Tension rippled through the Mecklenburg County Government Center on Dec. 6 as the commissioners filed into their meeting room. At the top of the agenda was the election of the governing body’s chairperson, a position usually reserved for the top at-large vote-getter.
Even before the meeting, it was clear that at-large commissioner Harold Cogdell Jr. wanted the job. He was considered for it last year but removed his name after fellow Democrats accused him of back-room deals with his Republican counterparts.
This year, Cogdell wouldn’t budge. He challenged Commission chairperson Jennifer Roberts, who announced earlier this year she would not seek re-election in 2012. The two commissioners sat side-by-side on the dais during the meeting, at first not looking at each other.
Cogdell said his effort to unseat Roberts wasn’t personal. He respected her and would continue working with her for the betterment of the county. Before the meeting, he told Creative Loafing that he and Roberts are different in some of their political philosophies, particularly their ideas on government spending. But, he said, “I don’t believe this is any kind of defining moment in Mecklenburg County or county government”
Maybe not, but it is a strange chapter in county government. Cogdell and Roberts are both Democrats, and members of the same party haven’t traditionally crossed party lines in a battle for power. Moreover, Roberts has been the board’s chair since 2006, having received the most votes — 6,000 more than Cogdell in the last election — which is normally how the chair is chosen.
On this night, tradition and (some say) loyalty wasn’t on the table. Supporters of Roberts sat in the audience holding handwritten signs of admiration for her. Fellow Democrat Vilma Leake nominated Roberts to continue chairing the Commission; Republican Karen Bentley nominated Cogdell.
What historically has been a routine vote turned contentious as Cogdell spoke about his being a Democrat, causing some in the audience to cough and jeer. But he unseated Roberts — with the support of the four Republicans on the board and none of the Democrats but himself.
After the vote, Roberts told her supporters not to worry about what happened. She received a standing ovation. “I haven’t lost anything tonight,” Roberts said. “I have kept my integrity and I have kept my promises to the Democratic Party.”
Has this public power struggle revealed a rift in the Democratic Party? If so, how will the Democratic majority move forward and do the work it was elected to do?
Josh Putnam, visiting assistant professor of political science at Davidson College, said that on the surface it may look as if there’s a rift, but that may not be the case. “Any time a party is able to take over and control a majority,” he said, “the more seats you have, the harder it is to keep everybody on the same page. This was a move on the part of the one Democrat and four Republicans to try and consolidate some power.”
Whatever the reasons, Cogdell’s move did not sit well with the other Democrats, namely Leake and George Dunlap, who spoke out strongly against his fellow Democrat. Dunlap expressed his displeasure by saying that under no circumstances should Cogdell serve as chairman. “It’s Groundhog Day with a twist,” Dunlap said. “Last year at this time we were having the same discussion about who should be chairman of the board of county commissioners. It was at this time that I challenged those around this dais that if they did not like the current process, they could come up with a new one, and that didn’t happen.”
Dunlap then alluded to party loyalty, suggesting that Democrats, Republicans and Independents should follow the wishes of their particular constituencies.
But Cogdell said prior to the vote that during his time on the board he’s always tried to work with all members, regardless of party affiliation. “With the change and the reshaping of the county, it’s important that we continue to move in that direction,” he said. “With the new culture of having to do more with less, it is an important culture to have in county government … I think we need to continue in that direction in what I anticipate will be a new economic reality that our country and county will see over the next several years.”
While some Democrats, such as Leake, castigated Cogdell for his disloyalty, characterizing his maneuvering as a power move, Mecklenburg County Democratic Party Chair Aisha Dew insisted there is no rift in the party. “We are a diverse and big-tent party,” Dew said. “We don’t have a regime like some might say the Republicans have [in which] everyone comes in and stays on the exact same message.”
Democrats in Mecklenburg County have been in this position before. In 2007, when a new sheriff had to be installed after Jim Pendergraph left that position to become a county commissioner, the election process was questioned. Members of the local Democratic Party went to state party officials alleging that Nick Mackey had broken the rules by failing to hold enough public meetings or adequately publicize the meetings that were held. Activist Jane Whitley filed a grievance with the state Democratic party, which ultimately overturned Mackey’s election. In the end, David Erdman, then-chairman of the local Democratic Party, resigned.
So, what will the fallout be this time?
