Rader faces questions for his role in police chief investigation

(To see the entire accompanying video, which includes seven short clips, visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/jagatton)

When relatively little information was available about Cops for Kids and the discrepancies in the organization’s financial records, Commissioner Frank Rader had no problem taking a stance on the issue – showing up at “roll-call meetings” at the police department to tell officers that the “only story making sense” was that of then-Police Chief John Crone, who had sole discretion over the Cops for Kids funds.

But now that more information has been made available – and now that the town has fired the police chief – Rader refuses to take a stance on the issue, citing ongoing investigations and “personnel policies” that supposedly prevent him from talking.

At his “ToM Discourse” meeting last night, Rader repeatedly contradicted himself and gave half-answers to pointed – and many times, confrontational – questions from the 20-some attendees.
Rader admitted that he attended the police department staff meetings and told officers that they could write letters of support for Crone – who was on paid suspension at the time and the subject of active personnel and criminal investigations – as long as they did so in their own time and using their own personal resources. Rader also admitted that he told officers that “the only story that was making sense” was Crone’s.

Rader said his visits to the police department were “in line with what I’ve done before.” He said he visits the police department on a “fairly routine” basis and has “cooked hot dogs” for police officers and oftentimes rides along with them on weekend nights.

Rader displayed for the attendees at Wednesday night’s meeting the anonymous letter that was mailed to John Crone before he was suspended – the same letter that Rader distributed to the media, shared with police officers, and has speculated as the cause for launching the media probe into the Cops for Kids records.

His display of the letter – and his coining of it as “vile” – kicked off 45 minutes of lively discussion at the meeting on Wednesday evening.

Rader said he shared the letter with officers during the roll-call meetings at the police department because the anonymous letter was “the first documentation anyone saw” about Cops for Kids.

But that is not true.

The Gatton Report posted its first entry on Cops for Kids on June 27 (http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-is-cops-for-kids.html). The first mention of the anonymous letter was more than a week later, on July 7, when Crone showed a copy of it on camera to a WSOC-TV reporter (http://www.wsoctv.com/news/16813270/detail.html). That very night, the town placed Crone on paid suspension.

Commissioners – including Rader – were unaware of the anonymous letter until that time; in fact, the town didn’t have a copy of the letter until after July 14.

Here’s how we know: After Crone mentioned the letter in television newscasts, the Report e-mailed Town Attorney Steve Gambill on July 10, asking for a copy of the letter, a public record. Gambill responded on July 11: “I do not have it nor have I seen it. I also do not know in what capacity (Crone) received it or where it was received.”

Responding to a second request for a copy of the letter, Gambill stated in a July 14 e-mail: “I have no details regarding the anonymous letter.”

It wasn’t until July 17 – almost three weeks after the Report’s first Cops for Kids entry … 13 days after the Report and Tribune published the first articles about Cops for Kids … and 10 days after Crone was placed on paid leave – that Gambill provided the letter to the Report. Therefore, he must have provided the letter to commissioners sometime between July 14 and July 17 – long after the Report and the Tribune had published their articles that detailed Cops for Kids’ financial discrepancies. Rader acknowledged on Wednesday that it was Gambill who provided the town board with a copy of the letter.

This proves the letter had nothing to do with the initiation of the Cops for Kids investigation by the media, the public or the town. But Rader continues to insist otherwise because he believes the “vile” letter, which is angry and accusatory and a bit over-the-top, casts all of Crone's critics as unhinged and ill-informed.

Rader was also dishonest in his responses to attendees who repeatedly asked the at-large commissioner if he had ever seen the May 2008 deposit slip showing money had been moved from the police department evidence room into the Cops for Kids account. “I’ve never seen it,” Rader said. “No means no. I have never seen the deposit slip.”

But that is not exactly true either. Commissioners, collectively, were shown the deposit slip on July 7.

Rader was asked during Wednesday’s meeting why he saw fit to distribute the anonymous letter … but didn’t see fit to circulate any of the evidence that points to wrongdoing on Crone’s part. Rader was asked if the anonymous letter “carries more weight” than the deposit slip, but Rader failed to answer, responding only with: “It’s under investigation.”

One resident, from the back of the room, quipped: “So is the police department, but you talked to them.”

Local attorney Cliff Homesley asked Rader if he considered that his actions – specifically, telling officers that they could write letters of support for Crone – was undermining the acting police chief, Carl Robbins, who had previously instructed his officers to stay out of the situation. Rader responded that he does not believe his actions undermined Robbins and his orders.

When asked by local pastor and community activist Larry Green: “who invited you to the police department to make the presentations?” Rader responded: “Me.” When asked what gave him the right or the authority to make those presentations, Rader pulled a town identification card from his pocket and said “this.”

He said the reason he took it upon himself to attend the roll-call meetings without the knowledge or consent of fellow commissioners or the police department is “because I’m a commissioner” and because “morale (at the police department) was pretty d-a-m-n low.”

But Michael Roessler, a former investigative reporter for the Mooresville Tribune, asked Rader exactly how passing around a “vile” letter to police officers was supposed to boost morale.

Rader didn’t offer a clear explanation.

Roessler asked if Rader would now disavow the statement he made to officers – that Crone’s story was the only one that made sense. But Rader wouldn’t answer that question, either, saying only that he had limited information at the time. Roessler asked: “Knowing now what you know now, do you stand by your statement?” But Rader still refused to answer, saying instead: “I’m not going to go there.”

Rader consistently hid behind “personnel” whenever he was asked tough questions – even when those questions were about policy and not personnel. He found it acceptable to address police officers about a pending personnel matter that was also an active criminal investigation. In fact, he said: “I see it as my job.” But when asked to address policy-specific concerns, such as to form an opinion on whether the assistant town manager position should be eliminated – or to provide an opinion about standards that the town manager should be given to determine when an employee should be terminated – Rader declined to comment, citing “personnel."

Roessler called Rader to task on that, saying: “You can’t hide behind personnel on one hand and use it as justification for your actions on the other.”

Rader “congratulated” Roessler, saying on more than one occasion: “You must have done well in Inference 101.”

But Roessler remained focused on the matter at hand, telling Rader: “You are talking out of both sides of your mouth.” Citing the commissioner’s “double-talk and nonsense,” Roessler said: “This is just unacceptable, sir.”

Rader admitted that he has not so much as asked Assistant/Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith about why he fired Crone. Instead, Rader insists that he has absolutely no curiosity about it … even though one short month ago, Crone’s version of the story was the only one that Rader found legitimate.

Rader also said that he believes that Smith – who has been serving as interim town manager since February – is not under the control or authority of the town board, thereby suggesting that Smith is absolutely immune from discipline from anyone until a new town manager is in place.

Green asked Rader about the proper procedure for citizens to file complaints against Erskine Smith for his role in the Cops for Kids fiasco – and how the citizens can demand Smith’s resignation. Rader told Green he could write a letter to commissioners. Green said he had already written a letter, and that “the response has been nothing.” Rader said no response “is another way of saying ‘no,’” but he told Green to feel free to write another letter.

