Persister Observations of the April 1 Watauga County Commission Meeting
Around 15 people were in attendance of the April 1 Count Commission, around half attending as presenters.
Monica Caruso of the Watauga County library spoke first, reading the National Library Week Proclamation. I will post it in full because of the emotions that lay underneath her reading:
“National Library Week 2025 Proclamation
WHEREAS, libraries spark creativity, fuel imagination, and inspire lifelong learning, offering a space where individuals of all ages can explore new ideas and be drawn to new possibilities; and
WHEREAS, libraries serve as vibrant community hubs, connecting people with knowledge, technology, and resources while fostering civic engagement, critical thinking, and lifelong learning; and
WHEREAS, libraries provide free and equitable access to books, digital tools, and innovative programming, ensuring that all individuals—regardless of background—have the support they need to learn, connect, and thrive; and
WHEREAS, libraries partner with schools, businesses, and organizations, connecting the dots to maximize resources, increase efficiency, and expand access to essential services, strengthening the entire community; and
WHEREAS, libraries empower job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners by providing access to resources, training, and opportunities that support career growth and economic success; and
WHEREAS, libraries nurture young minds through story times, STEAM programs, and literacy initiatives, fostering curiosity and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime; and
WHEREAS, libraries protect the right to read, think, and explore without censorship, standing as champions of intellectual freedom and free expression; and
WHEREAS, dedicated librarians and library workers provide welcoming spaces that inspire discovery, collaboration, and creativity for all; and
WHEREAS, libraries, librarians, and library workers across the country are joining together to celebrate National Library Week under the theme “Drawn to the Library.”
NOW, THEREFORE, be it proclaimed that the Watauga County Board of Commissioners, proclaim April 6–12, 2025, as “National Library Week” and during this week, the Board encourages all residents to visit their library, explore its resources, and celebrate all the ways that the library draws us together as a community.”
After the board approved this proclamation, she added her thanks, saying it had been a hard week for libraries. She's right. Recently, the U.S. President unilaterally and not-strictly-legally called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) via one of his many executive orders. Here's one report on how eliminating this program and its tiny part of the federal budget could affect NC libraries. And here's more information from the American Library Association on the executive order and ways to speak out to advocate for our libraries.
After the proclamation, the architect presented information on the plans to renovate the Watauga County library to maximize different uses, since they can't afford to expand it. For example, currently 12 to 15 groups are turned away per month who request use of space at the library. They would rearrange to move public spaces to the front and quieter areas in the back, including sound buffering for additional meeting rooms. Some of this work is funded by a Chamber of Commerce grant of $128,000, so the county provides assistance in managing that grant.
Next came a representative of OASIS, explaining the need for county support in formalizing a grant. Another speaker from OASIS then read a proclamation declaring this sexual assault awareness month. She also announced that OASIS will now be able to open an Avery County office. Oasis has always served Avery as well as Watauga, but people from Avery seeking shelter always had to come to Watauga, so they are thankful to be able to expand.
Next came, Jessica Yates from the Watauga Compassionate Community Initiative, shared a proclamation to declare this Resilient and Thriving Communities Week, stressing that resilience is built.
The County Commission heard a report on behalf of our local Register of Deeds Amy Shook, who with all the Register of Deeds in the state were seeking support for Senate Bill 248. This aims to improve access to birth certificates for adopted individuals, allowing them to follow the same process as anyone else, so it would be more equitable. One commissioner with three adopted grandchildren led the discussion, and the board voted unanimously to add their support for this bill.
Next came Will Holt with emergency services with a combined request for emergency communication tower sites. Then there was a short report on hurricane work. 400 people have signed up for the private property debris removal. The County sent out 7,000 emails to let people know about this support. He commented that the legislature approved $700 million for bridge repair across the state, which was helpful but not enough due to the costs of repairing bridges. Commissioners discussed a concern that people are still dumping household trash in places no longer permitted now that the emergency is over. Since things are still not back to normal in parts of the county, the County mostly tries to contact people responsible and give them a chance to dispose of the trash appropriately. Other business included approving liens for unpaid taxes, planning for tax assessment reviews, and a proposed collaboration with the town of Boone regarding connections along Brookshire Park. They extended time for comments on a proposal to repeal fire appendices, and they voted to cancel the second April board meeting due to the upcoming holiday.
One notable moment arose towards the end when they were asked to give a contractor approval to continue in the massive removal and clean-up process, something like $1.8 million dollars that was still within original estimates of the contract. One commissioner had questions about this, not specifically criticizing the company but uneasy about giving this approval. This funding is subject to reimbursement from federal funds, but there was a desire to be sure this funding was appropriate. Others on the board stated this work was necessary, so they had no choice but to continue but recommended more regular reports from the contractor. This was the first time I had seen this Commission fail to vote unanimously; the vote was 4 in favor, 1 against.
As one of the 22,696 not allowed to vote for anyone on the current Commission, this moment was ironically amusing. As usual, I had sympathy with both sides of the vote. In some ways, the commission faces the same challenge, though on a much larger scale, as any of us when we contract work out to someone whose skilled labor and specialized equipment is needed to complete work that we cannot do for ourselves. Is the estimate fair? Can they be trusted?
Part of the irony is that Republicans love to complain about government spending when they aren't the ones calling the shots, but it is harder when you are responsible and, in this case, you know the people who will be affected if this work isn't completed.
A zero sum mindset dominates current Republican policy at the federal level, the idea that one side always wins and the other always loses--in this case, the contractor vs. the person getting the work done. Some might gently suggest that any time the government employs or contracts with people there is the potential of a win-win situation, in which the public benefits from the service and members of the public benefit from employment opportunities, and yes, this brings to mind the reckless firings of experienced, vetted, highly-trained federal workers which has resulted in a lose-lose outcome for our country. If this particular contract is approached as a zero-sum situation, then the only way the county can "win" is if the contractor loses money on the project, which puts it at risk of going out of business, and then there is no contractor capable of doing the intensive and complex clean-up work required. The zero-sum mindset can lead to a permanent cycle of lose-lose.
Naturally, part of the role of the County Commission is to monitor county spending and to make good-faith efforts to prevent waste or fraud. However, consider this article by ProPublica on what it takes to uncover fraud. So much time, work, expertise! It's not something that shows up by asking ChatGPT a question (or just firing everyone because that harms essential public services). Preventing fraud requires knowledgeable personnel, which is costly, too, so at some point you probably have to be strategic about how much you spend on monitoring and oversight to prevent fraud and waste and when could you save money by moving forward with what is actually working (don't let perfect be the enemy of the good).
The bad news for any armchair quarterbacks who are sure that every problem in government could be fixed easily "on Day One" is that good governance takes time, calm engagement, and steady work requiring us both to "trust" and "verify."
Hmm, trust and verify, that sounds like a balance, which reminds me of something else, something to do with the voting population in this county and state.