Category: Government

Where Has The Money Gone? Local United Way Spent Millions On Jail Programs?

Posted on by Deborah Keller

As you all know we have been following the situation at the jail for several years now. It was always very frustrating to us that we could never get information during Chris Francis’ administration. Sheriff Ellenburg has been much more transparent but that being said he inherited many problems that had been years in the making.

One of those major issues has been mental health/drug issue with persons incarcerated at the jail. I have been questioning the services offered to inmates at the jail after a parent contacted me early last year about her begging for help for her son and him never getting any.

I began to look at the supposed services offered. The county and the Hospital foundation has been giving money to support these programs for years but I had great difficulty obtaining information about the success of these programs.

Suzanne Porter

After asking Ms. Porter repeatedly for at least a list of available programs with no response, we obtained legal counsel to help with the freedom of information requests to see how these grants and funds have been spent and their success rate. Not an unreasonable request from a nonprofit institution that is using our tax dollars.

To my great surprise these requests have been blocked by the nonprofit involved. This has gotten me very concerned as I remember when the United Way CEO misappropriated funds, committed fraud, and conspiracy back in 1995. I have had concerns here through the years as services they have been funded for did not appear to be available (at least not in Rutherford County)

We became even more concerned when representatives and legal counsel became involved with this request. It seems an underground discussion of our requests have set off quite a stir with the people funding these programs. Not only will they not be transparent but also they are actively attacking our efforts to discover the truth.

The reason this is important is that after all this questioning the County announces funding for Jail Services and United Way. The Commissioners allocated a total of $139,900. $43,000 of this is actually for services in the jail with $55,000 to be used for “treatment and placement reserves” $32,000 is awarded to a number of vague categories.

The issue and concern here is that $32,700 was given to the United Way of Rutherford County for “grant writing and management services.”  The timing of this is very interesting, as it has occurred after our multiple requests for program information.

Suzanne Porter is the Executive Director of the United Way of Rutherford County. She has worked for years in close proximity to former Sheriff Francis, the Commissioners and many different committees. She has obtained an impressive number of grants over the past few years and because of her close connections with officials has been entrusted with handling much of these funds.

Chris Francis, Josh Stein, Suzanne Porte

Why does this matter? Porter has obtained over $3 million dollars of grants that were to be spent on mental health, substance abuse and other re-entry services for individuals incarcerated at the jail.

This sounds wonderful but where are the results of this?  Why would they not shout to the rooftops about how well their program was working? Why can I not find any indication that these programs existed? Why did they have their lawyer contact us about asking?

Over the past few months several people besides our group have been asking questions.  At a recent Rutherford Collaborative meeting run by Partners Health Management (the same entity handling the $139,900 being awarded for the exact same jail services that were supposedly funded, but seemingly never created by previous grants), one of the local mental health representatives announced that they were planning to host an incarceration re-entry simulation event to highlight the need for mental health and substance abuse services in the jail.

In response Porter (who is coincidentally the Vice-Chair of this collaborative) attacked this idea by claiming that her organization (the United Way, was providing re-entry services, including mental health, substance abuse, housing, etc. The member then asked for a list of those services. Carol Bostian the Partners representative instructed this person to contact Porter after the meeting and that the requested information would be provided.

Porter subsequently refused to respond to five requests for the information from this person and finally had an attorney in Apex, NC respond refusing to issue any information including even the names of the services. This attorney also responded to Foothills Catalyst information request with a big NO.

I am a Duke University certified nonprofit manager and this was a first for me. A nonprofit that received in excess of a million dollars in grants funds refusing to show how it was spent. This is totally wrong on so many points. It is not a HIPAA violation to report on programs and success rates.

Because Partners is tasked with assisting and identifying these types of services, the provider contacted Partners requesting the same information.  Rather than provide any information or assistance, the Partners representative that oversees the collaborative engaged in a series of troubling actions to avoid answering any questions relating to these issues, which ultimately resulted in Partners cancelling future collaborative meetings so then no one could follow up on this issue.