Regarding the disciplining of the interim town manager, Rader said “that’s why we have town managers.” A citizen responded: “No. That’s why we have you.”

Rader said that as a commissioner, he deals with only two positions – the town manager and the town attorney. He continually said that “until the investigations are complete, I have no opinion.” At one point during the meeting, someone asked Rader what his standards are for employees, to which Rader responded: “I’m an elected official. I have no standards.”

A little commentary:

At the end of the day, the “ToM Discourse” was a demonstration of democracy at its finest – a spirited and robust debate between an elected official and his constituents, many of whom are dissatisfied with Rader’s performance and leadership – or lack thereof.

On the one hand, my hat is off to Rader for making himself available for such discourse. But on the other hand, the disingenuous nature of many of his responses left much to be desired.

Rader admitted to holding the meetings at the police department – which his critics rightfully find appalling. They criticize Rader for inappropriately injecting himself into a delicate process and potentially committing obstruction of justice by tainting the opinions of police officers, all of whom are potential witnesses in the matter.

Through his selective evasiveness – through his many contradictions – through his double-speak and half-answers – through his willingness to cite “personnel” to justify his actions, then hide behind “personnel” when the questions got tough – Rader demonstrated an abdication of his duties as a public official to answer questions from his constituents and thereby show them the respect they are owed.

Albeit, some people – including Rader – may claim that those in attendance last night were disrespectful themselves, simply because they firmly demanded answers from their elected official. At times, that meant that the attendees interrupted Rader. And occasionally, they raised their voices. If last night’s meeting had been a dinner party, then such behavior would rightfully be deemed rude. But it wasn’t a dinner party. It was democracy. It was an example of the people letting their elected official know that half-answers and nonsense from elected leaders are no longer acceptable to the citizens of Mooresville.

When those in power refuse to level with their constituents, then the constituents have every right to escalate and make demands and interrupt and raise their voices, individually or collectively.

To hide behind “decorum” – as Mayor Bill Thunberg attempted to do last month when trying to silence protestors who marched on Town Hall when they clapped and cheered for speakers who challenged the behavior and decisions of Crone, Smith and others – is the strategy of someone who fears the people … and for good reason.

A few questions for Commissioner Rader

In a couple hours, Commissioner Frank Rader plans to meet with a group of folks who are still scratching their heads over the at-large commissioner’s recent “presentations” to police officers amid several investigations into former Police Chief John Crone and his Cops for Kids program.

The meeting will be held tonight from 7-9 p.m. at the Mooresville Public Library.

Rader says he’ll allow each person one minute to ask a question – and he’ll require that the “questioner” provide a name and town of residence. He has said he wants “simple questions” for “simple answers.”

The following questions may be too complex for Rader – and they’d certainly take up more than one minute. But they are some of the questions that I hope people will ask the at-large commissioner … and I hope Rader will answer:

1. Did you address Mooresville police officers? When? Where? And why?
2. What did you say to the police officers? What information did you provide? What opinion did you provide about John Crone?
3. Why do you believe it is appropriate to address town employees amid multiple investigations of a suspended police chief?
4. You seem to suggest that absent criminal charges or conviction, town employees should not lose their jobs. Do you believe that a town employee should be eligible for termination only after they’ve been criminally charged and/or convicted? What about non-criminal conduct? Particularly for department heads, what is the standard for losing their job?
5. When is the first time you saw the deposit slip showing that money had been moved from the police department evidence room into Cops for Kids? How does that deposit slip qualify as “speculation”? Isn’t it evidence?
6. You and Mayor Bill Thunberg have repeatedly stated that you want to “wait for the facts” regarding Cops for Kids. Yet, the media and private citizens spent days pouring over the Cops for Kids records. While you were stating that you were content to wait on the facts, what steps were you taking to find the facts?
7. Along those same lines: Mooresville’s police chief has been fired and several investigations – including one led by the State Bureau of Investigation – have been called because of the financial problems that the media and citizen activists found while scrutinizing the Cops for Kids records. Yet, you take cute jabs at those citizens, calling them “investigattons” and “corruption folks.” Do you applaud them for their work? Do you believe they made a valuable contribution to our community, or are they just muckrakers? Why or why not? Do you believe it’s good for citizens to be involved in their government, or would you rather them sit down and shut up while you run the show your way?
8. Regarding the anonymous letter that was written to Crone: Why have you credited that letter with launching the Cops for Kids inquiry? The review of the Cops for Kids records uncovered significant mismanagement and possible criminal conduct. So, where does the anonymous letter fit in? In your mind, does it somehow explain away everything – or anything – that has been uncovered and exposed?
9. Why, in your “Rader At-Large” e-mails, did you include letters of support for Chief Crone but leave out letters that were critical of Crone or supported the investigations into his handling of Cops for Kids?
10. Have you ever requested anyone to give money to Cops for Kids? Have you ever accepted money for Cops for Kids and turned it over to anyone handling the Cops for Kids money?
11. In your “meetings” at the police department, you reportedly told officers that Crone’s story about Cops for Kids was the only one that “makes sense” to you. Do you still feel that way?

And while Commissioner Rader is on the record, perhaps he’d answer these questions:

12. Why does the Town of Mooresville use Windstream instead of MI-Connection for its Internet Service Provider?
13. The Mooresville Golf Course has been praised by the government for turning itself around and pulling itself out of the red. But if the town put groundskeeping back into the golf-course budget, what would be the net profit or loss at the golf course?

P.S. One of my readers just e-mailed this to me, asking me to send it out to those who are interested: http://www.rulesonline.com/

Mooresville police involved in chase; United Way of Central Carolinas fires its president

Here are two local news items that you may find interesting:

From WSOC-TV: A shoplifting suspect at Lowes Foods led Mooresville police on a chase yesterday. Click here for the story: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/17303172/detail.html

From WBTV 3: The United Way of Central Carolinas has fired its president, Gloria Pace King (http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=8902963), following two months of public scrutiny over the amount of money the organization paid King in salary and benefits (http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/06/united-way-presidents-salary-nearly.html).

Rader to meet with "questioners" and "investigattons" this week

Commissioner Frank Rader plans to meet with “questioners” and “investigattons” this Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 7-9 p.m. at the Mooresville Public Library.

Rader is coining the meeting “ToM Discourse” and said in his Aug. 22 “Rader At-Large” e-mail that “the discourse is of idea and opinion” and was “born of statements and questions posed by a folk(s) who think I’ve done wrong.”

More specifically, Rader is referring to questions surrounding his recent visits to the Mooresville Police Department to speak with officers even while the town is investigating the former police chief, John Crone, and his Cops for Kids program.

