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 The
Watauga County commissioners convened their first meeting of a new
term with three first-time commissioners.
Democrats
Jim Deal, Billy Ralph Winkler and Winston Kinsey were sworn into
office in a ceremony in the Watauga County courthouse before taking
their seats for Monday’s regular meeting, changing the board’s
partisan majority.
The
board’s first action was to elect Deal as board chair and Winkler
as vice-chair. The board also appointed Tony di Santi to serve as
county attorney, with Andrea Capua to serve as di Santi’s back-up
as well as attorney for the county Department of Social Services.
Both
attorneys are partners in the Boone firm Di Santi, Watson, Capua
and Wilson.
di
Santi will consult with former county attorney Rebecca Eggers-Gryder
on current outstanding legal matters and decide which of those cases
will be handled by each party, with a report due back to the commissioners.
The
commissioners also reappointed county manager Rocky Nelson, board
clerk Anita Fogle and substitute board clerk Rene Barnes to continue
in their present positions.
Deal
said the new board members, along with incumbents David Blust and
Keith Honeycutt, would serve the people of the entire county.
“We
want to send a message to the county that we’ll work for the
best interests of the county,” Deal said.
Committees
Deal
then appointed commissioners to the various committees, adding “A
lot more goes on (in being a commissioner) than just meeting twice
a month.”
Deal
announced the establishment of a new education planning committee
comprised of two commissioners and two school board members, along
with appropriate staff members of each body.
Deal
said the committee should begin meeting immediately to discuss educational
issues, particularly on construction or expansion, as well as funding,
of a new high school.
Committee
members will then report back to their respective boards to keep
communication open between the boards.
The
school budget is the largest single item in the county budget.
Committee
appointments include:
Blust:
Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Area, Children’s
Council/Child Protection Team, Criminal Justice Partnership and
Juvenile Crime Prevention Council;
Deal:
Community Council, Education Planning Committee, Watauga County
Recreation Commission, Work Force Development Consortium and Watauga
Medical Center Board of Trustees;
Honeycutt:
Community Council, Education Planning Committee, Volunteer Resource
Center, WAMY Community Action, Watauga County Board of Social Services
and Project on Aging Advisory Committee;
Kinsey:
Appalachian District Health Department, Economic Development Commission,
EMS Advisory Committee, Future Forward Advisory Board, Motor Vehicle
Valuation Review Committee, Watauga Advisory Board to Caldwell Community
College and Watauga Fire Commission;
Winkler:
AppalCART Authority, Committee of 100, High Country Council of Governments
Executive Board, Library Board and New River Mental Health Board.
Shirlee Gaines Edwards was reappointed to the Department of Social
Services board and Mike Salzano was appointed to the WAMY Community
Action Board. Lauren Johnson was appointed to the recreation board.
Sworn
in along with the commissioners were district court judges Greg
Horn and Alexander Lyerly; school board members Andy Reese, Steve
Combs, and Deborah Miller; Soil and Water Conservation District
members Denny Norris and Ned Jestes; and Register of Deeds JoAnn
Townsend.
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