To the Editor:

As a 20-year resident of Macon County, I am concerned by how many county government programs and structures have been changed without clear justification.

Most boards are now closely overseen by an assigned county commissioner, despite no prior malfeasance or mismanagement warranting that level of involvement. Many county employees have also left, taking valuable institutional knowledge with them.

I want to focus on the latest effort to fix what is not broken: our county commission voting districts. The commissioners have now directed the planning board to recommend a redistricting plan likely to be voted on at the July 14 commission meeting. At its last meeting, the Planning Board supported a three-district, two at-large plan, despite most public comments favoring a five-district structure.

Commissioner John Shearl, the board’s liaison, has said in both commission and planning board meetings that redistricting is needed to bring fairness to candidates. Mr. Shearl, fairness should be provided to the people of Macon County; more specifically, their representation should be protected.

 Currently, Nantahala and Highlands have one commissioner, while Franklin and the surrounding areas have three, based on population. If we are changing the district structure and the way commissioners are elected, would it not make sense to divide Franklin and the surrounding areas into three districts, for a total of five, and elect one commissioner from each district? I challenge the commissioners to explain how a 3-2 system improves representation for each district in Macon County.

Mr. Shearl’s concern about candidate fairness appears to stem from one person who wants to run for commission but would have to challenge Shearl for the seat. In other words, Mr. Shearl wants to change the district structure to allow that one candidate to run. In all my years here, I have never seen this kind of self-serving behavior gain such traction in government. Rather than face a fair challenge from within his own party, he appears willing to alter the county’s representation to avoid that race.

 I have heard concerns that a five-district plan could create conflict between districts, but I find that hard to believe. Here in Macon County, our needs are not so divided that fair representation would lead to political warfare. What would we truly disagree about: clean water, reducing crime, fighting substance abuse, saving our forests and recreation areas, animal control, supporting our farmers or helping our citizens stay healthy?

 Am I the only one tired of seeing political gerrymandering reach all the way down to our quiet county? I do not believe this is what Macon voters want. Regardless of the vote on July 14, I believe there will be continued opportunities for public comment on this plan, including through our legislators in the North Carolina Senate and House. If you agree that any redistricting should improve representation of the people rather than serve individual political agendas, please call or write to Karl Gillespie and Kevin Corbin.

Karen Smith
Macon County