During this process, several providers began researching whether any reentry services at the jail existed, as well as whether any grant funds had been awarded to create and administer them.  In doing so, they discovered that the United Way had repeatedly applied for (and been awarded) grants in which Porter routinely identified the exact same services that the grants would fund.  Nearly all of Porter’s grant applications represented that the funds would be used for jail services, as well as programs and services for mental health and substance abuse.  After speaking with multiple officials at the jail, however, they simply do not seem to exist.

In each of the grant applications, Porter identified officials and entities that she claimed would be participants in creating and administering these services. Among those were Partners, Sheriff Francis, and County Manager Garrison.

County Manager Steve Garrison

Porter is refusing to answer these questions, Francis is no longer in office, so that leaves the current Sheriff or his Jail representative to confirm or deny these programs exist and County Manager Garrison should do the same.

While most would agree that this funding is needed, the larger question remains – where have the millions of dollars in funding that has already been paid for these exact same purposes gone and why would the United Way continue to have any role in this?

People like to think that these sort of things do not go on in small town friendly America but as with all things follow the money. It is truly as the good book says “love of money is the root of all evil.”

We will continue to look into this issue. The issues at the jail are close to my heart and I have not forgotten those people there. Our community cares about others and wants to help them as this just makes us a stronger community but we do not want to throw money down a bottomless hole.

So far that is what this seems like. I sincerely hope there is no criminal activity going on here in the misappropriations of funds as has happened with the United Way in the past.

Hopefully they will clear all this up and release the data on their programs so we can all work together to figure out something that works for these unfortunate individuals. So far it does not seem to be helping much.

 

Rutherford County To Receive Million Dollar Grant For Solar Farm Study (parody)

Posted on by Deborah Keller
Solar panels on field

April 1, 2024

By Deborah Keller

Rutherford County has been chosen to receive a federally funded million-dollar grant to study the potential positive effects of growing couch potatoes under existing solar panels.

Couch Potato Farm
Couch Potato Farm (contributed photo)

The federal government feels that Rutherford County is an ideal place to grow couch potatoes due to own experience with the species. Each row of potatoes will have several full screen TV’s that will be powered by the solar panels. It has been shown that couch potatoes grow much larger with constant TV exposure.

Sony who will be supplying the televisions necessary to the project and Big Lots, who is supplying the couches also will be assisting in some of the funding.

The federal government wants to see if land underneath the solar panels can be put to good use. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says this is a pet project of the president that they will be doing across the country.

Sec. Vilsack
County Manager Steve Garrison

Interested solar farmers can contact county manager Steve Garrison for further information on the application project. Due to cost and expense only two farms will be chosen at this time however if this is a success, as Sec, Vilsack feels it will be, then there will more grants forthcoming in the future.

Application dates end on April 31, 2024.

 

Arms Smuggling in RC? Were our 2011 County Commissioners & EDC Complicit?

Posted on by Anna Burton

Were international arms trafficking operations happening in Rutherford County, N.C. in plain sight?

A number of legal documents – including several formerly-sealed affidavits from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms – were recently attained by Foothills Catalyst that describe a shocking international weapons trafficking operation that was hiding in plain sight in the middle of Rutherford County.  Hundreds of thousands of military grade assault rifles and equipment were being manufactured and shipped from a facility located in the middle of Spindale, N.C. to governments and militias across the world beginning as early as 2011.

Press_Release_Manroy_1_29_13

As described below, our 2011 local officials, (CHAIRMAN BILL ECKLER, VICE CHAIRMAN JULIUS OWENS, SUSAN CROWE, EDDIE HOLLAND, ROGER RICHARD), quietly approved this operation despite a litany of pending federal criminal investigations involving this operation, and  additional federal investigations and criminal charges that followed that were not revealed in public.

minutes 2011

LOCAL OFFICIALS WELCOME INTERNATIONAL WEAPONS MANUFACTURING OPERATION

In 2002, Guy Savage formed Sabre Defense Industries LLC in Nashville, TN to manufacture and sell weapons to the United States government, foreign governments, and military groups.  By 2011, Sabre was under investigation for illegal arms trafficking to foreign governments (with claims that weapons were being sold to terrorist organizations that were hostile toward the United States and our allies).  In an effort to sidestep those investigations and continue with its lucrative arms sales business, Sabre created and transferred all of its assets to two other companies, i.e., Manroy USA, LLC and Diamond Tactical LLLP.