Without the consent or knowledge of fellow commissioners, Rader made “presentations” during regular staff meetings at the police department while Crone was on paid suspension. Rader told officers that Crone’s version of events was the only one that was “making sense.” He also alluded to the officers that they could write letters of support for Crone, as long as the letters were written on personal time, using personal resources. Rader also read excerpts from an anonymous letter that was sent to Crone before the Cops for Kids story broke in the press – a letter that has mistakenly been credited for launching the media scrutiny of the Cops for Kids records. Rader reportedly characterized the letter as being “vile,” and he took it upon himself to also distribute that letter to members of the media.

But Rader conveniently didn’t see fit to distribute to the media or police officers any evidence of wrongdoing on Crone’s part – including a deposit slip showing that cash was moved from the police evidence room into the Cops for Kids fund. (For more information, visit http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/07/report-spanks-frank-rader-at-large.html and http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/07/free-speech-or-speech-under-duress.html.)

In fact, Rader has called that evidence “speculation” … even though it led to Crone’s firing. “This is part of speculation (my term) spoken, written and demonstrated by anonymous, though some public, voices,” Rader wrote in his Aug. 22 e-mail. But interestingly, Rader added: “Note: I do not read Web Logs = Blogs.”

He said among the “queries” and questions he expects at the meeting are these:

• "Commissioner Rader took it upon himself to penetrate the sanctity of the police department and inject himself into this personnel/criminal investigation by overtly trying to influence the rank and file police officers."
• ". . . would you find it appropriate for an elected official to attend and make presentations at several recent staff meetings of the police department and apparently share with officers the anonymous letter that was sent to Crone?"
• “Why did you speak with ToM Police about the Cops for Kids investigation and what did you say?”

Rader said he hopes that the meeting “if well attended, will become monthly or quarterly.” He said, “Over time, I hope it becomes a reasoned way to examine and discuss as much ToM information as legally and practically possible.”

Rader continued: “I cannot assure the questioners will attend, though the prime reason for the session is to address their questions and ask them mine.”

It is unclear, then, why Rader plans to start off with a budget discussion. But that’s what he says he’ll do: “I'll come with a prepared discussion of the ToM Budget (yawn) and lead with that, then field what question (sic) may come, subject to NC Statute restrictions (personnel and closed session),” he wrote.

It is also unclear what types of questions Rader plans to ask those in attendance.

Rader went on to say that “an invitation to a specific questioner to attend a ToM Chat has been turned down by a questioner, him or her insisting on email correspondence.” He also stated that “one of the potential questioners is in Time Out for using language not acceptable in Kindergarten and will not be entertained.

“To the extent the questioner insists on questioning,” Rader continued, “it will just consume time.”

While most of us have a very simple "rule" for our elected representatives – that they honestly answer questions and speak to us with respect and candor – Commissioner Rader has established some interesting “ground rules” for the “ToM Discourse” meeting. Here they are:

Rader Rule No. 1
"Questioners and Investigattons must identify themselves by name and town."

Rader Rule No. 2
"Questions are limited to one minute."

Rader Rule No. 3
Rader says that he “will answer all that can be, subject to NC law.”

It is unclear what Rader plans to do to “questioners” and “investigattons” who break his "rules," as he did not delineate consequences or punishment. It can be “speculated” that he’ll place them in Time Out with the other “questioner.”

Rader’s e-mail adds that “ticket (sic) for the event are available at 285-2727.” He did not provide an area code. Rader’s slapstick humor aside, tickets are obviously not needed for the meeting.

Investigations into Cops for Kids continue

The Town of Mooresville continues working with the State Bureau of Investigation to complete several probes into former Mooresville Police Chief John Crone and his Cops for Kids program.

The SBI is conducting a criminal investigation, and the town is in the middle of its own internal personnel investigation, which is assessing the conduct of town employees – including Crone – related to Cops for Kids. The N.C. Secretary of State’s office is investigating Cops for Kids’ charitable solicitation license but has not been available for an update this week. Additionally, the town is conducting an audit of Cops for Kids and an inventory of the police department evidence room.

Town investigation
Ken Andrews, the former FBI agent who is heading up the town’s investigation, has completed his first round of interviews. Additional interviews depend on the schedule of the SBI’s investigation, which is not known. Andrews, however, is apparently currently working on a preliminary draft of his findings.

Evidence room inventory
Three town employees – Acting Police Chief Carl Robbins, Accountant Deborah Hockett and Finance Director Maia Setzer – have completed an initial inventory of the police department’s evidence room, at the direction of the SBI. The initial review took almost 50 hours for the three employees to complete and resulted in Crone's ultimate termination from the Town of Mooresville (see http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/08/evidence-room-inventory-led-to-crones.html). For unknown reasons, the SBI has directed the three employees to conduct a second review. The timeframe for that – and for those three town employees to write detailed reports of their findings and submit them to the SBI – is unclear.

Audits
The town hired Tom Himes with Carolina Financial Investigations – who has former experience with the Internal Revenue Service – to conduct an audit of the Cops for Kids financial records. A second firm, which will verify Himes' findings, could be hired as soon as the Sept. 2 town board meeting.

After reviewing seven years of Cops for Kids' financial documents, Carolina Financial Investigations will turn over results of its probe to the town possibly within the next three weeks. The second firm could have its results to the town as soon as a month later.

What world are we living in?: Mooresville students begin taking home laptops this week

My youngest daughter is one of the rising sixth graders at Mooresville Intermediate School who is now the proud keeper of a brand-spankin’-new Apple MacBook.

We recently returned from the hour-long training session that accompanied the long-anticipated release of the coveted laptop.

The MacBooks are being sent home this week with MIS students – grades 4 through 6. They will be handed out to Mooresville High School students next week during classes.

Citing the growing usage of iPods and cell phones, MIS Principal Julie Morrow told us tonight that the Mooresville Graded School District is preparing students for the 21st Century.

“We are living in a digital world,” she said.

But all I could hear was Madonna. My mind flashed back to being about 9 years old, donning purple fingerless gloves, non-matching outfits with two different color socks, and a sideways ponytail tied up with a neon-green lace ribbon … parading around my living room, jumping up on chairs, singing “Material Girl” at the top of my lungs. I thought I was cool; I had the album in 12-inch vinyl.

And tonight, 22 short years later, there I was … sitting beside my 10-year-old daughter whose posture and angst during the one-hour “parent training session” resembled that which she holds during family Christmas meals that precede the opening of gifts.

I used to love summer breaks from school – swimming pools, kickball in dirt fields with neighborhood friends, staying up late enough to throw chains at bats and catch lightning bugs. My daughter, on the other hand, spent the better part of this summer looking forward to this week – the week before school starts – because that’s when she would receive her coveted MacBook.

I wasn’t so excited.

Parents have pondered many questions about the laptops, such as: How will $50 of insurance cover all the laptops that might be scratched, dropped or otherwise broken over the course of a school year? Will the students receive “zeroes” or “incompletes” for homework assignments that can’t be turned in if the computers crash? Who’s responsible if a laptop is lost or stolen? And perhaps the most important, at least to me: How will students’ Internet usage be monitored?

