Law enforcement asked to intervene with Commissioner Loftis during closed session
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
In a 3-2 vote, Swain County Board of Commissioners approved the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget that includes a property tax increase. The ad valorem tax rate went up from 0.36 previously to 0.41 per $100 valuation in the next fiscal year. The total balanced budget is $24,768,083.
Commissioners David Loftis and Kenneth Parton were the nay votes on the budget during the meeting held Tuesday, June 18. Prior to adoption, Loftis shared his discontent with raising the tax rate.
“I don’t know if we ever stopped to think that people don’t want to help; they’d like to keep their money,” he said. “We always claim we’re raising taxes to help, but it always just takes money out of their pocket.”
He then made comments disparaging bigger government and spending and referenced guns and Geronimo.
Loftis asked to leave
Much later in the meeting, when the board had gone into closed session to discuss personnel, Loftis was asked to leave.
Clerk to the board Cindi Woodard came out of the room the board was in for their closed session into the auditorium where a handful of members of the public were and asked for “Law enforcement, now” and said, “We need backup.”
From the auditorium where the audio recording was still on, Commissioner Loftis could be heard telling someone not to stick their nose into something if it isn’t their business.
Then, commissioner Parton is heard saying to him, “the sheriff has asked you to leave.”
When the board returned from closed session an hour later, it was a 4-0 unanimous vote to adjourn, as Loftis was absent.
An incident report was filed at the sheriff’s office, recording it as communicating threats. Sheriff Curtis Cochran said an incident occurred between Commissioners Loftis and Commissioner Phillip Carson during the closed session, and Woodard asked for law enforcement assistance. According to the sheriff’s office, Commissioner Parton walked with Loftis into the next room, where Jerry Bryan, county animal services director, was sitting, and Loftis also had a verbal conflict with him.
Parton then accompanied Loftis into the hallway, which is when Sheriff Cochran said he suggested to Loftis that he leave, and Loftis did so.
Chairman Kevin Seagle said on Monday he has been in contact with the county’s lawyer who advised the board not to share any details of the incident that occurred during closed session. Seagle anticipates to have guidance this week as to what course of action if any the board and the county will take in response.
“It’s a weird circumstance,” Seagle said. “I don’t know that any precedent has been set.”
He has also been in contact with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
As to his opinion of being asked to leave the meeting, Loftis said on Monday, “That’s up to them, if that’s what they want to do.”
As to the incident, Loftis said he couldn’t comment since it happened during closed session and “the subject matter was the whole deal,” and therefore is not open to the public.
He did have the following to say. “I like everything straight up and out in front of you; if everything is honest and up front, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“I’ve been there nearly two years, and I’ve not won a vote yet, everything has been 3-2,” he said.
Loftis said he has no intention of stepping down from the board. Commissioner Parton declined to comment. Carson could not be reached for comment.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m.
Residents in favor of budget
The board’s adoption of the budget followed a public hearing where the commissioners heard from two who spoke in favor of the budget and two who spoke in favor of the county’s investment in animal control. A third spoke in favor of animal control in the regular session.
Cynthia Womble, of Almond, urged the board to invest in their employees and pay them competitively. She pointed out even with the tax rate increase, Swain County will be among the 10 lowest rates in the county.
“Sometimes, you do get what you pay for, and we’re not paying,” she said. “We’re right now relying on the passion and love the individuals have for our county and sacrifice potentially the well-being of themselves and their families for less pay and worse conditions.”
Animal control
The commissioners adopted an animal control ordinance in 2019 and the county hired a director for the program this past September. More recently, they approved a bid for the metal shell of the building with county workers doing much of the construction, from moving land to pouring the foundation and interior work.
The foundation was being poured last week, and the building is set to arrive July 3, according to Swain County Interim County Manager Lottie Barker.
Amy Vasquez told commissioners she believes the shelter is geared toward some of the strays, providing examples of “that poor little brown dog eating out of the trash can at BJ’s” and a “box of kittens found at Hot Spot.” She pointed out that hunting and livestock dogs are exempt.
Cliff Kibble said he was appreciative of the steps being taken and of the new director, saying the benefits to the community are already being seen. “Swain, for too long, has allowed animal control issues to be neglected,” he said, with dangerous dogs being one of the issues.
“Recently, my dog experienced an unprovoked attack of three dogs on my property, and in an attempt to intervene, I was attacked and bitten by one of the dogs resulting in a visit to the emergency room and stitches to my groin.”
He said having an animal services director who can “intercede greatly facilitates the issue.”