CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — New commissioners that just took office in Cabarrus County are cleaning house, causing a shakeup from the top down, in Cabarrus County government.
Newly elected county commissioners, plus the board chairman, fired two people this week in top positions in Cabarrus County government: the county manager and the county attorney.
“I would continue to serve so long as the board wants to have me, so that’s what I was trying to say a few minutes ago is that I still plan to work, I’m not retiring,” said longtime county attorney Rich Koch.
The county says Koch did not have a contract and began working for the county decades ago.
The county says on Tuesday, during the commissioners meeting, the board voted to “conclude the appointment of Rich Koch as the Board-Appointed Attorney” and then “made a motion to appoint Daniel Peterson as Interim County Attorney.”
Commissioner Kenny Wortman said Koch recently had a stroke.
“There are concerns that if we are sued, are you able to sit in a courtroom?” asked Wortman during the meeting.
Wortman believes Koch can still do the job, but Wortman was the only commissioner to vote in favor of keeping him and says his replacement is charging the county a lot more to do the job.
“It’s not transparent. Commissioner Shue had pointed out, and I wholeheartedly agree, there’s a lot of it seems political favors being repaid,” said Wortman.
At the same meeting, commissioners voted 3 to 1 to fire longtime County Manager Mike Downs.
In his termination letter, the board chairman says Downs and his team did not disclose to the Local Government Commission a $24 million appraisal of the ACN building that the county planned to purchase.
The letter goes on to say that failing to disclose the appraisal to the LGC “damaged the credibility of the county in applying for its financing in this project.”
Two newly elected commissioners, Laura Blackwell and Larry Pittman, along with Board Chairman Chris Measmer, now have the majority vote of the five-member commission and are making sweeping changes.
“While I may not share the same approach, I remain committed to serving our community because I am for the people, by the people, because I am the people,” said Ingrid Nurse at the commission meeting Tuesday.
Commissioners originally had another change on their agenda Tuesday, but they took it off that night.
They planned to remove Ingrid Nurse, who ran against Blackwell and Pittman for commissioner, from the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission, well before her time on that committee is up.
“I understand she is the only person on this committee who represents people of color, Black people, and that’s very important to me,” said Keshia Sandidge, a Cabarrus County resident and former school board member, at the commission meeting Tuesday.
Wortman opposes Nurse’s removal and says there’s no reason for it or the other changes made by the majority commission.
Queen City News Anchor Robin Kanady asked Wortman in an interview Thursday, “People would say, “Hey, these folks got elected, people elected them and they’re making changes, and they’re allowed to do that.”
“They are, absolutely. And somebody actually yelled out, during our meeting, ‘Elections have consequences.’ They’re absolutely right. This is what this group is doing,” said Wortman.
Commissioner Blackwell says they plan to save the discussion about Ingrid Nurse for a later date.
Queen City News tried to reach former county manager Mike Downs on Thursday, but we were not able to reach him.