Is this “introduction” to the digital world introducing an unwelcome can of worms?

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here: www.mgsd.k12.nc.us/16231081512531693/site/default.asp

I walked away from tonight’s informational meeting feeling a little more comfortable about the idea that my daughter will possibly forevermore leave in her dust the good ol’ days of paper and pencils … venturing out, instead, into a digital world that is, well, far beyond my world of comprehension.

“Students are digital learners,” Morrow said tonight, explaining that instead of students having to “power down” to go to school (translation: to go from computers at home, to pencils and paper at school), the laptops will help them “power up.”

“Engaging these students and making education relevant is critical for our schools to continue to effectively and fully prepare the citizens and leaders of tomorrow.”

(Quote from tonight’s presentation)

The laptops are wireless compatible and Blue Tooth capable (did I word that right?). Students’ MacBooks – unlike those provided to teachers – will not be able to play DVD movies, Morrow said … adding, however, that the students’ laptops do have the capability to make movies.

The laptops have about a 4.5-hour battery life – or more, depending upon how often the students keep them plugged into an electrical outlet.

Each student is also being provided a bookbag that offers a safe haven for the laptops, as long as the students:

• don’t leave them in extremely hot or bitterly cold cars
• don’t slam them down on the ground like my daughters tend to do once they return home after a long day at school
• don’t pile books or other heavy objects on top of them
• don’t mingle bottles of water or lunch with the laptops in the bookbag
• don’t allow pets or young children around the laptops (a challenge in and of itself for my daughter, who shares a house with two dogs and a two-year-old brother … along with an older sister who’s a little envious that middle-schoolers aren’t being sent home with laptops this year).

But at least the MacBooks feature titanium hinges, which we learned tonight are the strongest on the market. And that makes me feel happy and safe.

What truly did make me feel safe was seeing my daughter’s reaction to a brief, but very powerful, video that Morrow showed, demonstrating just how easily a faceless predator can convince a child to give up personal, identifying information over the computer. Morrow assured us, however, that students will not be able to access chat rooms or instant messaging on the MacBooks – and the only e-mail exchanges that the students can have are those between them and their teachers. At least for the time being, Morrow said, the MGSD isn’t allowing student-to-student e-mailing.

The MacBooks have pre-loaded software, including Pages (which is Word for those of us Windows users); Numbers (Excel); Keynote; iCal (a calendar); iTunes; iPhoto (which allows students to store and play around with photos) and iMovie (allowing students to make movies).

Morrow stressed to students and parents the Internet "code of conduct," insisting that Internet usage at school will be teacher-directed and used only for “educational research and activities.”

The school district strongly encourages parents to memorize their child’s usernames and passwords. Morrow also asked us to keep the MacBooks in a “common room” in the house … to make sure we establish time limits for Internet use … and to regularly check our child’s history of visited web pages.

Though the FAQ page on the school district’s website states that students’ history of visited web pages is “undeletable,” Morrow told us tonight that if we notice our child has no history of visited websites, then that means that s/he has deleted the history … which likely means s/he has been visiting sites that s/he knows better than to visit.

… I guess that also means that the history of visited web pages isn’t so “undeletable,” after all.

Noting that the “most important filter is parental supervision,” Morrow assured us that the laptops have “server-based filtering software” that filters websites based on content/keywords and also blocks specific websites – including “social networking” sites like MySpace and Facebook.

However, the code of conduct instructs students not to try to bypass the filter, which – at least to me – means it can be done. And if we’re teaching our children to live in the digital world, I’d be willing to bet that many of them will learn to bypass the filter – if they don’t already know how – within their first week with the new MacBook.

But, heck, I’m living in the material world, not the digital one, so what do I know?

I wanna know your thoughts on the MacBooks – are they a good idea or not? Why?

Evidence room inventory led to Crone's firing; two commissioners want more answers

Last Wednesday, Commissioner Frank Rader told us in the Mooresville Tribune: “The bottom line is we can either do an investigation or speculation. The town has chosen to do investigation, the (protestors) have chosen speculation, and that’s not going to change. We’re going to continue to investigate.”

The very next day, the town fired suspended Police Chief John Crone.

The public was informed about the firing Friday morning.

So, what happened between Wednesday and Friday?

The answer is simple, Commissioner Chris Carney said today. “More information was made available (on Thursday) that deemed it necessary for action to be taken.”

He said information about the deposit slip, showing that money had been moved from the evidence room into Crone’s Cops for Kids account, “was found to be accurate.”

Carney also said “other issues” from the evidence room pointed to violations of police procedures. He declined to elaborate on the other issues, saying only that a full report of the evidence-room inventory has not been released to commissioners. “We were just getting intermittent updates based on the evidence room,” Carney said. “I only know what I’ve heard from different avenues.”

The inventory is apparently still being finalized.

Commissioner Miles Atkins asked town administrators yesterday to add “personnel” to a special-called meeting tomorrow, which is unrelated to Cops for Kids or the former chief. Atkins said he wanted to add personnel to the agenda “so we can get a more detailed update on the investigation and the data that is now available.”

Also, Atkins said he has information he would like to share with his colleagues about an unexpected visit from Crone over the weekend. Crone, said Atkins, “dropped in on me at my home this weekend to share his feelings about the matter. He let me know his side and wanted to tell someone since he has not been given the opportunity to discuss it with anyone tied to the investigation.”

But Town Attorney Steve Gambill said that the only matters that can be discussed in tomorrow's meeting are those that were included in the public notice about the meeting. In other words, a discussion about personnel can't be added.

Atkins said he is "frustrated that information is not more forthcoming."

“There are two financial investigations, the evidence room inventory and Ken Andrews’ (internal) investigation. We have heard nothing to date regarding their findings, nor has there been any timelines established for summary or completion of their work,” he said.

“It is quite evident that several commissioners were caught off guard regarding Chief Crone’s resignation and ultimate termination,” Atkins added. "The handling of this matter along with the lack of communication and accountability is unsettling.

“We called for these investigations and are using taxpayer dollars to pay for them,” Atkins said.

Carney said if commissioners cannot receive updates on the investigations in tomorrow’s meeting, he supports having another special meeting on Monday. “Commissioner Atkins points to a lack of flow of information, and that is 100 percent true,” Carney said. But the question is whether the results of the evidence-room inventory are not being released because they haven’t been “thoroughly vetted” or “if it’s just a lack of information,” he said.

“Atkins is completely in line, in my opinion,” Carney added. “We at least need a timeline to understand when we expect this to be over.”

To date, the town has not agreed to release the results of the evidence-room inventory. But Carney said that the inventory “is not personnel. It’s under the control of the town and not under personnel. Realistically, it’s the one (investigation) we have the most access (to).”

As for the SBI investigation, Carney said, “it may take years, so that cannot be something we’re holding our breath on. We have to work with the internal investigation, and unfortunately, we may never be privy to the personnel issues, which is disheartening. On the personnel part, we are in the dark.”

