A new message has been sent out by the Cleveland County Republican Party Executive Board Chairman Dennis Bailey that the Executive Council will nominate Kevin Gordon as the Republican Candidate to fill the vacancy created by the withdrawal from the election by Tommy McNeilly. McNeilly notified the Cleveland County Board of Elections that he had been recently hired by the Cleveland County EMS as their Director and that position would create a real or perceived conflict of interest should he be elected to the Commissioner position.
Kevin Gordon, the newly nominated candidate to fill the vacancy created by McNeilly’s withdrawal is a longtime Chief of the Waco Fire Department, which is a part of Cleveland County’s Fire Department System, controlled by the Commissioners, which funds various Fire Departments-including Waco. It certainly appears that the nomination of Kevin Gordon to a Commissioner Candidate creates exactly the same conflict of interest situation that caused Tommy McNeilly to withdraw from the Commissioner’s Race in the first place.
So, what have the Republicans done here??? I smell a rat!!!
FYI, The Shelby Star has just posted an article on their electronic titled “Tommy McNeilly takes Helm at Cleveland County EMS.” The Star article also states that the Republicans have appointed Kevin Gordon as the replacement in the Republic Commissioner Candidate vacancy. The Star did NOT say anything about Gordon’s link to the County Fire Department system and how they are funded. They also did not say anything about the previous EMS Director and the multi-million-dollar shortfalls in the EMS Budget that is allegedly caused by the previous director’s financial mismanagement. The Star did not say anything about how the previous EMS Director was brought in from Iredell County where he allegedly had “zipper problems” involving an Iredell County Commissioner’s daughter and Cleveland County then took him in. And where did the former EMS Director go? All this is recent and apparently kept quiet by the Commissioners and carried out as a planned scheme by County Manager Brian Epley.
Also, Kevin Gordon is reported to be a big buddy with tax and spend Republican Party honcho Dennis Bailey. Gordon also was instrumental in the Sales tax increase referendum a few years ago that was resoundingly defeated by taxpayers. Only to have the Commissioners raise the Fire TAX by 75% and then call for another resolution to raise sales tax again in this year’s primary elections-which the voters again defeated resoundingly.
With this history and the usual lack of proper coverage by the Shelby Star, I feel safe in believing that another, and possibly huge, tax increase is in store for Cleveland County Citizens. Or, there is another Kevin Gordon that I am not aware of. (But I don’t think so!)
Folks, I figure you are going to get what you deserve. Not enough good candidates filed to run for County Commissioner’s this year. And then you foolish voters didn’t pay enough attention and voted to re-elect Republicans Ronnie Whetstine and Johnny Hutchins in the Republican Primary and now a sure tax increase is coming for all of us as sure as the sun will set this evening and come up in the morning. Therefore, there is only one thing to do. Single shot vote for Shawn Murphy for Commissioner in November. Mr. Murphy, according to gossip, is a black homosexual living with a white homosexual. Usually unelectable. So, a single shot vote for Mr. Murphy can only show a displeasure with the Commissioner candidates that will likely win. A “symbol” of displeasure. Or a protest. But that is all we have left for us in the Cleveland County Commissioner’s race. Not so in the School Board elections. Which HAS to be done right by voting for Robert Queen, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch, Joel Shor3es and Samantha Davis.
