I didn’t want to write this letter.
I have been a full-time resident of Blowing Rock for over 32 years and felt very blessed to have raised my family in such a wonderful community. Blowing Rock is a diverse community made up of long-term legacy citizens, families that moved here for a better life (such as my family) and seasonal residents. During this time the Blowing Rock community has been fortunate to have been represented by skilled and dedicated elected leadership and we have all worked together with a sense of community, despite our differences, to make Blowing Rock a better place.
But now I’m worried about what I’m seeing and I put the blame squarely on the Blowing Rock Civic Association.
I am sure that when the BRCA was formed it was to be a platform for ideas and perhaps a voice for seasonal residents, a noble cause. But under current leadership the BRCA has, in my opinion, become a politically active lobbying organization with the goal of putting its members in leadership positions to run the town.
I ask that the residents of Blowing Rock ponder these questions:
Why did the BRCA, a 501 c3 tax exempt organization, spend $60,000 to influence a building project on Rainey Street that eventually became a 40-room hotel?
Why did the BRCA work so hard to influence the issue of burying power lines on Main Street. They say they don’t lobby but in my opinion they waged an aggressive disinformation campaign. They say they don’t lobby.
Why did, aft.er a particularly heated town meeting, one BRCA board member send an email to all of the Town Council reminding them this was an election year. But he didn’t stop there, in separate private emails he threatened two siting town council members, blatantly stating “we’re coming for your seat.”
Why is Hunt Broyhill running for town council? If you’ve never heard of him or met him it’s because he’s rarely here, I think his home is in Hickory. I didn’t see him at the recent State of the Town meeting, did you. The town council position is not a part time job, just ask the current members, it is a year-round, full-time commitment-unless you’re doing others’ bidding. But did you know that Hunt Broyhill is a BRCA member, he’son the board and another board member refers to him as “our candidate” when speaking with others.
Why has the BRCA been encouraging part-time residents to change their voting addresses to Blowing Rock so they can vote in the upcoming town council election?
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, why will the BRCA not release their membership list to the public. Ask yourself why?
To the citizens of Blowing Rock I hope that you ask yourself these questions.
As I said earlier, I’m worried and I never wanted to write this letter.
Wayne Miller, Blowing Rock
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