votes. Neither of the groups abstain from votes that evoke the NC General Statutes governing conflict of interests. I guess the engineering firm didn’t get the memo that some of the commissioners can read and ask questions. Imagine that!! Henderson and Vance County continue to do down the toilet because of the poverty level, unemployment rate, a failed school system, and an electorate that continues to vote for tax scofflaws. Eventually, somebody will connect the dots and realize that the only thing preventing economic growth in Vance County is the “good ole boy” network that only wishes to guide economic development to properties owned by them. Vance County sits between two major four lane highways, has abundant water supply, natural gas lines, railroad lines, and a future stop for high speed rail. Most of the county has broadband internet and will soon receive county water. Additionally, some of the county will receive sewer service because of failing septic tanks from unscrupulous developers who continue to make money with subsidized water and sewer. Now, Vance County has a zoning ordinance written in pencil or on a laptop system that can be changed by any person that convince the zoning board to rezone properties or “spot zone” for their economic benefit. At least the county commishes had enough sense not to sell a property to a company that already owes back taxes. Hooray!!
There is a lot of truth to DandOut’s post. It is clear to me that the majority of the bloggers and citizens too are well aware of what the problems are. Now, how do we fix them? Who has a potential solution(s) they would like to contribute via post?
Gee, where to start. I have a five point plan that would, hopefully, begin to stop the downslide of Henderson and Vance County. First, and foremost, this area needs jobs for those who want to be employed. I would start with the hiring of someone to market the four Triangle North industry sites. What was, and I think is, a good idea has yet to produce one subtantial busines/industry. The editor in the Franklin Times wrote an article recently discussing how to bring back their downtown business area. His solution,as applied to any slowing downtown business area, also applies to the greater community, certainly Henderson, and that is you have to have jobs/businesses from people who live in and are committed to the community. Adding incentives for businesses to locate here ( no property taxes for five years for example) and incentives to live in the community ( maybe free cleared lots or foreclosed houses owned by the city/county might be a start), or even no property taxes on foreclosed bank properties that are sitting across the entire town) might work. Incentives would have to be for job production and some minimum time living in community before realization.
2nd plan:Simultaneously you have got to clean this town up. Prior to people actually beginning to take care of their own properties and stop LITTERING, I think the city and county should come to an agreement to increase taxes .02 city ( about 180k) and county .02 ( about 500k) to begin knocking down delapidated structues, Applying for any additionalgrants, and just lobbying our federal reps for additional funds could help this occur in five years, or less. ( before anyone says thats a lot more for the county to give, remember the city taxpayers will pay both, and the county benefits from structures coming down as much as the city, in terms of nearby property valuations rising). This may help stave off, or at least begin to soften, the for sure property valuation debacle that is about to occur in 2016.
To come, education, leadership, and families and children. If I ponder the need further, I might can build this to a Plan 9 From Outer Space !
Man do I agree with you about the litter, Every morning I have to clean up the trash on my street. The fast food joints, from where most of the litter originates, need to take a little responsibility here. Can they be assessed an additional fee or tax? I’ve thought about collecting the trash and returning it to them in their eating areas, but some other poor smuck would just have to clean it up.
3rd plan, Education, K-12 is really a mess here in Vance County. The bottom line, at least for me, is we need all our families involved in their children’s education. Charter schools require parents help, participate, etc. It really isn’t hard to figure out why this makes such a big difference. So we need all Vance County educational institutions to require parents to volunteer at schools, attend meetings (PTA, teacher mtgs, etc) and to ensure their children work on their assignments. Period.
Just as an aside, we really have diffused the existing parent resource pool in this community. Private school, Christian schools, public charter schools, traditional public schools, home schools….. With all these options, parents have migrated to those where they have a voice, and are willing to assist in that. That leaves the traditional public schools with those families who are not involved, for whatever reason. School choice, vouchers, etc., ain’t gonna change anything for a family who doesn’t honor their child’s education as the future of that child’s well being, and thus working hard as a concerned parent does to ensure that education is meaningful and focused. ALL children are capable and can succeed in life with parents putting them first and foremeost, especially with what we now know about how children learn in the first years of their lives. Let me add, there are still plenty parents who are involved in their child’s education and still attending traditional public schools, and those children still succeed, so it isn’t the school.
