Monkey business galore in Lee, Haywood counties

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monkeyHaywood County is — I believe — the last county in North Carolina to elect its tax collector.  The Democrats have a stranglehold on this western North Carolina jurisdiction. They dominate the county board of commissioners.

Well, the local GOP threw a monkey wrench into the plans of the county’s political machine.  A Republican upset the incumbent Democrat holding the county tax collector position. As you can expect, the local machine  was not pleased.  The outgoing collector was required to be bonded to the tune of $100,000.   Thirteen days after the election, the Democrats on the county board of commissioners have decided to increase the bond requirement to $410,000.  So, the amount for the Republican was quadruple the amount required for the Democrat. 

Naturally, the Republican is having trouble getting bonded for that amount by the bonding company that has been serving the Democrat-controlled county government for years.  The Republican is trying to get bonded via another bonding company.  Meanwhile, the controversy is delaying the Republican newcomer’s swearing-in and allowing the Democrat incumbent to remain in office — despite the decision of the county’s voters in November.  

Further east in Lee County, the November elections allowed Democrats to take control of county government.  The new majority met for the first time Monday.  The new majority — in one meeting — shot down a resolution encouraging Gov, McCrory to defend the marriage resolution in court, cleared county boards of all Republican appointees, killed regulations allowing concealed carry in county buildings, and made preliminary plans for initiating lawsuits related to coal ash and fracking.  Quite a busy, left-wing event. 

One of the more interesting moves?  The new Democrat majority met at 10 AM — which as one of my Lee County sources notes “is when Republicans are working.”  County board meetings had been held on Mondays at 6PM to allow for participation by working residents. The new majority is planning to start holding their meetings at 4PM on Mondays — again while most people are at work.