As this was happening, Manroy entered into discussions with local officials in Rutherford County and Spindale who authorized Manroy to establish – and fund – a new manufacturing plant at 159 Yelton Street, Spindale, NC to facilitate Manroy (and some of Diamondback’s) operations.

In a 2011 press release from the Rutherford County Economic Development Commission, local officials described the level of involvement the county would have in the training, staffing, and recruitment to support this project:

“Diamondback Tactical is moving its manufacturing business within Rutherford County, making way for Manroy USA to occupy the Yelton Street building.

Manroy USA bought the plant in Spindale in August, and company officials want to be in Rutherford County in early fall to start doing business. Diamondback was leasing the building on Yelton Street.”

“Diamondback officials will work with Isothermal Community College and Isothermal Planning Development Commission’s workforce program to train and recruit workers. Applications for the jobs at Diamondback are being received at the plant in Spindale and through the Employment Security Commission on Trade Street in Forest City.”

2013 Rutherford Economic Development Press Release

Initially, Manroy had received authorization from both the President of the United States and the Department of Defense to conduct its operations.  However, in 2013, the U.S. government withdrew permission for Manroy to sell weapons to several countries, such as Bahrain and East Timor, stating that “it is not in the Foreign Policy/National Security Interests of the USG to approve this license at this time.”  Instead of complying, Manroy continued selling weapons to those countries (along with other countries and individuals), but attempted to conceal their actions.

Although those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, Rutherford County officials continued investing significant tax dollars into promoting and expanding Manroy’s business operations.

FEDERAL AGENTS DISCOVERY AND PROSECUTE INDIVIDUALS FOR INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRAFFICKING OPERATION IN SPINDALE

By late 2013, multiple federal law enforcement agencies were surveilling Manroy, its owners, and its employees.  In doing so, agents quickly discovered that Manroy was unlawfully trafficking weapons to hostile countries (and militia groups) and attempting to conceal these actions and avoid prosecution by utilizing many of the same tactics that had been employed by Sabre in Nashville.  Those efforts involved, for example, fabricating and destroying records, selling entire weapons in a disassembled form in an attempt to skirt laws and regulations, creating new entities to make the sales (which county officials also promoted through various means, including financial assistance), etc.

By 2015, federal prosecutors began filing criminal charges for illegal arms trafficking against a tremendous number of individuals across the country and locally, including individuals who worked in the Spindale plant and the county.  Some of those charges resulted in quick convictions, while others took until the early 2020s to conclude.

The unlawful activities and criminal charges that followed resulted in the closure and asset liquidation of Sabre, Manroy, and several large international weapons manufacturers that made waves throughout the entire arms industry.

MANY QUESTIONS, BUT FEW ANSWERS

While there are many facets of this story, one of the most puzzling aspects is how weapons were being manufactured in and unlawfully trafficked from Spindale to governments and militia groups across the world with virtually no one in Rutherford County having any knowledge of what was occurring.  An equally concerning question is whether our local officials were aware of the federal investigations and unlawful activities involved with Sabre before agreeing to assist Manroy in setting up their operations in Spindale, and whether (and when) they knew that these same activities occurred here.

Perhaps the most important question, however, is what capital investments, tax breaks, and other incentives were provided by our local government, and what financial costs were incurred by the county and its citizens, to fund this unlawful operation.

Because no reference has been found to date on this situation in any of the past County Commission’s minutes, these questions remain unanswered.  However, in light of the current Commissioners’ recent (and puzzling) insistence that Rutherford County is unable or unwilling to fund a growing list of basic services needed by the community, this past situation (along with the substantial financial investments associated with it) raises serious concerns regarding transparency that must be explained.  Given the magnitude of what transpired – and never disclosed – here, it is difficult to envision any realistic way to understand the state of our county’s finances, the candor of our current representatives, or to have any hope of rebuilding trust in our elected officials without initiating a full and independent audit.

