Why? To punish the town of Boone. That and that alone.
As Kellen explains, the scheme to redistribute sales tax based on ad valorem property values rather than population would incur a million $ plus penalty on Watauga County (let alone what it will do to the town of Boone). Except that Miller has come up with a kick-back scheme. The rich resort towns with higher property values will get more money, natch, but Miller is making them agree to kick back hefty percentages of what would otherwise be coming to them. Don’t know which is worse ... that the leadership of those other towns would agree to such a corrupt bargain or that the leadership of Watauga County would think up such a corrupt bargain and peddle it to the other towns, while the working-class town of Boone gets screwed to the tune of $2 million because of Miller’s eager water-carrying for the Templeton family.
Kellen Moore got one thing wrong when she wrote these words: “...the county is asking the other local towns to support its threat...” [emphasis added].
“The county” hasn’t done anything. Nathan Miller has done it all by himself. There has never been a discussion in a commissioners’ meeting about any of this, so there also hasn’t been a vote. I reject the notion that Nathan Miller is now “the county,” though evidently he’s quite comfortable acting as though it were so.
A vote on the Watauga County Commission will eventually have to happen, at which time all eyes will be on Mr. Perry Yates, a new member of the County Commission, the husband of the Chair of the Republican Party, and the son-in-law of Mr. Phil Templeton. Will he vote to punish the town for requiring his father-in-law to go through a normal permitting process? Will he vote with Nathan Miller, thus groping through the heavy fog of family loyalties to arrive at a gigantic and public conflict of interest? Will he give up any claim he might have had to statesmanlike integrity, or will he recuse himself as he should?
The answer already seems to have been handed to him, since his wife, Phil Templeton’s daughter and the chairwoman of the Watauga County Republican Party, has been sending out email appeals to her party to write her husband and the other commissioners urging them to punish Boone, punish Boone, punish Boone.
And why did the other towns snap so fast at Nathan Miller’s tainted bait? Lawyer Four Eggers is Nathan Miller’s lawyer on the County Commission; he’s also Beech Mountain’s attorney. Allen Moseley represents the Templetons; he’s also Blowing Rock’s attorney.
There’s enough incest right there for several Sunday sermons.
13 comments:
Deborah Greene says it best--"Anyway, then Templeton Properties made an offer. It is interesting to note that Miller Properties and Templeton Properties utilized the same law firm, Deal, Mosley et al. We're these more dubious offers? Somebody needs to explain, without blaming the town of Boone for its longtime, well publicized, no secret, highly controversial, onerous, crippling UDO, view shed, steep slope, water and regulatory background, what exactly has changed that would bring cause to give credence to a bonafide withdrawal of offer? No plans have been submitted or rejected? The county asked for B-3 zoning and got it years ago. Templeton's lawyer, as well as others asked for B-3 exemption under the new regulations. So, please explain what is the bonafide reason for withdrawal. Is it because 'I can.' Is it because the contract accepted by the county was so open-ended? Did our county commissioners enter into a week speculative agreement and turn down a solid offer from outside the county? Ultimately, the 5 bungling commission boards along with the 2 bungling school boards, are accountable for the corruption, fraud and malfeasance that has been and continues to be perpetrated. Stop it! Stop it now. Enough is enough! Stop the political posturing, the childish antics, the violation of open government, and start standing up for the oaths you took for office or get the hell out!"
Anyone who can't see that all this is corrupt as hell is blind. Boone should just move on. There's no reason to meet with the county anymore. The fix is in and I suspect was in long ago.
Nathan Miller is corrupt to the core. Always has been. Just look at how he has his hands in every single deal and ends up making money for himself in the process. Think he gives a rat's behind about anything other than his own interests? Give one example. He is even being sued by Murphy's for screwing them over in a purchase deal, where as I understand it Murphy's had first right of refusal on a property, and he and his father (the attorneys for the seller) bought it out from under Murphy's.
Boone should join the nascent secessionist movement taking root in Raleigh and sever its relationship with Watauga County completely. Start by putting up roadblocks on every road coming into Boone. Ask each driver his or her party affiliation and then give Republicans breathalyzer and drug tests. They're obviously high or drunk or something.
Blatantly corrupt, and surely illegal at least procedurally.
Deborah Green finds a conspiracy behind every tree but it's good to know she has so much influence over the Democrat party in Boone. I see you even included her in one of the re3solutions for your county convention.
Apparently Blowing Rock, Seven Devils, and Beech mountain think pretty well of Miller.
It seems that corruption gets more blatant the bigger the ego grows. Glad to see Deborah Greene is still digging into the doings of government, never thought I'd agree with her assessment either. I have to say she got it right.
Anon 9:49
Wrong Miller------
'Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
One good conflict-of-interests deserves another.
All of these articles that I've read about this continue to say that "the county" has decided to do this or that, but like many others, I can find no reference to anything that the Commissioners have done in a meeting that authorized Miller to make these statements. It seems as if he's just decided this himself. Is that even legal, to negotiate a deal with other towns to screw Boone without a meeting? This is ridiculous.
One good conflict-of-interests deserves another.
Like the Boone town attorney being part of the decision making process and then telling the boards what actions they can take.
All these comments seem to be coming from the same person.
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