Sneaky business = Beaufort County politics | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    N. C. General Statute § 143 318.9. Public policy. Whereas the public bodies that administer the legislative, policy making, quasi judicial, administrative, and advisory functions of North Carolina and its political subdivisions exist solely to conduct the people's business, it is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly.

    Politics, Beaufort County-style, is a dirty, ugly, mean business. We've seen it often, most recently on the FY 2014 county budget. The Commissioners went through a series of "budget workshops" and then totally ignored everything that was done in those meetings and voted to approve a budget that was decided in a backroom by four commissioners and the manager. The public hearing, held just minutes before the action, was nothing but a legally required masquerade. The under the table dealing had already been done. The four who weaseled that deal were: Jerry Langley, Ed Booth, Robert Belcher and Al Klemm. Sources tell us it was mainly Al Klemm that cut the deals, because all of them knew Al held the deciding vote.

    Now we learn that another underhanded, behind the back deal has been cut.

    Word is that Jerry Langley, Al Klemm, the County Manager along with Washington Mayor Archie Jennings, and Councilman Doug Mercer met recently and cut a deal that the jail will be built in the Industrial Park. The key, we were told, was Archie Jennings. After publically expressing concern about the impact of moving the jail out of downtown Washington might have on the economic health of the downtown, particularly if, as has been true in other counties, other offices might followed, he has apparently said one thing publically and now cut a sneaky deal to move the jail outside of the county government complex downtown. He complained about the City being left out of the Jail Study Committee's deliberations and the Council not being consulted before the commissioners vote 4-3 to build the jail in the Industrial Park.

    We were told he has promised to deliver the city council vote. But what we do not know is what quid pro quos he has given to deliver that vote. Now it is up to Langley and the Manager to whip at least two other commissioners in line. But the way this bunch operates, that has probably already been done also. The word we have is that now the attention has turned to what kind of quid pro quo it will take to get four votes.

    It should be understood that our information comes second hand. We have not talked to any of the participants in the meeting about this little get together and don't intend to do so. We are simply reporting what a reliable source has told us. We will gladly furnish equal space to any of the "wheeler-dealers" to refute, rebut, explain or whatever they want to do. But it is apparently substantially true because we understand efforts are being made to schedule a joint meeting between the county governing board and the city governing body for July 29 at 5:30 p.m.

    We also find it ironic, and rather disgusting frankly, that this dirty dealing (with respect to the other members of the governing boards and the public) comes right on the heels of a move June 3 by some of the same commissioners to circumvent the intent of the law by having certain decisions made by phone, where the public would not have access to the decisions or discussion on the decisions. We'll have more to say about that later, but suffice it to say that the sneaky business on the jail is but another disgusting example of public corruption in Washington and Beaufort County.

    Moreover, we find it disheartening that Mayor Jennings would be a party to such a clandestine gathering after it was he who complained publically about how the "County" made the decision last summer to move the jail to the Industrial Park without involving the City Council in that decision until after the fact. We suppose its ok to exclude some elected officials and committees (i.e. the Jail Study Committee) as long as the Mayor himself is included. But we find that a bit duplicitous on Mr. Jenning's part.

    We find it ironic that at a time when the Legislature is moving to restrict the issuance of "special indebtedness" without a vote of the people, that Beaufort County appears headed in the opposite direction. Backroom dealing like this is not an encouraging omen that such deals can be sold to the public to pass a bond issue to spend twenty million dollars or so.

    If one thinks "corruption" is too strong a word, we invite you to Google its meaning as applied to how a system, in this case the people's representation system, should work. The People's business is supposed to be done in the open so the people know what is going on and why. These politicians have corrupted that process. The decision of where to spend millions of taxpayers' dollars is not something that is supposed to be made in a back room, out of sight of the public. The People's business should be made so the People know how the decision was made.

    While this meeting may not be technically an illegal meeting, it certainly does not conform to the principle of the People knowing how their business is conducted. And it certainly is not very ethical for one group of self-appointed Important Ones to leave out their other elected colleagues.

    Folks, we deserve better. There will be a mayoral and city council election this fall (November 5) although the prevailing "word on the street" is that Mayor Jennings is not going to run and Al Klemm has said he is not going to run again in November 2014. And in fairnesss to those participating, attendance does not necessarily indicate agreement with the decisions made. But for us, the important thing is that the public, and other elected officials, were excluded from this "meeting."

    ... it is the public policy of North Carolina that the hearings, deliberations, and actions of these bodies be conducted openly.