Additionally, the funding of our Economic Development Commission should be scrutinized.

Until then, Foothills Catalyst will report on additional information regarding these matters as it becomes available.

Congressman Patrick McHenry To Retire

Posted on by Anna Burton

 

WASHINGTON — Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) released the following statement:

“I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and—for me—this season has come to an end.  

“Past, present, and future, the House of Representatives is the center of our American republic. Through good and bad, during the highest of days and the lowest, and from proud to infamous times, the House is the venue for our nation’s disagreements bound up in our hopes for a better tomorrow. It is a truly special place and—as an American—my service here is undoubtedly my proudest. Since being sworn in January 3rd, 2005, I have worked everyday to uphold the Constitution and the system of government our founders so wisely created. 

 

“Thank you to my bosses at home in western North Carolina for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I strived each day in this job to not let you down. Being entrusted as your voice in Washington is my highest honor and that remains true today. My goal has always been to be a voice for western North Carolina to Washington, not the other way around.

 

“I’m thankful for my staff—in DC and at home in NC—who have so ably served me during my time in the House. It has been an honor to work alongside you over the past two decades. They are gifted folks who have dedicated their careers to serving the people of western North Carolina and our nation. 

 

“Throughout my years in the House, I’ve mentored and been mentored. I’ve learned from many, been taught lessons by others. I am proud to have been a legislator for nearly twenty years. The craft of legislating is an art and I’m thankful for all the members and staff who helped me hone that craft.

“As the youngest of five kids, I learned the best from my brothers and sisters. My family means the world to me. The center of that world is my wife Giulia. Together, we have three amazing kids who have made our lives all the better. I’m grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made supporting me as I’ve served in the House.

 

“There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some—like me—have decided to leave. Those concerns are exaggerated. I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether its 1974, 1994, or 2010, we’ve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I’m confident the House is in good hands. 

 

“I look forward to what the next season brings for my family and me.”

Rutherford County Jail…… Blame Game Starts.

Posted on by Deborah Keller

April 28, 2023

Yesterday I posted an article about the female side of the jail closing. Then late last night I read an article with statements made by the County Manager. I thought to myself…Really, really???

They are upset that the very young, newly elected Sheriff may not have had the training to run the jail. Well DUH! No one that is elected to a position that has not held that position before knows everything involved in the office.

Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg

Ellenburg has networked with other Sheriff’s in the area to learn what is expected and attended training to help him figure out what needs to be done. We have seen the increase in drug arrests. His social media account shows that.  He appears to be trying to get up to speed on the jail disaster he inherited.

Why in the world did they not help him transition into this position? They have managers, maintenance people, etc. that could have helped with ordinances, maintenance, etc. They knew the jail has multiple problems before he was even elected.

Rutherford County Commissioners

Now comes the real kicker. The Commissioners (excluding Benfield) toured the jail themselves before I did on March 3rd (over 55 days ago). They actually walked through that decrepit cesspool on the female side. They smelled it, they saw the mold, the women crowded on the floor. They felt the heat and saw the walls dripping with moisture, the many layers of paint peeling off the bars, and the rust everywhere.

Why in the world did they not tell the Sheriff to get those women out of there that day? These good Christian elected officials saw the squalor and conditions that day themselves. I told the Sheriff the day I toured that the women needed to be moved ASAP. Our shelter animals live in much better conditions than these women.

Yet the Commissioners decided that the subject of moving them needed to be “studied”? It all comes down to money. It would cost money to move them. MONEY…doesn’t it always seem to come down to money?

What about humanity, what about those women’s constitutional rights? I sat in my car and cried for fifteen minutes after my tour. I cried that any human being would be housed in such situations in my own county. I cried that no one seemed to care enough to do something. These were mothers, daughters, and sisters. I cried that my elected officials had allowed this to happen.