That depends on what happens with the board of commissioners under Cogdell’s leadership, said Putnam.
“There’s going to have to be some bipartisanship on the [Commission]. If it’s all gridlock and division between that group of five and everyone else,” Cogdell may be damaged during the next election, Putnam said. “But if you see some bipartisan action between the Democrats and that block of five, it may not be that big of a deal.”
This article appears in Dec 13-19, 2011.
This isn’t the first time:
http://obsdailyviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/…
Liz Hair was defeated as Chair by Bob Walton a Black Democrat who sided with the GOP. The Democrats were furious. The world (it was said) would implode and life would cease to exist. Bob Walton lost the next at-large election (mostly because white liberal females refused to vote for him) but then, he won a majority Black Democrat district seat serving another decade.
Now the Democrats remember and honor Bob’s actions fondly by naming a County building after him; Bob Walton Plaza. The Democrats could not have been that upset or they would have never named a building for the guy they said was a traitor in the first place (ignoring his other shortcomings and illicit behavior). While ol’ Bob has a large office building uptown named after him; Liz, the former ousted Chair, has a small section of greenway.
No doubt there will be a building named after Harold Codgell someday, erected by the Democrats to honor the memory of the ‘First African-American Chair of the County Commission’ (the one they didn’t vote for and seethed about at the time).
If Democrats have long memories they don’t act like it. If they did, they would have never named a building for someone they themselves described as a traitor to their party and their cause at the time.
Bill James
BOCC, R, District 6
At least we’ll never have to worry about someone naming a building after Bill James.
The rumor is that the R’s made a deal with Cogdell: in exchange for them backing him for chair, he would put on the agenda as the first order of business (check it out for there it is!)to extend lifetime healthcare benefits to Bill James if he will step down and allow the MCGOP to appoint a Republican to his seat. That appointed Republican would then be in the catbird seat , with the year’s worth of name recognition and assorted publicity, to nail an At Large position . Then the R’s could elect another R for District 6 to replace Bill and have a tidy majority. Buy one get one free. Bill gets his much needed healthcare as he doesn’t have a job and is reportedly with some health challenges, the R’s get rid of Bill who Harold Cogdell once called an “embarrassment” when he was against him before he was FOR him, and the R’s get a leg up on the at large race. Sweet. And Harold gets to be Queen for a Day. Ramirez nailed it when he said on Fox news that Republicans had “no love for Cogdell” but that voting for him furthered their agenda.
I could have sworn that it is Republicans who preach fire and brimstone upon those who would expand government at the taxpayers expense to provide ANY services –much less the “government handout” of healthcare. Full time County employees don’t get healthcare for life much less PART TIME commissioners who can go buy healthcare in the free market place just like the rest of us small business owners do. If Bill cannot qualify for insurance because of his pre- exisiting health condition , then he can buy Inclusive Health from the state sponsored plan–albeit at a pricey rate. Perhaps, I don’t understand this Republican plan–perhaps it is that they are only opposed to taxpayer funded healthcare for Democrats and Independents! Perhaps all along they meant to be for TAXPAYER FUNDED GIMMES FOR ALL MY REPUBLICAN PALS. Who knew? Investigation, anyone?
The Democratic Party is uniting not imploding. This Unity is for ‘small d’ democracy not loyalty to personality or party; all the more reasons for opponents to worry about. The school board and city council victories should prove as much to those looking for evidence. The graceful transition of the school board chair and vice-chair positions, 8-0, between individuals who knew each other as opponents in terms of opinions and policy decisions demonstrate what is normal when public accountability and civic decorum prevail. It is curious, how on the other hand, allegations of sweet deal have surfaced so quickly involving those who digressed from such norms on the county commission. Referring to the CLT Observer article on 8th December or the rumor spread by the reader # 1 here should be investigated further. As a big tent, Democratic party may have its share of ‘democrats in name only’ but it is for its activists and rank & file to marginalize them through an iterative democratic process which will only strengthen the party. So to sum up, Democrats do have a sharp memory but they focus it on building future better than the past!
Gautam Desai
1st Vice Chair, MCDP
Wait until next year as these people start jockeying for face time in the national spotlight. They will be willing to stab one another in the back with a rusty steak knife from Golden Corral if it will get them 2 mins on GMA or MSNBC.