BAKERSVILLE — The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners met in special session on Friday, Jan. 22 to set short-term and long-term goals.
“I think it’s a good process,” Board Vice Chair Steve Pitman said at the opening of the discussion. “I think it’s probably something that should have been done in the past, to get us all working on the same page, so to speak. Knowing what we’re going to get, I think we’ll all be more successful.”
By the end of the meeting, the commissioners agreed on four short-term goals, one three-year goal and one five-year goal.
The short-term goals they will work toward in the next year include the creation of a county employee of the month program, marketing Mitchell County, resolving the new school project in some capacity and working to provide better internet and phone service to the county.
The three-year goal the board landed on was to establish a better sheriff’s department building, while the five-year goal is to build a jail, which the county has not had since the previous jail burned down in 2002.
Before they settled on these primary goals, each commissioner presented their personal goals and explained their top priorities.
Commissioner Harley Masters presented her goals first, which included improving internet and phone service, marketing Mitchell County and establishing a new sheriff’s department and jail.
“One of the top complaints that I’ve heard, day-in and day-out, on Facebook or in-person, and I don’t think anybody realized how important it was until COVID hit, is having good, reliable internet,” Masters said. “I think if virtual learning is here to stay, then we owe that to our kids to improve the internet because you can’t set them up to fail. I don’t know how you go about getting better internet, but we need to make that next step.”
Pitman presented his goals next, explaining his top priority was to come to some sort of resolution regarding the new school project.
“I know we’ve talked about this since I’ve been on this board, for two years, I guess, back and forth, how much money we’re going to spend on it,” Pitman said. “Just for me, I work in McDowell County and they got the same grant at the same time we did and that school is open now. We’ve got to get something going around that.”
Pitman added he would like to see all departments aim to decrease spending by 10 percent, begin a capital outlay fund for future development projects, improve internet and phone service and establish a new sheriff’s department location and jail.
Board Chair Matthew “Vern” Grindstaff was next and explained his short-term goals were to create a capital fund for maintenance of the administration building and market Mitchell County.
“I don’t see what I would like to see in the marketing of our county,” Grindstaff said. “We are a beautiful county. We have a lot to offer from the mineral gems to Roan Mountain. I don’t see us doing what we need to be doing to market the beauty we have here to offer.”
Grindstaff’s long-term goals also included establishing a county jail and building a new sheriff’s department building.
Commissioner Jeff Harding was up next and said one of his goals was to form a good working relationship as a board.
“I think Steve, Vern and myself, along with Jacob [Willis] and Danny [Burleson] sometimes had a tedious relationship,” Harding said. “It almost cost friendships. It was terrible and those friendships are mending back now, but us three, I think would agree, it was tough...Whether we agree or disagree, we’re all adults that can work things out and have a great working board and be successful.”
Harding’s other goals included setting regular meetings with other local boards, like the town councils and the Mitchell County Board of Education, beginning a capital outlay fund, resolving the new school project and establishing a sheriff’s department building and a county jail.
Last to go was Commissioner Brandon Pittman, who said he wanted to start a county employee of the month program.
“One of the things I’ve been doing for the past month is going around to agencies and asking for a tour, I’ve really enjoyed going to see our people,” Pittman said. “At all those places that I’ve been to, I’ve seen productive employees working hard for our citizens and I’d like to say thank you in a simple, but effective way by recognizing people once a month and buying them a lunch or a dinner and a picture on our website with a statement about them.”
Pittman’s other goals included expanding recreational and educational opportunities and establishing a sheriff’s department building and a county jail.