But Carney said the public can rest assured that the commissioners “want the information just as much as anyone else.” However, he said, “we have to work within the rules.”

He promised that the town board “will release what is released to us.”

“We need to generate a report back to the public that explains what happened to reinstate some kind of credibility,” Carney added.

Atkins said he is “strongly encouraging full disclosure of any and all data and findings to date to be released to the town board and the public as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, Carney is encouraging the public -- Crone's supporters and detractors alike -- to remember that Crone’s firing “had nothing to do with what he had accomplished as Mooresville’s police chief any more than it had to do with the ‘sins of his past’. We had to answer the question of whether there was a policy broken that did not allow for us to continue to have him as a police chief.”

While the town board has not received a full report on any of the outstanding investigations, Carney said, “as soon as one thing acknowledged that something occurred against police procedures, something had to be done.”

He said the town not only needs to discuss “where we are now with any information and where we are headed,” but “we need to figure out where we went wrong as a town. We need to figure out what changes need to be made and then strongly encourage those changes.”

"Thank or Spank": The Report thanks Commissioners Miles Atkins, Mac Herring and Acting Police Chief Carl Robbins

In 1804, Thomas Jefferson stated that “freedom of the press” is the most effectual means to leave open “all the avenues of truth” to mankind.

“It is therefore the first shut up by those who fear the investigations of their actions,” he said.

Jefferson stated in 1823: “The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure.”

Throughout the past several years in Mooresville, when the press has moved on something, the government has dug in its heels. Despite the fact that the government has been unable to refute any of the provided facts – despite the fact that the press has ultimately been proven right, time and time again – the issue has become more of a battle of wills … and less about the government getting off its duff and trying to see for itself whether the findings of the press are indeed valid or not.

That is, until the town’s most recent controversy.

While some commissioners have been content to drag their feet and wait for “the facts” (i.e. ignore the facts reported by the press) – and even one or two proposed the town should wait to act until a new town manager is in place – Commissioners Miles Atkins and Mac Herring decided from day one to roll up their sleeves and actually seek out the facts. Though most of their actions were outside of public view, the two men have worked tirelessly to fight for the truth in an effort to regain public trust. And in doing so, they facilitated in one month what has historically taken the town many months – and sometimes years – to accomplish.

On June 26, the Report was denied access to public records related to the Mooresville Police Department’s Cops for Kids program because the records were under lock-and-key in then-Police Chief John Crone’s office, and Crone was on vacation. The very next day, Atkins suggested that the town hire a locksmith to access the documents for the public. He also pointed to the need for a new town policy to prohibit public records being kept under lock-and-key in the future.

In the days that followed – before the Cops for Kids story broke in the Report and the Mooresville Tribune – Atkins e-mailed fellow commissioners and Town Attorney Steve Gambill, stating: “I wanted to express my concern about how this is playing out.” In regard to the Report’s planned visit to the police department to review the Cops for Kids files, Atkins suggested that the town attorney be on hand to supervise Crone’s pulling of the records and stated: “It has the potential to turn into a spectacle at the police dept. and create a public perception issue – no matter if the files are perfect.”

Atkins also e-mailed the town board and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith the day before the July town board meeting, stating: “We will need to get to the bottom of this and make sure we get some answers and there is accountability.” Atkins also made clear his intent to pull the $20,000 that the town had previously approved for Cops for Kids “and not use taxpayer dollars” for the organization.

Commissioner Herring backed Atkins, expressing his concerns and confusion about Cops for Kids in an e-mail to fellow commissioners and town administrators on June 30: “Public accountability is an expectation and necessary to maintain public confidence. I think the public trust charges both (elected officials), such as ourselves, and the police department to being beyond reproach and of the highest ethical standards. Despite our own human shortcomings, we need to collectively live up to that standard.”

Herring continued to express his concerns that the town board’s refusal to be open with the public would be “a public relations nightmare” for the town. “I am afraid we are heading for a mud pit. Not good for public confidence …” Herring wrote.

Despite flippant responses from Smith and one or two other commissioners, Atkins and Herring remained resolute.

Responding to an e-mail from fellow commissioner Frank Rader sarcastically titled “Ready, Fire, Aim,” Atkins called Cops for Kids what members of the public were already coining it: “a personal slush fund for Chief Crone with virtually no (town) oversight…”

Days before the town would officially launch several investigations into the way Crone handled Cops for Kids, Atkins and Herring were questioning the police department’s reported handling of cash in the evidence room, and they were asking whether other funds were set up like Cops for Kids and whether all the Cops for Kids records had been moved to Town Hall.

The day of the July town board meeting, and apparently frustrated with the lack of communication and leadership from town administration, Atkins asked Smith: “What’s the plan?”

Mayor Bill Thunberg – who had spoken nary a word about Cops for Kids during the brewing controversy – responded: “We’ll add personnel to closed session.”

That night, after a lengthy closed session, the town placed Crone on paid leave and announced several investigations into the police chief’s Cops for Kids organization. The town directed all further questions about the matter to Gambill.

A few days later, Herring e-mailed a list of questions to Gambill. In that e-mail, Herring said he felt “betrayed” when reading the “conflicting statements” about Cops for Kids’ “organization and purpose.”

“I had read the website,” Herring said. “It had been posted for over a year. It was false and misleading, and perpetuated a public myth as to what CFK was really about.”

Herring called it “unacceptable” that Smith would support Crone’s statement that he had “no idea” about the content of the Cops for Kids website and how it was posted. “There must be accountability/oversight for such information,” Herring wrote. “Who do I, as a commissioner, hold accountable?”

Herring also expressed concern about Cops for Kids not being a 501(c)(3) charity. “People gave and submitted on their taxes,” Herring stated. “The misperception was widespread, but it persisted … no one knew the bulk of its funds were spent on travel expenses, as the press alleges. Again, who is accountable for allowing this public myth/misperception to be so pervasive in our community?”

Herring called “mysterious” the Secretary of State’s posting of Cops for Kids as a non-profit seven years after it was apparently formed as such. (See http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/07/seven-years-later-cops-for-kids-turns.html.) “I have never been much of a conspiracy theorist, but this has me wondering, almost as if someone locally has ties in Raleigh whose strings they were able to pull … Is there a local or state cover up of the facts on any level?

“Is there integrity in the custody of the records (all records, not just financial) from Mon. 6/30 when the press went through them until now?” Herring continued.

He also questioned if the law was broken when a deposit was made into the Cops for Kids bank account from the evidence room, and he asked specific questions about all the trips funded by Cops for Kids: “How were these trips justified?” he asked. “What was the benefit to our community? Was this a personal vacation fund?”

Referring to how the Cops for Kids mission statement was redefined to state that its purpose was not to help underprivileged children and families but “to foster better relationships between police and youth,” Herring said: “I am sure it did for those taking the trips!”

“Are Erskine Smith’s actions throughout all these concerns above reproach(?)” Herring asked. “Perception is his hands are tainted by this.”

