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New Democrat Commissioners Get First Taste of GOP’s Partisanship During Motions for Board Chair, Vice Chair

Monday’s Watauga County Board of Commissioners meeting was the first for newly elected commissioners John Welch, Billy Kennedy and Perry Yates. Photo by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

Dec. 4, 2012. The Watauga County Board of Commissioners meeting, which had a light agenda on Monday, was the first for newly elected officials John Welch, Billy Kennedy and Perry Yates. 

Commissioners Kennedy and Welch, both Democrats, received their first taste of the partisanship of the Republican-led board during the motions to select chairman and vice chairman of the board.

Commissioner Nathan Miller was once again selected to be the chairman during a unanimous vote. Although the Republicans didn’t return the favor when Kennedy motioned for Welch to become the vice chairman. That motion died after being split among party lines.

Next Yates motioned for Commissioner David Blust to become vice chairman, which passed with a 4-1 vote with Welch dissenting. However near the end of the meeting, Welch asked the board clerk Anita Fogle to change his nay vote to a yes, adding that he didn’t want to be the only nay vote of the meeting.