The Commissioners had fifty-five (55) days that they could have moved these women yet they did not do so until forced to by state inspectors.  I am appalled by their apathy and inaction. These are not the men I thought they were.

Now they want to “blame” the Sheriff who has been in office for less than four months? This did not happen in four months time. Former Sheriff Francis had let this go on for years. Why did County Maintenance not notify the county about the conditions when they went in there to work on things? Why did past inspectors not do anything? (that’s for another article)

Why did NO ONE seem to care? Was it was because they were women? I thought we were past that kind of thinking. Obviously not it seems.

At this point they are out of there but there is still the fact that their constitutional rights were violated during the time they were there. That will be a federal matter that must be dealt with. The fact that officials allowed this to go on for so long hurts my heart deeply and makes me want to examine all the reasons why.

I have been heartbroken over this since March 3rd. I will never forget the inmate standing in the shadow of her cell saying, “Please help us.” I think “some” of our good Christian leaders have forgotten the teachings that we are all ALL God’s children.

This situation is far from over. Stop blaming and start helping. It will take everyone to help fix this mess. The problems have been identified so now address them as a unified government body. We as a community deserve no less.

 

 

Rutherford County Jail…… Female Side Closed by Inspectors.

Posted on by Deborah Keller

 

April 27, 2023

It appears that inspectors have finally had enough of the conditions at the jail and closed the female side for multiple violations. All female prisoners should be removed and placed in other jails in the surrounding counties by Friday.

stock photo

As I reported last month the conditions in the women’s side of the jail was inhumane and the rest of the facility was not a lot better.  The age of the jail is such that parts are difficult to find for repairs for some items or the people making them are now out of business.

Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg inherited this sinking ship several months ago when he was sworn into office after being elected. It is almost impossible to raise a ship once it’s 98% under water but he is trying. Former Sheriff Chris Francis and the Commissioners apparently had let the jail sink to an unmanageable state before he ever took office.

This closure will cost the county quite a bit of money as we, (Rutherford County taxpayers) have to pay other facilities to house our female prisoners. This however is cheaper than what lawsuits would cost for violations of inmates constitutional rights or the death of an inmate from conditions at the jail. I myself became very ill after just touring the facility.

DA Ted Bell

One of the issues at hand is also the fact that DA Ted Bell’s office has a tremendous backlog of cases. The right to a speedy trial does not seem to be applicable here. A lot of these cases are people jailed awaiting acceptance of a plea deal so that no actual trials have to take place. This makes the DA’s office look more successful in “winning” cases but backs up available jail space. According to public records one particular prisoner has been in the jail over 1800 days awaiting trial which looks like it has cost the county around $90k.

This is inexcusable.  Sheriff Ellenburg says he wants to “do the right thing” in his position but doing the right thing costs money and the county does not seem to want to put money into the jail.  The Sheriff was even seen mowing the grass at the jail himself this past week.

Sheriff Ellenburg

Sheriff Ellenburg has said publicly that he will not accept the issues of drugs being smuggled into the jail. Trustees leaving the facility to go outside is definitely a safety risk and viable avenue for drugs to be brought in, so not allowing them outside to cut grass makes sense. Also they use trustees to clean the offices at the jail, which allows them accessibility to anything (drugs or contraband) that might be left in an area by someone from outside.

The County needs to stop the practice of using prisoners for free labor. Having the freedom to go outside and into the offices after hours to clean the building is a severe safety risk. The phrase “we’ve always done it this way” is not going to fly anymore. We have employees and contractors that do this work for the county’s other departments so why not the jail?

Former Sheriff Francis

Yes, the closure of the jail will cost the county money but it is the right thing to do until the county can get it fixed and up to code. If not then they need to explore the option of building a new one. I reached out to Sheriff Ellenburg for a statement about the closure and he said  “We are looking at a new beginning for the Rutherford County Detention Center.” This definitely seems like a positive step in getting the jail fixed.

