An update on Buncombe County’s strategic priorities, as well as an assessment of the federal investigation of an alleged kickback scheme and other legal issues stemming from Wanda Greene and other former county officals, were addressed by Brownie Newman, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners at an early-morning breakfast meeting  of the Council  of Independent Business Owners on a rainy Aug. 3.

He began his address by noting that, earlier this year, the commissioners adopted six strategic priorities, including, among others, increasing affordable housing, expanding childhood education and addressing the opioid epidemic.

“Before going into these initiatives, I’d like to say a few words about the investigation of former County Manager Wanda Greene,” Newman said. “It’s sort of the elephant in the room. It is overshadowing much good work that is being done by the county.

“Just about 12 months ago, an internal audit flagged several county purchases, as the county manager was retiring. I referred this to the county attorney, who referred it to the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation).

“That investigation has led to multiple allegations against Wanda Greene and her son Michael.

“This is really an unprecedented situation.

“We usually can work under the assumption that county employees are people of integrity. Unfortunately, in this case, that was not the case.”

In the aftermath, Newman said, “The commission has capped bonuses for all county employees to $1,000.

“The suit has been successful in bringing back to Buncombe County (the sum of) $2 million.

What’s more, Newman said, “Michael Greene has pleaded guilty against charges against him” in court.

Newman then noted, “in recruitment of a new county manager, the commissioners unanimously agreed to hire as interim county manager, George Wood. 

“When I was here two months ago, Jim Holland, our assistant county manager, gave a very detailed review of our county budget. 

“At the most recent MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting, it agreed to approve the third stage of the transportation planning project, so all three parts of the I-26 project has committed funding. That is a big deal.

“A couple of other projects that the MPO approved funding … upgrades to I-40 from Asheville all the way to Canton ... I-26 widening from Asheville to Hendersonville is fully funded... Liberty Road exchange in Canton and Blue Ridge Road exchange in Black Mountain were approved.”

In a Q&A afterward, CIBO member Mac Swicegood said, “Brownie, I appreciate you being here. The general public, when they look at the ongoing soap opera with Wanda Greene — it makes you wonder who was in charge. Where was the oversight? … Somebody needs to clean this up from the leadership role. Good employees have been tainted. How are you going to address this?” 

“Wanda Greene worked for Buncombe County for more than 20 years,” Newman replied. “Many of you probably knew her. She came to CIBO many times to speak. Many of us saw Wanda Greene as very competent and very experienced.

“As I reflect back on this, the commissioners take responsibility for this. We’ve put many policies in place…. But the things Wanda Greene did, they were criminal activities… So I believe Wanda Greene will absolutely be held accountable for the things she did.

“All we can do is address the things” that need correcting now, Newman said.

Swicegood then noted, “I’m also talking about the good employees who worked for the county for years, who have been tainted by working for Buncombe County.

“I think the majority of people working for Buncombe County are great people — and we want to stand by them,” Newman said. “I think the county has been tainted.”

Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Mike Fryar then said, “I think Brownie is right. Wanda got through all of us. … We still have got a ways to go to get it back to where it belongs. We’re all to blame. There’s three (commissioners) who are new, so I can’t blame them much. I take blame. I know Brownie takes blame.”

An unidentified man then told Newman, “I’d like to thank you for putting money in the county for county strategic” planning. 

Earlier, state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Hendersonville, spoke on “A Report from the N.C. General Assembly.” He began the rainy morning on a light note as he quipped, “What a pleasure to be in Buncombe County on such a bright, sunshiny day.” The crowd laughed.

“I’ll start my comments by noting that I’m relatively new to this job to go back and forth from Raleigh ... Often, when I’m speaking,” he find his comments are distorted “from the other side

“I brought pictures. I usually speak from the glass is half-full, while the other is half-empty.

“Since we’re in Asheville, I thought this graphic (of a glass of beer) was not appropriate...” (His reference was to Asheville’s claim to be “Beer City.”)

“I was told this group is CIBO, so the headline is — if you’re a business-owner — you should be pleased with what’s happening with the General Assembly.

