By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

The Polk County Board of Commissioners will consider supporting Gov. Pat McCrory and the 10 Republican members of North Carolina’s House of Representatives delegation regarding Syrian refugees in the state on Monday night.

Commissioner Michael Gage placed a resolution on the agenda saying he was approached by a group of residents regarding their concern over the health and safety of their community.

Gage said Governor McCrory is concerned, the general assembly is concerned and he thinks it’s important for Polk County to be concerned as well.

“I think they need to look at the whole situation and evaluate it and I think that’s what the governor wanted when he sent his letter to the president,” Gage said on Friday. “We are a country that is based on immigrants. I just want to make sure they are not fast tracking people. I just want to make sure they are doing the same process with refugees that is done with anyone else.”

Gage said he simply wants North Carolina and Polk County to ensure the safety of everyone.

“That’s what my job is,” Gage said. “That’s why I was elected.”

Following is the proposed resolution commissioners will consider on Monday, Dec. 7. Commissioners will conduct public hearings beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the regular meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Commissioners meet in the second floor meeting room of the Womack building in Columbus.

“Whereas, the federal government has indicated that thousands of refugees from the Middle East will be relocated to the United States in the next few years through the Refugee Resettlement Program; and

Whereas, it is anticipated that states will receive these refugees through designated relocation agencies approved by the federal government; and

Whereas, the Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, has told the federal government to cease sending refuges to the state, saying” I’m now requesting that the president and the federal government cease sending refugees from Syria to North Carolina;” and

Whereas, the ten Republican members of North Carolina’s U.S. House of Representatives delegation issued a joint statement in support of Governor McCrory’s position on resettlement writing, in part, “…we have serious concerns about the ongoing resettlement of Syrian refugees to the communities we represent across North Carolina. As a delegation, we join with Governor McCrory in calling for the Obama Administration to immediately cease sending Syrian refugees to our state.”

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Polk County Board of Commissioners supports the requests made by Governor McCrory and North Carolina’s U.S. House of Representatives delegation.”