Democrat Commissioner Eddie Holbrook wears lots of hats to cover his many faces.
The Commissioner’s Hat, especially the Chairman of the Commissioners, voted in by FOUR Republicans should tell you right up front that something is amiss in Cleveland County. And it is.
As Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners, Eddie Holbrook has a big say in raising taxes and how those taxes are spent. How those taxes are spent is the rub for Eddie Holbrook.
Of course Holbrook claims, among other things-largely exaggerated, that he has held the line on raising taxes. Holbrook says he has maintained taxes at 57 cents per $100 evaluation. But, last time I looked at my tax bill the County fire district taxes went up 75%. That is another 3.75 cents per $100 evaluation tax increase. School taxes are 15 cents per $100 evaluation. (I remember when there was NO separate county school taxes and the County School System (Burns and Crest areas) then has exactly what they have now.) Then, there is the garbage fee tacked on (from Zero, to $50, to about $70 now) that represents another 2 cents or thereabouts. Car taxes are now collected by the DMV, so they are hidden from view. And county motel occupancy taxes, paid by out of towners are collected from us when any of us go out of town and pay those county occupancy fees. Then there are other fees like the landfill “tipping fees” that everybody pays in one way or another, except the Fair. The Fair and only the Fair gets to haul their stuff to the landfill for free-starting this year thanks to Eddie Holbrook. It’s because of E-coli says Holbrook. Bull-oney says I.
So, all in all, the actual Cleveland County tax rate runs about 23 cents over what Commissioner Eddie Holbrook claims to around 80 cents per $100 evaluation. But who knows, maybe every county does this kind of deception, but I doubt it. Anyway, now you know just a bit about how devious and deceptive Commissioner Eddie Holbrook actually is. A typical lying politician. But a “flawed politician” nonetheless.
But, that intro is just that, an introduction. To get you tuned in to the real stealing of your tax dollars that is going on. Now let’s send you a picture of Eddie Holbrook’s hands in the County Cookie Jar.
At this point we have to just mention Eddie Holbrooks employment at Cleveland Community College. Holbrook pockets $125,000 plus benefits for being the Senior Dean of Development and Governmental Relations. A job in name only. He teaches no classes that we can find out about. What he does at CCC is apparently a secret. Sources say his only attributes are he married a younger woman with “old Shelby Money” connections and Hoyt Bailey, former Chairman of the CCC Board of Trustees, liked him. This is, according to our estimation, just Holbrook’s “finger in the pie” though, Not quite yet a “hand in the cookie jar.” Unless you count Holbrook’s wife’s $80,000 per year at CCC as the former Director of the LeGrand Center. A job taken over by former Commissioner and loser Jason Falls, who has no credentials at all except running his personnel businesses into near bankruptcy. The County too.
Hey, enough of the intro. Let’s get down to the deception, the dirty dealing and the nitty-gritty of Eddie Holbrook’s sneaky dealings.
Economic Development Partnership Shenanigans.
Mention Eddie Holbrook’s name and you think about the American Legion World Series. A sellout every game and big money to motels, restaurants, beer joints and whore houses. Traffic jams too. (Just joking about the whore houses. But, working girls have to make a living too, so Holbrook gives his step daughter a job at the American Legion Offices.)
Eddie Holbrook is, some would say, the “Force” behind the Economic Development Partnership. Tourism, bringing in motels and all of that. Why, the new Fairfield Motel surely came to Cleveland County because of the ALWS. And just in time.
But, who owns the new Fairfield. Hey, according to the Shelby Star, it’s the Catellus Group out of Charlotte that owns the new Fairfield Motel. The Catellus Group at 217
E. Tremont Avenue Charlotte to be exact. A little checking into the Catellus Group and you find a passel of Barkers. Not exactly sure if or how they might be related to the big-shot Barkers out of Shelby. But, hey, the Barkers have to make a living too.
But now the dead fish and the live rats start to smell real bad. A business called the Shelby Land Partners LLC crops up as owning the Fairfield motel property before the Catellus Group. And what is the address of the Shelby Land Partners, LLC. Somewhere in Shelby you would think. But NOOOooooo! The Shelby Land Partners LLC are located at 217 E. Tremont Avenue in Charlotte. Exactly the same address as the Catellus Group. So, all these Shelby Land Partners are joined at the same address as the Catellus Group.
