About 40 Saluda residents gathered Thursday, May 14 to discuss concerns they have about the current mayor and majority of city commissioners.

The town hall style meeting was held at the Saluda Fire Department, led by resident Ellen Rogers and former city administrator Erny Williams, who recently resigned from the city after 12 years.

Present at the meeting were residents as well as current commissioner Leon Morgan, who is not considered in the majority of council members, former Mayor Rodney Gibson and former commissioner Johnnie Kinard.

The meeting included a petition for residents to sign if they chose at the close of the meeting.

Williams said he was present for the sake of the residents and the staff of the city. He said while the mayor and three commissioners aren’t lying to residents, he does think they are misleading the public and gave examples, including emails to back himself up.

Residents were told of an internal investigation conducted on employees, how local people have not won contracts with the city even though they are qualified and the lower bidders, how employees are not respected and told they are replaceable, that council has made decisions through emails which is illegal and what Williams said was the truth about the veteran sign, the city’s newly erected welcome to Saluda sign and the removal of the city’s playground equipment at McCreery Park.

Contracts

The first topic was a grass mowing contract, awarded to Silver Creek, which Williams said wasn’t the cheapest price and there were others in Saluda who bid on the project. Williams said emails started going around by elected officials explaining how paying Silver Creek was going to be such a savings for the city because the grass contract was for $17,000 a year while paying an employee would be so much more. Williams said the emails talked about the city saving $27,000 per year to pay the contractor versus an employee. The contract was awarded after most of the city’s public works staff resigned near the same time.

“That employee did more than just cut grass,” Williams said. “They (the mayor and commissioners) are saying ‘look how much money we saved by doing this.’ It’s misleading.”

Employee treatment

Williams also read emails regarding a holiday employees worked because the city was short-staffed.

“We were so far behind I asked the employees if they could work on the holiday,” Williams said. “And they said yes.”

So the following Monday, Williams said he sent an email to the finance director asking if commissioners would like to pay overtime to those employees.

“I’m only talking about two employees,” Williams said, so it wasn’t a large amount of money. Williams said past boards always paid overtime when it was needed.

Commissioner Mark Oxtoby’s response was that paying the employees what Williams asked would set in place that the city would pay time and a half for all holidays, even when the city is not short-staffed. Oxtoby’s response was the incentive for employees was, “you get to keep your job.” The email correspondence occurred on Nov. 17, 2014.

Rogers said where employees should be thanked and trusted to do their job, this board puts a GPS device in police cars so one commissioner can keep track of where the cars are going.

Residents were upset to hear that taxpayers paid for the GPS and video cameras placed throughout city hall.

Another employee issue discussed was that current employees were told they couldn’t apply for a certain position because they didn’t have the required certifications. The city then hired someone without the required certifications, according to Williams.

Veteran sign

On signs, Williams said residents should know the truth about the veteran’s sign. A veteran’s sign appeared last year in the city and when it was taken down, it garnered news attention. Doc Russell placed the sign saying he had permission from the city and the next day the sign was taken down. The sign exists today going into the downtown section of Saluda along Hwy. 176.

Williams said Mayor Fred Baisden walked into his office saying he gave Russell a sign post and Russell wants to put a sign up for the veterans. Williams said when Russell brought the sign in, he knew it was not compliant with the sign ordinance so he told Russell the first time someone complains about the sign, he (Williams) would have to take it down. Williams said the very next morning, commissioner Lynn Cass complained, so he went out and took it down. An email was sent where three commissioners said they did not want the sign to go back up and Williams was to send Russell a letter and return his sign permit money.

Williams said after reporters began to call the city he called the mayor asking what to do.

“He (Baisden) said, put the sign back up,” Williams said. “That’s how that sign got put back up. The truth was never told.”

Rogers said what disturbs her is the proper protocol for a sign would have been to come to commissioners to discuss it in a meeting.

“No mayor has the authority to tell an individual they can put up a sign,” Rogers said.

Rogers said the mayor had the power to not start all the “hoopla” in the first place and to not put Williams in a bad position.

“That was all created by one person and that was Fred Baisden,” said Rogers.

Gibson said there are procedures in place to avoid what he calls abuse of power. The procedure is through a zoning administrator and a zoning code, Gibson said.

“Nobody, mayor or commissioner has the authority to approve anything (as one individual),” said Gibson. “Not only that, if it’s appealed it goes to the zoning board of adjustment, then to superior court. If the mayor or any commissioner violates that, it’s a violation of state law.”

Playground equipment removal

Rogers said there has been some misinformation about why the playground equipment was removed from McCreery Park.

Rogers said she, Baisden and Morgan met with the insurance risk assessment employee to discuss the wooden equipment, which was outdated.

“The risk assessment person suggested the equipment not be removed before there was money to replace it,” Rogers said.

According to Rogers, Baisden asked if the risk assessment representative could write a letter stating the equipment had to be removed, which she would not do.

The insurance assessor sent a letter to the city with three recommendations, according to Rogers, none of which mentioned the playground equipment as an action item the city needed to address.

“Then all of a sudden, a group wants a stage in that space,” said Rogers. “Erny was told to take out the equipment.”

Rogers said neither commissioner Morgan or the public knew about the playground equipment removal.

Another issue discussed was a new Welcome to Saluda sign, recently placed at the corner of Ozone and Main Street.

Williams said the employees’ hands are tied and it is up to the residents to make a change.

Before Williams ended, he pointed out that there is one commissioner, Morgan, who always has Saluda in mind as well as the city’s employees.

“Always has and as long as I’ve known him he always will,” Williams said.

Williams said his point to residents is just like when snowstorms occur in Saluda the people band together and that’s what needs to happen now.

“That is Saluda,” said Williams. “It’s about you.”

Rogers mentioned low turnout for city council elections and urged residents to get out and vote to make a change during elections. Commissioners Morgan and Cass are up for re-election this year.

The petition

The petition reads, “We, the citizens of Saluda, NC and its surrounding township, are deeply concerned with the governance decisions and actions of our City Board of Commission (made of a Mayor and four Commissioners). We feel evidence strongly suggests the governing by the current City of Saluda Board of Commission is out of compliance with North Carolina laws as set forth in the NC General Statutes and in violation of the Oath of Office each has sworn. We, the undersigned, request the support of an outside-of-the-City, independent, qualified entity to conduct a review of practices within City Hall and by City officials.”

The Bulletin will give the mayor and commissioners an opportunity to respond following this article.