“From this perspective, the North Carolina General Assembly has given you a balanced budget. We’ve got reserves like we’ve never had before. … Unemployment has fallen to record levels. Buncombe County (unemployment) is 2.2 percent — the lowest in the state.

“A five-county group in Western North Carolina has the lowest of any unemployment in the area,” Edwards said.

As for tax cuts, he noted that “99 percent of North Carolinians will see their taxes reduced. Nobody will pay taxes on the first $20,000 they earn.

“Contrary to all the rhetoric you will hear out there, North Carolina teachers received a raise for the fifth year in a row. True, we had a long way to make up. The average teacher pay in North Carolina will be about $56,300....

“We now have $3 billion in reserves in the unemployment fund in North Carolina, as opposed to a deficit when GOP took over” from the Democrat-dominated legislature,” he said.

“In Buncombe County, we’ve had a great deal of success” in some areas, such as passing “the $2 billion bond two years ago, where UNCA was the beneficiary for funds to remodel two buildings.

“We were able to get an extra $2.8 million for this university, with cost over-runs.

“We were able to get more money for MAHEC (Mountain Area Health Education Center). That’s very important for Western North Carolina, where we have a shortage of physicians.

“WCU, we got $15 million for the steam plant,” he noted.

What’s more, Edwards told the CIBO crowd, “We’ve been able to reduce regulations on businesses. That’s why we have a reputation in North Carolina of being a business-friendly state.

“We were able to give state employees significant raises — especially for state troopers. Starting pay (for state troopers) was $36,000. We were able to raise that to a beginning $44,000 — and maxing out at $60,000-plus.”

Edwards finished his speech by mentioning in one brief sentence his most controversial piece of legislation affecting Asehville. To that end, he merely said, “Finally, we were able to get the Asheville districts in place” for future districtwide elections of most City Council seats.

During a Q&A period that followed Edwards’ roughly 15-minute speech,Tom Leavesly said, “Thanks you for getting the ‘council by district ‘ (legislation) through” the General Assembly.

John Miall then said, “We need your help,,,, with better pay for law enforcement.”

Edwards replied, “One of the things we can hold out for is a decent retirement” for law enforcement.

“One of the things we have to have is a good retirement center. I don’t think it’s too much to ask, as John said, to make sure people get a cost-of-living increase.

“At the same time, let’s recognize where we’re at. Just a short time ago, North Carolina’s retirement system was as high as 80 percent unfunded. So we were really working from a position of weakness, where we began” from the previous Democratic-dominated legislature. “We probably passed nine different bills in this last session to address the unfunded liabilities. … So job one is to keep the promises that we’ve made.

The next speaker, state Rep. Brian Turner, began by noting, “I’m glad Mayor (Esther) Manheimer is not here. I’m sure anything to do with water would make her want to be here,” referring to Edwards’ visual that he left up on display.

“On your table, I placed a handout, which is the same one I gave out at the Town Hall I held last night at Avery’s Creek community. It let’s people know what’s going on in Raleigh.

“On this first bill here, that was Sen. Edwards and myself and the whole Buncombe County delegation (uniting efforts) to create the violence prevention task force. When it comes to this community, we stand together and work together.

“The levels of childhood trauma coming through the doors (of schools) are higher than they’ve ever been.

Regarding statewide initiatives, Turner said, referenced the Hometown Strong Initiative, noting that the governor (Roy Cooper) was in Marshall recently, talking about this. This is where the state realigns agencies to especially help rural areas.

Concerning Department of Transportation projects, Turner said, “we have …. bridges that are deficient. That doesn’t mean they are unsafe. We’ve got Sweeten Creek Road widening, I-26 widening….

“Lastly, Sen. Edwards was talking about the districting for the City of Asheville... One of the consequences, by moving to even-year elections, that will increase Asheville costs significally. “In the aftermath,” Turner said, “Woodfin and Biltmore Forest — and others — are looking to shift to even-year elections.”

There were no questions following Turner’s address.