MAXTON — The Maxton Board of Commissioners and Town Manager Kate Bordeaux got an earful on Tuesday night as 27 speakers blasted their performance, including the mother of the outgoing police chief, who told them they could “kiss my (expletive).”
The commissioners then went into closed session for an hour and extended Bordeaux’s contract. The only dissenting vote was Commissioner Paul McDowell.
Many of the speakers were critical of the treatment of Tammy Deese, who recently resigned as police chief to go to work for Sheriff-elect Burnis Wilkins. Her position with the Sheriff’s Office after Wilkins has been sworn in has not been made public.
Bernice Locklear said her daughter had worked for the Maxton Police Department since she was 19 and always had the support of town leaders until Bordeaux was hired.
“Maxton is losing the best thing it ever had,” she said to applause from a crowd of about 50 people who packed the Town Hall meeting room. As she finished speaking, she walked away and turned to the board and used the obscenity in telling them what they could do
Gerome Chavis, a spokesperson for a group called We the People, was the fifth person to speak, but not before Mayor Emmett Morton challenged his address, which Chavis gave as “1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,” which is where President Trump lives. Chavis complained about a concern for his security, but finally gave an address, and then began criticizing Bordeaux. He asked which name she used — Bordeaux or Katie Alley — when she applied for town manager, accused the town of lying about the number of vehicles she sold town employees, and said she lied about a confrontation he had with her at Town Hall on Oct. 12.
At that point, Morton had Chavis removed. Chavis left peacefully to cheers from a crowd that he said included blacks, whites, American Indians and Hispanics “who were coming after your seats.”
Other speakers blasted Bordeaux on a variety of fronts, saying she didn’t return phone calls, that there were litter and drainage problems, that she hid her background before she was hired, illegally sold town property to employees, did not live in town and takes her pet dog to work.
Morton, before the public comment session, defended Bordeaux, saying she had been vetted before she was hired, did not break laws in selling vehicles, and that she did not have to live in town.
Former Maxton Mayor Sallie McLean chastised the board for the work promised and not delivered by Bordeaux.
“I’m appalled that she can come here and chaos follow her,” McLean said. “You serve at the pleasure of the town. This is ugly, how can you condone it?”
Cynthia Johnson had concerns about the police department losing its chief.
“The chief fulfills those words, to protect and serve,” Johnson said. “She is concerned about children and the citizens, and it’s difficult to do if you are short of help.”
Diane Dixon said the turmoil in the town is not caused by any specific group.
“In a short time, it all went down the tubes,” Dixon said. “It turned nasty. We need to support what the town was, and what it will be again.”
The board had been scheduled to meet on Oct. 16, but postponed the meeting, citing health and security concerns. That decision was made after Chavis posted a video of the encounter with Bordeaux and encouraged people to attend the meeting.
Bordeaux and Chavis took out competing warrants accusing each other of assault.
Morton recently dealt with a health issue, and Bordeaux claims she was injured in the encounter with Chavis when she says he refused to allow her to close the door to an office. Chavis has said on his video that the recording provides evidence that he did not injure her.
In town business, the commissioners were told the town is proceeding with an asset management program funded by a $210,000 Community Development Block Grant received just over a year ago. The plan is to map the town’s existing inventory of water lines, some of which go back 60 years, Bordeaux said.
“The state said for us to apply for an asset management inventory grant, and it will give us 10 points on applications for grants,” she said. “The inventory will do two things. No. 1, it will help identify where these older lines are. No. 2, it creates a management plan, and shows the state that we are proactive, and be eligible for more grants.”
The grant system is on a point scale. With a completed inventory plan, the town automatically will get 10 points added to any grant application.
“They don’t mind giving money,” Bordeaux said. “But, they want to see visionary plans in place.”
In other business, the commissioners:
— Appointed new members to the library board and reappointed others.
— Approved an amended water tower lease for the Maxton/Laurinburg airport.
— Heard from Pauline Campbell, who sought the Maxton Board of Commissioners’ support in her effort to replace her deceased husband, Berlester Campbell, on the county Board of Commissioners.