The town board – thanks to the strong leadership of Atkins and Herring – acted swiftly to close the first chapter in the Cops for Kids saga. And had it not been for the lack of concern and leadership demonstrated by Smith, the chapter would have probably been closed even sooner.

The town board did what it needed to do. It moved when it needed to move and put town staff in charge of carrying out the investigations and audits. While some people are expressing frustration with how long it has taken for the investigations – including the audit and the inventory of the evidence room – to get underway, we must remember who is responsible for what.

Though Crone’s firing ended one chapter of the Cops for Kids story, several chapters are still being written. We will wait to see how the town board deals with them. But if past actions are any indication, we can rest assured that we have at least two commissioners steadily behind the wheel. They are responding to public outcry, they are asking the tough questions, and they are demanding accountability from the government on behalf of the people.

For exercising the ability to discern between fact and spin – for having the courage of their convictions – for standing in the light of truth rather than the shadow of doubtful colleagues – for being good, responsible stewards of the public’s trust – our hats are off to Commissioners Miles Atkins and Mac Herring.

We also commend Acting Police Chief Carl Robbins, who has served as a steady hand over the police department throughout the past month of uncertainty and unrest. As Mooresville Tribune Editor Dale Gowing wrote Friday in his online commentary: Robbins “is what we need right now to stabilize the police department.”

Over the past month, Robbins has proven himself worthy of being called “chief.” He has shown that he is responsive to the public. He has made clear his expectations of the Mooresville police officers, yet he has taken time to tell them how proud he is of them. He has almost single-handedly built up employee morale at a time when we would expect it to be at an all-time low; yet, he maintains that the police department staff deserves all the credit.

Robbins has led the police department with an unwavering steadfastness and fairness – all things that the public and officers expect, need and deserve from a police chief.

The Mooresville Police Department has withstood a month of utter turmoil, seemingly without flinching. During a time when the Town of Mooresville’s reputation is being battered and bruised because of the actions of its former chief, the police department, under Robbins’ leadership, has given us all something to be proud of.

CRONE TERMINATED

From Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith:

"Yesterday, John Crone submitted a letter of resignation which was not acceptable and has been terminated, effective Thursday, August 7. North Carolina law prohibits me from releasing the details surrounding his termination.

"Major Carl Robbins will remain as interim chief. A final decision regarding the appointment of a chief will be made by the new Town Manager.

"The internal investigation and audit of the financial records of Cops For Kids will continue. The audit of the evidence room is expected to be finished later today and those results will be shared with the SBI."

Did Crone resign or retire?

WSOC-TV reported last night that suspended Mooresville Police Chief John Crone “suddenly retired on Thursday,” and that he told reporters by phone that “he got tired of waiting for the town to interview him about the Cops for Kids program.”

So, which is it: Did Crone resign, or did he retire? In the event that he retired, what retirement benefits will the Town of Mooresville be responsible for paying him?

Those are questions that I sent to town officials earlier today. Perhaps the town's press release, expected sometime this morning, will address the questions. We're still awaiting that statement. I'll keep you posted ...

CRONE RESIGNS

The Report has just learned that John Crone has resigned as Mooresville's police chief. Crone has been on paid suspension since July 8, pending the results of various investigations into the way he handled the police department's Cops for Kids program.

I will post more details as they become available ...

Crone accused of retaliation in violation of federal law

While Police Chief John Crone is under investigation for his Cops for Kids program, the Town of Mooresville is being sued for Crone’s alleged retaliation against a former police officer who had previously filed a sexual-harassment complaint against a co-worker.

An investigation by an independent government agency – the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – found that the evidence it collected supports former police officer Kimberly Nitzu's accusation of retaliation and does not support Crone’s defense.

Nitzu – who was a Mooresville police officer from February 2000 to October 2002 – contacted town officials in December 2006 and February 2008 in an effort to resolve the matter. The EEOC unsuccessfully attempted in late 2007 to help Nitzu and the town resolve the dispute without the need to go to court. Nitzu’s own efforts were also unsuccessful.

Now, Nitzu has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Mooresville in Statesville’s Superior Court. The suit was filed on July 18 – 10 days after Crone was suspended with pay pending the results of various investigations into the way he handled his Cops for Kids organization.

Charlotte attorney Jenny Sharpe is representing Nitzu. Sharpe was also the attorney for fired Town of Mooresville department heads Richard McMillan and Wilce Martin.

Although the lawsuit was filed last month, the events leading up to it stretched over a period of years.

Nitzu, while serving as a Mooresville police officer from 2000-2002, filed an internal complaint of sexual harassment against a fellow officer. The Town of Mooresville Police Department “investigated and verified” the complaint and disciplined – but did not fire – the offending officer, according to the lawsuit.

Shortly thereafter, Nitzu resigned from the Mooresville Police Department and took a job with Nationwide Insurance.

In September 2006, she reapplied to the Mooresville Police Department and received on Sept. 28 a “conditional offer of employment,” with a starting salary of $33,948.

Around Oct. 13, a recruiting officer advised Nitzu – through her husband, a former Mooresville police officer and now a detective with the Iredell County sheriff’s department – that “it would be safe” for her to resign from Nationwide, “as (Nitzu’s) employment with the (Town of Mooresville Police Department) seemed certain,” the lawsuit reads.

Nitzu resigned from Nationwide, which paid her a salary of $40,000, the lawsuit adds.

But on Nov. 7, Crone notified Nitzu that her conditional offer of employment had been withdrawn “on the basis of her background and psychological evaluations.” Nitzu maintains, however, that to her knowledge “she does not suffer from any medical or psychological condition that might impair her ability to perform the essential functions of a police officer or which impair any major life activity,” the lawsuit reads.

Further, by the time that the Town of Mooresville – by and through Crone – offered Nitzu a conditional offer of employment, the police department had completed its background check of Nitzu and had previously advised her that “no problems existed as to her references, general education, experience, or overall qualifications for the position in question,” the lawsuit adds.

Nitzu contends “that she was refused employment by the (Town of Mooresville Police Department) in retaliation for her previous sexual harassment complaint” against a fellow officer “and because of her participation in a sexual harassment investigation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

“Alternatively, and/or in addition to this claim,” the lawsuit continues, Nitzu alleges that the Town of Mooresville Police Department “unlawfully perceived her as a person with a disability as that term is defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and refused her employment as a police officer on that basis.”

Before filing her complaint with the EEOC, Nitzu contacted then-Town Manager Jamie Justice in December 2006, attempting to resolve the situation outside of court. In an e-mail to Justice, Nitzu wrote: “I respectfully request more details as to why I was not hired (by) the Mooresville Police Department and the applied adjudication processes … I have not yet contracted an attorney as I feel that we can come to a satisfactory resolution of this situation. I am no longer seeking employment with the Mooresville Police Department but do believe that a more detailed rationale for employment denial is reasonable.”