This is the United States of America and Rutherford County should not allow third world conditions for prisoners to exist here. This is an issue apparently caused by former Sheriff Chris Francis, the Commissioners, and current DA Ted Bell. Francis is gone but DA Bell can get his office in gear and get some of these people out of there. The Commissioners can also do what needs to be done to fix it or if not fixable build a new one.

The Commissioners need to stand beside Sheriff Ellenburg and “do the right thing” in fixing this problem instead of being forced to by inspectors. It affects all of us.  We as a community are better than this. It is a time for new beginning.  This verse in KJV bible seems to say it best. Matthew 25:40 –  “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

 

County Commissioners Request Set Aside of Recent Property Revaluations

Posted on by Gayle Clayton, BS, MA

Due to a tremendous amount of erroneus information on the valuation, tax, credit and appeals processes presented on social media and to honor their commitment to serve the people of Rutherford County, the commissioners had called a special meeting with appropriate experts to answer citizens’ concerns over their new property revaluations. Over 1000 property owners have already filed appeals to the assessments citing improbable increases as much as 100%.

At last Thursday’s special called Rutherford County Commissioners’ meeting, the commissioners opened the meeting with a list of emailed, texted and personally received questions and had the appropriate personnel respond.

Then Chairman Bryan King opened the floor to individual’s questions that had yet to be answered. He dispensed with the usual formality of a sign-up sheet to remove a perceived barrier to speaking up. Many of the presenters spoke of their objection in a manner of a personal appeal. The tax assesser responded by asking them to come talk with him about their individual situations. They also had the option to file an appeal.

The Commissioners, along with the Rutherford County Attorney Richard Williams, explained that Rutherford County is mandated by law as to how it conducts property revaluations,  the creates a budget, sets the tax rate, and collects taxes.

Per statute, the county is required to conduct a property revaluation at least every eight years. Due to rapidly esculating property valuations in the second home market in the real estate bubble in the 2005-2008 period, the County opted to conduct revaluations on a four-year cycle to head off drastic valuation changes.

However, this year’s property revaluation shocked many property owners.  The pandemic and its effect on the real estate market is felt throughout many counties across North Carolina who have also conducted revaluations this year.

No new tax rate has been set as the requred “revenue neutral” is dependent on the annual county budget.

“We have to operate within the law,” Commission Chairman Bryan King said. “For us to suspend this new valuation, we must have permission from the state legislature.”

The Commissioners resolved to request that our elected legislators pass a bill allowing the County the power to use the existing property valuation of 2019 instead of the 2023-2024 fiscal year revaluation numbers.

The commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the resolution. Should the legislature approve the delegation of power to the counties, other NC counties may also take advantage of the revaluation set aside.

King said state officials have indicated they will move quickly on the legislative request.

Commissioners also noted the rogue GOP members’ orchestrated movement to spread disinformation regarding the property valuation and county tax rate. (See related article.)

“I have seen too much disinformation, and lies,” said Commissioner Alan Toney. “We don’t need this to be happening. We need to be working together. I don’t want my taxes to increase either, but we need your support, not more division.”

The meeting attendees seemed reassured by the factual information presented.

Officials hope to hear back from the state on this new valuation set aside within a few weeks.

Horrific Conditions In Rutherford County Jail

Posted on by Deborah Keller

I have repeatedly written about my concerns in the jail over the years. Since Sheriff Ellenburg ran on a promise of transparency I requested to be allowed to actually tour the dentition facility so I could give a first hand account of the conditions there.

He granted my request and I was allowed to tour the facility with another gentleman last week.

I knew what I had heard from interviewing previous inmates and their families but I was still not prepared for the conditions I saw, especially in the women’s section of the facility. I have sent a list of additional questions to the sheriff for clarification as I plan to do several informational articles about the jail.

stock photo

This article is mostly about the conditions in the women’s area. To say it horrified me is an understatement. It literally was all I could do to not cry as I toured it with the matron assigned to me. When she opened the door to the area the heat and humidity took my breath. It felt like walking into a suffocatingly oppressive steam room.

