Swain County Commission weighs code of conduct
Following a lengthy closed session during the Swain County Board of Commission’s July 2 work session, commission chair Kevin Seagle said the board had reached a consensus that it would obtain the advice of a lawyer to draft a code of conduct.
The decision comes on the heels of Commissioner David loftis being expelled from a meeting last month after a hot mic caught him in a heated argument with another commissioner during a closed session.
In the minute leading up to the verbal altercation, voices can be heard discussing problems with snakes on properties, presumably discussing how an animal control officer may handle that situation. In the background a couple of voices grow louder and suddenly a woman is heard saying in a calm tone, “We need law enforcement now.”
Within seconds, a man’s voice can be heard saying, “I will beat your butt.”
“Don’t you ever stick your nose into something I’m doing,” the voice continues.
In a June 24 interview with The Smoky Mountain News, Loftis admitted that he’d been expelled from the meeting but that there were no charges following the incident. While he wouldn’t say who he was angry at because the altercation occurred during a closed session, he did admit that the issue being debated was the animal control officer position.
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When asked whether he was concerned about any kind of sanction from his fellow board members, Loftis stated his opinion bluntly.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t care what they do,” he said. “A bunch of crooks in my opinion.”
Prior to the board going to a closed session, Commissioner Roger Parsons said both the altercation and Loftis’ words to SMN were “embarrassing.”
“I think that people should taste their words before they spit them out. I don’t think I’m a crook. In fact, I’m positive I’m not, and I’ve never told a lie to a commissioner at this table, and I’ve never said anything that wasn’t true to my knowledge to any commissioner at this table,” Parsons said. “I just want us to have a little sense of decorum and good behavior and manners and work together to get the business of this county done in a civil manner that brings pride to our citizens. It’s heartbreaking for me to see what some of our meetings have turned into.”