When her attempts to communicate with Justice apparently failed, Nitzu detailed her complaints against the Mooresville Police Department in a charge of discrimination to the Charlotte office of the EEOC on Dec. 28, 2006. About nine months later – on Oct. 1, 2007 – the EEOC determined “in part, that reasonable cause existed to believe that (the Town of Mooresville Police Department) had refused (Nitzu) employment in retaliation for having complained” about being sexually harassed by a fellow officer. The EEOC determination added, “Evidence obtained during the investigation supports (Nitzu’s) allegation and does not support (the town’s) defense.”

“On April 21, 2008,” the lawsuit states, “the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Justice issued to (Nitzu) its Notice of Right to Sue.”

Two months earlier, in February of this year, Nitzu e-mailed Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, Mayor Bill Thunberg and town commissioners. Though Crone had told Nitzu that her conditional offer of employment was withdrawn because of her psychological evaluation, “he refused to allow a review of this document,” Nitzu said in the e-mail, adding: “I have had to include this damaging opinion on every application that I have completed while searching for another position in other police departments.

“It made it extremely difficult for me to find gainful employment in a discipline that I truly love and enjoy,” she wrote. “Retaliation by Chief Crone, as found by the EEOC, has adversely effected my credit, employment with other agencies and will continue to effect my law enforcement career.

“I have grown very tired of pursuing a fair and just resolution regarding this matter, and feel that it is time to involve others, including the Citizens of Mooresville,” Nitzu concluded.

Nitzu’s lawsuit against the Town of Mooresville states that as a result of the town’s action, she has suffered and continues to suffer from monetary losses, emotional distress, and loss of professional reputation.

Nitzu is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $15,000.

No end in sight as people march on Town Hall

"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."

~Gandhi

On Monday, about 50 concerned citizens marched on Mooresville’s town hall in a unified expression of frustration over the town’s handling of suspended police chief John Crone and his Cops for Kids program.

Crone was suspended with pay pending the results of various investigations – the completion of which, a month after being launched, is nowhere in sight.

In a statement to the press on July 8, Mayor Bill Thunberg said that “the town board … is adamant that … this matter (be) resolved in a timely fashion to preserve the public trust.”

But it appears that “timely fashion” is relative.

In his statement, released four weeks ago today, Thunberg said that Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith “is ordering an external audit be conducted of the Cops for Kids program.”

But as of late last week, Town Finance Director Maia Setzer said that the town’s first financial investigation, or audit, “is being conducted by Carolina Financial Investigations” but that the second auditing company “has not yet been contracted as I have been out of the office this week.”

Thunberg also stated in his July 8 statement: “The interim town manager is ordering an inventory of the police evidence room to be conducted to ensure that its integrity is uncompromised.”

That inventory – headed up by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and town staffers – commenced this past weekend … one full month after Thunberg said it was being ordered and a month after Crone was placed on paid leave.

Thunberg’s statement also said that Smith “is initiating a complete internal investigation conducted by an independent outside party.”

Last week, Town Attorney Steve Gambill said that the town’s investigation, being conducted by former FBI agent Ken Andrews, is ongoing.

Separately, Iredell County District Attorney Garry Frank has requested an outside investigation by the SBI. Gambill said late last week that he does not know “the schedule of the SBI’s investigation.”

The N.C. Secretary of State’s investigation into Cops for Kids’ charitable solicitation license is also ongoing. The office sent a letter to Crone on July 8, which stated: “At the present time, this office can only inform the public of the unlicensed status of your organization.”

It goes on to state: “If you feel your organization qualifies for one (or more) of the listed exemptions (to the licensing requirements), please submit a specific exemption request containing documentation to support the exemption.”

Crone responded in writing on July 17. He said: “I … applied for a non-profit corporation status and a tax-exempt status through Ben Thomas, a local attorney who had agreed to do this for free. I don’t remember why we never attained either of these steps and neither did anyone else. I continued to collect the money from the annual golf tournaments and wrote checks to benefit the purpose of Cops for Kids.”

Crone told the Secretary of State’s Office that he “was not aware of the need to attain a Charitable Solicitation License in addition to trying to attain the status of being nonprofit and/or tax exempt.”

He stated that he didn’t know until July 3 of this year – the day before the Cops for Kids story broke in the Mooresville Tribune and the Report – “that we had actually attained the non-profit organization status.”

“At this time,” Crone said, “I have no idea whether we operated as part of the Town government, as an individual discretionary fund or as a non-profit corporation unbeknown to us.”

Crone goes on, however, to state that he believes the Cops for Kids program would qualify for up to two exemptions to the license requirements.

The first exemption he believes the program would meet is “Solicitation of charitable contributions by the federal, state or local government or any of their agencies.” Crone said: “We believed we operated as part of the police department of the Town of Mooresville."

Crone said if that particular exemption doesn’t apply, then he believes this one would: “Any person who receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in contributions in any calendar year and does not provide compensation to any officer, trustee, organizer, incorporator, fundraiser, or solicitor.” Said Crone: “No one in our organization is compensated and we don’t receive more that (sic) $25,000 a year in contributions.

“If we are mistaken,” Crone concluded, “please let me know and we will do what we need to do to correct this.”

What the Secretary of State’s investigation will determine – and when it will conclude its probe – is anyone’s guess. But it appears that Cops for Kids wouldn’t qualify for exemption under either of the provisions that Crone offered.

“Any person who receives less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in contributions in any calendar year and does not provide compensation to any officer, trustee, organizer, incorporator, fundraiser, or solicitor.”

Cops for Kids raised $24,920 during its 2007 golf tournament alone. That figure does not include any other contributions made to the organization in that year. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to determine how many other contributions were made to Cops for Kids in 2007 due to shoddy record keeping.

Though Crone stated that “no one in our organization is compensated,” that’s not entirely accurate. The Town of Mooresville compensated police officers, through salaries, who participated in fundraising efforts for Cops for Kids on town time.

That leads us to the next possible exemption, which states that organizations that operate as part of the government could be exempt from the licensing requirements.

“Solicitation of charitable contributions by the federal, state or local government or any of their agencies.”

Did Cops for Kids operate as part of the Town of Mooresville government? Solicitors were paid police officers. Additionally, Cops for Kids has made many “reimbursements” to the Town of Mooresville, indicating that tax dollars were somehow transferred to Cops for Kids over the years. For example, according to Crone’s balance sheet, Cops for Kids reimbursed the Town of Mooresville:

• $2,302.08 in August 2005. The only detail offered: “reimburse Atlanta trip.”
• $8,860.04 in June 2006 for an unspecified reason. Just one month before, Cops for Kids had reimbursed the town $3,305 in golf tournament fees for the organization’s annual fundraiser.
• $1,406.89 in July 2007 for “Lodging in D.C.”

But at the same time, non-profit corporations such as Cops for Kids cannot be a part of the government. So if Cops for Kids was operated in some way by the Town of Mooresville, it appears the Secretary of State’s investigation has opened yet another can of worms in this story, leaving us once again with far more questions than answers.