She explained to me that the ventilation ducts did not work and they had fans in the hallways trying to move air some. The women were crowded in the cells with many lying on their sleeping mats on the floor as there are not enough beds.

stock photo

Mold was everywhere. Many of the ceiling tiles were covered with it. The bars were rusting with multiple layers of paint peeling off of them. One of the inmates who had been there a while told me they had to paint the bars themselves in the past when officials knew someone was coming to tour.

She said the toilet was not flushing in her area and the other toilet in the main area was leaking on the bottom. They had put plastic bags around it to try to keep it off the mats they slept on.

The walls in the hallways were dripping wet when I touched them. The high upper windows allowed very little light into the area. I was told it was worse when it rained.

I asked if the inmates got to go outside and was told only when they had a court date. Some of these woman had been in there quite a long time awaiting trial. If someone is too poor to make bail they have to stay until their court date. This places a huge burden on the financially disadvantaged persons in our county.

stock photo

We went through a door to another area and the door had sanitary napkins stuck to it. I asked why I was told that the door slammed shut so hard and stuck so they were placed there to pad it. Doorways had equipment blocking them. The matron actually had to move stuff out into another hallway to open a door for me to go through.

They did tell me they had hot water for showers now but that had not always been the case in the past. As I was leaving my heart broke when an older female inmate begged me to please do something to help them. I promised her I would try my best to let people know what the conditions were there.

I have watched many movies showing prisons and jails in third world countries. I never in a million years would have believed that our detention center/jail was worse when it came to housing women, but it in fact is.

As I stepped out into the men’s section the air became much cooler and less humid but I still felt like I needed a puff on my inhaler to keep breathing properly. I thought to myself that, inmates not withstanding, how in the world was this not a danger to the employees working in these areas?

It is a fact that heat breeds aggression, and mold affects breathing, which in turn affects thought processes. This area is a disaster waiting to happen. I wondered how many jail employees have respiratory problems.

This part of the jail was built in the 1970’s (fifty years ago) and was supposed to hold approx. 29 inmates, as that was the available number of beds. It averages 35 to 40 female inmates most of the time, which is why so many are now sleeping on mats on the floor.

I asked Sheriff Ellenburg if anything could be done to alleviate these conditions. He said they planed to fix the ventilation system and clean the rust and bars but they had to figure out where to house the women safely while this was happening.

This is a situation that has occurred through years of systemic neglect, not only by previous sheriffs, but by the County Commissioners. The Commissioners/County are responsible for funding, maintenance and upkeep of the Detention Center.

There are many other things that I will cover in further articles, but this situation is critical.

I do understand that all the Commissioners except Mr. Benfield have recently toured the facility at Sheriff Ellenburg’s request. What I don’t understand is why DA Ted Bell, his assistants, and the magistrates have not toured this area. They are the ones sending people here for extended periods of time. They should at least know what the conditions of living are that they are sentencing people to.

We as a community are better than this. It is inhumane of us to allow this to go on. Regardless of the crimes these women are charged with some have not been found guilty as of yet, but still must live in these horrific conditions. Some for extended times waiting for the district attorney to call their cases.

Our Commissioners need to do better. We have a new Sheriff that is trying to keep his campaign promises and make the Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center a better/safer place for everyone who comes through there as well as his employees. He can’t do it alone.

Call or contact your Commissioners about this issue. They have been there and know about it first hand. They need to address this. It is just not about the money. This is a human rights issue. No one in the United States should have to be imprisoned in these circumstances.

As I was begged to do while there…PLEASE HELP!

Contact your Commissioners to address this problem NOW via email by clicking here  (their email addresses are under their pictures on the page) or call and leave a message at 828-287-6060.

These women are neighbors, family, mothers, and daughters. As the Golden Rule says “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Again…PLEASE HELP.