4th plan: Leadership, this one bothers me. How to ensure those that lead our community ( at least those elected) have the community’s best interest at hand. There are some great leaders in our community in many sectors, business, church, nonprofit, etc., and would love to see more of them in elected roles. Those that fill elected roles and oversee our county and municipal services need to be qualified and there to serve. I have seen people suggest, such as Mr. Bobbitt, that anyone elected should be to date on taxes. duh? Couldn’t agree more. I would love to see some minimal requirements ( community would have to decide on this and each governing body set up as a local statute, however unenforceable) such as time already given to community, some minimal educational rquirements, budget experience, hell, even a quiz you need to pass asking basic question regarding the body to which you would like to be elected. It aint rocket science, but our governing bodies work with multi-million dollar budgets, multiple revenue sources, many different services, some mandated, others by choice, and with zillions of rules and regulations. Not everyone is going to do well in those environments. How to make sure those elected are honest and put the citizens’ concerns first? I hate that we live in a time where we have to ask that. Don’t know, but for me, they need to look me directly in my eyes when they speak to me..
5th plan, young children and families. Many problems I see in this community are not multi-generational. People have been without employment for some time. Children have suffered growing up in under served families, poverty, and the value of education has fallen by the wayside. Simple solutions here, but longer term. We have to begin to put our entire focus on the children in this community and break the cycle of losing all the potential of our youngest citizens. Support Head Start, Smart Start, NC pre-k, mentor children, get kids into your church, invite them into your family to be a part of the solutions.We lose these children early, so we must all support them very early. I know this is where I hear about its up to their parents, its their job, etc, etc. I agree it is. They aint all doing it, and we continue to lose those children to falling behind in school, dropping out, drugs, crime, and whatever they can find instead of HOPE. We had better face the fact that we can, collectively, grow many or most of these children if we try. It won’t happen otherwise.
Ok, Mojo, some of my ideas. I’m tired. Do I run for office, or just run for the hills!
Speaking of litter …. I’m amazed how much trash blows out of the Waste Industries tractor trailers
when they leave the transfer station on HW39.
On more that one morning I’ve been behind them 39S, to I85S to 158 with crap flying out along the way. …I think in that little section of roads, WI isn’t helping Henderson’s image at all.
I’ve uploaded just one video to youtube of it, but have a few more on my phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzC3_Aj97zU
Mingo….WELL DONE!!!!!
Your words are both intelligent and inspiring. Each one of your bullet points attack a specific problem and bring forth a possible solution. Allow me some time to digest them. Your public education outline jumped out at me. It is time for parents to be parents.
SS, I was on 39 just the other day and had the exact same thing happen to me. I am sure those visiting out lake did not think they would have to dodge flying trash while trying to do so. In other cities a company would be fined for this kind of action.
I see where 2 people have ‘thrown their hats into the political ring’ either running for the city council or county commissioners seat. One is a local barber named Arnold Booth and since I have had the opportunity to speak with him when I take my son to get his haircut I would say he would be a good fit for any governing body. He has something that seems to be lacking from the current politicians and that is COMMON SENSE!!!! I am glad that someone has decided to run against the current officials b/c Henderson/Vance area needs some new FRESH ideas and not the same ole’ lifetime politicians. Congratulations Mr. Booth for having the courage to run for office and I wish you well.
While I’m here let me throw this thought out…..who pulled the Mayor’s strings when he made the tiebreaking vote when the council was locked at 4-4? I’ll give you 3 guesses and if you can’t figure it out you are OFFICIALLY qualified to run for one of the seats!!!!
This fool just loves to hear himself talk. . . Nobdy gives a fu_k about you or your goddamn peanut gallary comments you stupid a__hole.
How dare you “James Bailey”! Run on back under that rock you just crawled out of. There is no place for that kind of language on this blog! Your post is a prime example of the pure trash that needs to be relocated outside of Vance County.
Mr Mojo
Go fu-k yourself Mr. Mojo. Better yet, get a room with that asshole so that you can put more than just your brown nose in his brown hole. LOL
Should Mr Bailey’s mouth be washed out with soap ??
Mr. Bobbitt spends a great deal of his time reporting to us in regard to the “going ons” and “shenanigans” of our elected officials. I, for one, am grateful to him for this service.
Mr. Bailey, on the other hand, should find a wooded area about five miles away from another human being and spout his nonsense.
A thank you to all who have said so many kinds words about my missives on local the governments’ goings on. I enjoy writing them and attending the meetings has made me better informed of our local governments’ goings on.
As for Mr. Bailey’s tantrum, I was at first shocked at his language and mystified as to the trigger of his outrage. I’ve been away from my adopted home town for the past week. While away I have visited with family and friends, one of whom may have identified the reason for Mr. Bailey’s outrage. The catalyst for Mr. Bailey’s wrath may have been my presentation to the commissioners regarding a resolution to require elected officials to pay their property taxes or not be able to vote to appropriate or spend other peoples’ tax dollars. Mr. Bailey could be angry at me for suggesting that he, or a family member, or an associate should pay their past due property taxes especially, if they are an elected official or wanting other peoples’ tax money.
Again thank you for your kind words.