Quiggle's Motion Full Of Irony For Kelly

Democrat's Choice For District II Vacancy Sets Up Dilemma For Kelly

It was Jamie Kelly that nominated John Quiggle to take the District II seat over Harry Undy, the nominee of the Republican Party. It was also John Quiggle who noted that there was $120,000 of unallocated funds in the county manager's budget and moved to give the sheriff the two patrol deputies he has said he needs to protect the county. Now Kelly returns from vacation with a megaton blast on the Sanford Herald's editorial page because the wording of Quiggle's motion made it so clear that the unanimous negative vote by the democrat commissioners present was not because the county could not afford the deputies. Although not a candidate himself, any Kelly chairmanship will require that the democrats retain control of the commission. Having not been at the meeting, he is the one democrat best equipped to dig them out of the hole.

Decision goes against campaign promises

There is a lot we support about this proposed budget, and we’re pleased with County Manager John Crumpton’s plan, which does not include a tax increase for local prop­erty owners. According to our report Tuesday, the $ 120,000 cut from the EDC was not directed toward any other part of the county’s budget. There are people who believe this money would be better served protect­ing the public.

These commissioners dis­agreed, despite what they said publicly during the election cycle.

It’s up to you, the voter.

In fairness to Jamie Kelly, when he first starting pushing John Quiggle to serve in the vacancy created when Kirk Smith resigned the District II seat, there was no officially recognized Republican Party in Lee County. Failure of Richard Littiken to follow the state's plan of organization had left the democrat members of the commission a clear shot at naming their choice to the vacancy. Only at the eleventh hour was the Lee County Republican Party organized in time to nominate Harry Undy, veteran leader of organizations in the Carolina Trace Community.

Despite Undy's qualifications, Kelly and his colleagues on the board were determined to proceed with school board member John Quiggle. Without question, John Quiggle was qualified to be a commissioner, but why the controversial decision to elect him rather than Undy?

He was never included in the four commissioner clique led by Robert Reives. Quiggle would have been a logical replacement for Linda Shook's role as liaison with the Board of Education since she was already at odds with Board of Education as the commisioners' representative to that board. Replacing her with Quiggle who had just left that board was an opportunity to lessen tensions between the two boards at a time they were under pressure about Lee Senior High School, but the democrats passed on that. Sources have confirmed that there was discussion that would allow Jamie Kelly to end Reives' reign by putting together a new four person majority consisting of himself, Brown, Quiggle, and Lemmond but failed because of Lemmond's fear of Reives.

Whatever the reason, Kelly and the democrats put Quiggle on the board and then didn't put that choice to good use nor did the county GOP fully embrace. Then, bamm! Quiggle ended up landing the biggest punch of the year for Republican commissioner candidates with his well worded and timed motion to add the two deputies. How ironic!