 

County Commissioners Address Property Revaluation

Posted on by Deborah Keller
Rutherford County Commissioners
RE-PRINTED STATEMENT FROM RUTHERFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT FACEBOOK PAGE.
“We recognize that there is a LOT of misinformation going around on various social media platforms and out on the streets regarding the property revaluation. Be informed; know the facts.
Key Points:
• The new tax rate has not been set yet. This will occur during the budget process with the Commissioners approving the budget in June. It is predictable that the tax rate will drop significantly commensurate with the increase in values.
• We do not know what the revenue neutral rate is at this time. Revenue staff are currently working through the first phase of appeals via desk reviews and then passing on any appeals above that level to the Board of Equalization and Review. They are also finalizing business personal tax numbers as well. The revenue neutral rate will be presented as part of the Budget Message presented to the Commissioners at their May 1st meeting.
• There have been questions presented by property owners as to why the County chose to move to a four-year revaluation cycle. The County has actually been on a four-year cycle since around 2002 with a few extensions implemented over the past two decades. The last revaluations was extended due to the Revenue Department moving from an older software and database program to a newer one. It took approximately two years just to complete the data migration and coding modifications.
We are back on the four-year cycle now. Most counties have moved to a four-year cycle at the recommendation of the NC Department of Revenue as four-year cycles ensure that property appraisals are more aligned with current market values. However, the substantial increase in property values we are seeing in Rutherford County is unprecedented and is market driven based on a culmination of comparable sales of homes and properties in the County and a lack of real estate options.
We are seeing this in other Counties as well that are going through the revaluation process right now (Ashe – 43.5% increase, Catawba County – 69%, Iredell County – 42%, Macon – 57%).”

Sticker Shock…..New Tax Appraisals Mailed Out This Week.

Posted on by Deborah Keller

So the new real estate appraisals for Rutherford County were mailed out this week. If you have not seen yours yet be prepared for quite a shock. They have all increased dramatically with some even doubling in appraised valve.

Why does this matter so much? Well the higher the appraisal the higher the county taxes you for your property. Many people here live on a low or fixed income and have difficulty meeting their monthly expenses as it is. The price of everything has gone up and now they must choose between possibly food, healthcare of their house.

Property values are decreasing around the country due to the recession and increased interest on loan rates. Property has been on a rapid rise but now it is dropping and expected to continue to drop.

We do not live in an urban area nor do we live in an area where jobs are plentiful and well paying.  Every dollar matters here and when something takes those dollars it has a serious effect on not only families but businesses that depend on them to spend there dollars with them.

So, is there anything you can do? Well to start you can attend Commissioner’s meeting and speak out about this. You can demand that they stay revenue neutral. “Revenue Neutral” means that when your appraised value goes up the tax rate goes down to maintain the same amount of revenue for the county as the previous year.

Also you can contact your County Commissioners via email or call 828-287-6060 and leave a message. The Rutherford County Tax Office has frequently asked questions about appraisals that you can see by clicking here. Their email address is assessor@rutherfordcountync.gov or call 828-287-6355.

You may appeal the value of your house or land by writing your concerns to the Rutherford County Assessor, 125 W 3rd St., Rutherfordton, NC 28139. After they receive your request for appeal, an appraiser from their office will review your request.

You may also file an Informal Appeal Form. (click here for link to form) If you wish to appeal the value of this notice, you must complete the form and return by mail postmarked within 30 days from the date of the notice you received, by mail or by fax. Rutherford County reappraisal personnel will review your assessed value based upon information provided on this form.

A change in value will be considered if the owner can demonstrate that the assessed value is not fair market value as of 01/01/2023 or is inconsistent with the value of similar property. Appeals will be reviewed in the order they are received. An appeal/review may result in the assessed value being: (1) unchanged, (2) reduced or (3) increased in value.

Please remember you MUST do this within thirty (30) days of receiving your new appraisal.

There are other recourses for property tax relief if you meet the criteria. They are listed below, click blue link for form:

Form AV9 Application for Elderly Exclusion, Disabled Veteran Exclusion, or Circuit Breaker Deferment (ANNUAL application required for Circuit Breaker Deferment, all other exclusions are a one time application)
Form AV9A Certification of Disability
Form NCDVA9 Certification for Disabled Veterans

Applications for property tax exclusions or deferment deadline is JUNE 1st of each year.

Please be aware of deadlines and have your all your paperwork submitted as the deadlines are absolute.