This past Sunday, December 10, 2023, the Shelby Star published a press release from Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon regarding the great and wonderful opportunities the Commissioners were about to bring to the Town of Lawndale. According to the Shelby Star’s report of Gordon’s Press Release, a company named “Quantum Power” was going to hire 34 people and bring the old Cleveland Mills property back to life again with some sort of “Renewable Energy” project. Also, from the Star’s account of Gordon’s press release, this Lawndale Project would produce 22,176 Megawatts of electrical power from a clean and renewable energy source derived from garbage that would not have to be sent to the county landfill.
There are many underlying problems here:
1. First of all, 22,176 Megawatts of electrical power is equivalent to the output of about 20 Nuclear Power Electrical Generator units the size of those at the McGuire and Catawba Nuclear Stations located North and South of Charlotte. Or 28 Coal or natural gas fired plants similar to the Cliffside Unit 6 plant on the Broad River near Cliffside, NC. On it’s face, such a claim from Commissioner Kevin Gordon is blatantly FALSE, MISSLEADING and IMPOSSIBLE. Most likely a puffed-up number to deceive voters in the 2024 Commissioners election where Kevin Gordon is UP for re-election.
2. According to the Star’s account of Kevin Gordon’s Press Release, the Old Cleveland Mills Property is owned by Broad River Assets. A quick review of the Cleveland County GIS system indicates Broad River Assets is NOT owned by Cleveland County, but by PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. The GIS value is $59,000 and sits on 1.5 acres. Since when did County taxpayer pay incentives of $184,660.28 for private individuals to make money on selling, leasing improving or developing their property?? Does this apply to an average Cleveland County Homeowner who remodels his kitchen or adds a garage, and the tax appraiser revaluates the property to a higher amount??? Kevin Gordon, that is a question for YOU!!!
3. Nowhere in the County’s documentation or in the Star’s account of Commissioner Kevin Gordon’s Press Release is it explained how the source of the materials (garbage) that is used to produce this so-called environmentally safe and renewable fuel is transported to this Lawndale site. The speed limit in Lawndale leading to the old Cleveland Mills is 20 MPH. If the electrical power produced is anywhere close to what the Star quoted Kevin Gordon as saying, the garbage trucks will be backed up all the way to Fallston in one direction and all the way to Polkville in the other direction. It appears that the diesel fuel burned to smelly fumes in all these garbage trucks would be much “dirtier” than all the clean fuel that might be produced at this new project.
4.The Shelby’s Star article, the Commissioner Meeting information and even the Quantum Power website does not describe exactly how the trash is converted to this magic “Clean” fuel that is supposed to be produced or how that magic fuel will be burned is still a mystery that is NOT explained $184,660.28 worth anywhere.
Folks, Kevin Gordon and his buddies on the CC Board of Commissioners have just bought an expensive “pig in a poke” for the residents of Lawndale and paid for by all of us CC Taxpayers. And putting out this Press Release four weeks after the Commissioner’s meeting where all these uninformed decisions were made. And right in the middle of the 2024 Commissioner election candidate’s signups. When such as this smell like dirty politics it IS dirty politics.
Also, folks, remember that Kevin Gordon and his buddies are all tax and spenders. It is certain that if Kevin Gordon gets re-elected in 2024, he will surely RAISE your tax bills in 2025.
Perhaps this little cartoon shown below will remind you Cleveland County Taxpayers of that sure fact. Also, note that the solution to Kevin Gordon’s tax and spend ways is also shown below. Elect Williams for Commissioner in the 2024 elections. YOU will be glad you did.