Protest to be held tomorrow

“Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dozens of concerned citizens are expected to converge on Main Street in Mooresville tomorrow for a peaceful, unified protest against the local government’s handling of Police Chief John Crone and his Cops for Kids program.

Crone has been suspended with pay since July 8.

The coalition of various community activist groups plans to participate in Monday’s demonstration, which - as far as anyone can tell - will go down in Mooresville’s history books as the first-ever march on Town Hall. The demonstrators plan to rally in the Moore Room of the Citizens Center from 3-5 p.m. then march to Town Hall, where the board of commissioners meets at 6 p.m.

What’s the purpose of the protest?

“We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

“It is unacceptable that certain people in this community apparently operate outside of the law with full immunity,” wrote a recent Report commenter. “There cannot be two sets of rules, laws and standards. Wherever such double standard exists, corruption breeds and thrives.”

Rev. Larry Green, who organized Monday’s protest, said: “As citizens, we have witnessed an assortment of actions and decisions which have brought us to this point. Despite repeated requests for explanations and actions, along with repeated attempts to communicate with the town leadership, we have arrived at a moment in time where we are compelled to exercise our duties as citizens to police the government, to redress our grievances, to instruct our elected officials; all of which are the rights of citizens as outlined in the state's bill of rights.”

Green said he hopes the event provides “a public forum in which we, as a people, can force our collective voices and ideas to be heard.

“Mooresville is a great community, as a whole, and we want to make it even better,” he said. “The only way to do that at this point is to unite into one common voice in order to visually represent our outrage at what has been allowed to happen.

“All taxpayers and voters have a right to expect equal representation and equal protection from the government,” Green concluded. “We have a right to expect ethical practices, legal activities, and responsible government. Within the past few weeks we have seen none of those. Instead we receive interference by elected officials, failure to equally enact personnel policies by the interim Town Manager, and a total failure by our elected officials to demand responsibility.”

Another Report reader said the purpose of Monday’s protest is “to demonstrate to the town board that the citizens of Mooresville demand accountability from public officials; to express unhappiness with the actions of Erskine Smith … not suspending Crone without pay or firing him … and Frank Rader … abusing his office by encouraging police officers to write letters of support for Crone, their suspended boss; to demonstrate the lack of public trust in town government because of the manner in which this situation has been handled.

“That’s it, as I see it: accountability and lack of public trust,” the commenter continued. “We need accountability to restore public trust. We’re protesting the absence of both in town government.”

Yet another poster said: “We need to demand change and we need to demand it now.”

Citing the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, another commenter stated: “The right to peaceable assembly provides the opportunity for all citizens, whether they are employed by the federal or state government, by private businesses, or by a non-profit organization, to participate in America’s political life and in the electoral process.”

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

But when citizens choose to exercise their Constitutional right to assemble and voice grievances against the government, it doesn’t always sit well with others, as evidenced by one recent Report commenter who stated, “If you stupid sheep think you’re gonna actually do something your (sic) crazy! It’ll be the day when this bunch of mealy-mouthed dummies actually speak up.”

And then, about a week later, this comment was posted: “I bet the only people that show up Monday will be the less than 20 people that make up this idiot blog. Your (sic) not the majority. If you think you are show it in the polls.”

But “turn out is not the issue,” say some protestors who plan to attend tomorrow’s demonstration.

“This is not a situation that should require the effort of a mass protest nor should the number of people in attendance have any bearing on the government's simple obligations to deal with clear violations of law and policy,” one commenter wrote.

Another commenter told potential protestors not to be disdainful of small beginnings: “Whether two people show up or twenty at the appointed time and day, you have begun something.”

Added Green: “Our movement will not be deterred, despite the desires of a few to maintain the ‘image’ of Mooresville. The image is tarnished already, and we need to polish it up and give it new and fresh appearance.”

Town of Mooresville press release on new town manager

After a nationwide search that identified numerous candidates for the position of Town Manager, the Mooresville Town Board has announced that Steven Husemann is its choice for the managerial position. Husemann will begin serving as Town Manager on September second.

“We’re excited about the opportunity of having someone with Mr. Husemann’s experience and qualifications to guide Mooresville into the future,” said Town of Mooresville Mayor Bill Thunberg. “We’re confident that Mr. Husemann will provide the leadership that the town employees and the citizens of Mooresville expect.”

Prior to joining the Town of Mooresville, Husemann served as the Executive Director of the Miami Valley Communications Council, a council of governments that includes eight full member cities and 16 affiliate members. Husemann has over 30 years of municipal managerial experience, including numerous city manager positions in Ohio.

“I am really honored to have been selected as Mooresville’s new Town Manager and I will work hard to prove worthy of the confidence that the Commission has placed in me”, said Husemann.

“I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities involved and will work closely with the Town Commission to start serving the residents as effectively as possible. My wife and I are eager to get deeply involved in the community”.

Husemann’s wife, Diana, is a speech therapist. His son, Matthew, is a Captain in the Air Force and a C-5 Pilot, currently assigned to the Pentagon. He is married to Sarah; they have daughters, Claire (2 years) and Audrey (4 months).

Another daughter, Emily, will marry Lloyd Spring on August 9th; she will receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy on August 24th from the Ohio State University. They will live in Dublin, Ohio. Wife Diana’s sister and her family live in Rock Hill S.C. Steve’s brother and wife live in Wilmington, N.C.

Husemann plans to "hit the ground running" on Sept. 2

Steve Husemann says he plans to “hit the ground running” as Mooresville’s new town manager.

The Ohio resident will begin work here on Sept. 2. He and his wife, a speech pathologist, plan to start looking for houses in about two weeks – just after their daughter receives her doctorate from Ohio State … and ties the knot. “I probably didn't pick the best time to be moving,” Husemann said with a laugh.

But he said Mooresville's location is precisely what first enticed him to apply for the town manager position. “We were looking for something in the Charlotte area,” he said. “My wife’s sister lives in Rock Hill (S.C.).”

Husemann, 57, estimates that he and his family have “been through Mooresville 50 or 60 times going up (Interstate) 77.” He recalls being “very impressed” when they once made a detour through Mooresville’s downtown. He said he’s attracted to Mooresville’s “potential” and “big growth.”

Husemann, who will make a beginning salary of $125,000 in Mooresville, is currently the executive director of the Miami Valley Communications Council (MVCC) in Ohio, a municipal communications and technology organization that represents eight primary cities and has affiliate agreements with “anywhere from eight to 16 additional cities,” Husemann said.

To find out more about the MVCC, visit its website: http://www.mvcc.net/

So, what’s Husemann’s vision for Mooresville? Calling himself “realistic” – and apologizing for the “bureaucratic response” – Husemann said: “I will carry out the policies established by the city council. I’ll take my direction from them.”

What does Husemann believe will be his biggest challenge in Mooresville? No surprises with this answer: “Growth.”

Mooresville hires town manager

From the Mooresville Tribune online:

http://mooresvilletribune.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=MOT/MGArticle/MOT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173356001060