Addressing Mayor Mel Cohen's Morganton -- Guest Commentary

Another article relating to Morganton by a reliable source:

On February 1st, 2012, Morganton Mayor Mel Cohen gave his annual "State of the City" address to both Burke County AARP and Burke County Rotary Club in which he talked about several topics, and what Mayor Cohen feels will be the future of Morganton.

After reading this report, I find several problems including things like 'conflict of interest' and just plain improper conduct by Mayor Cohen. In the Election's Information section of the report, Mel Cohen was questioned by a reporter and quoted in the Morganton News Herald as saying "The city has experienced some criticism of its election and election runoff method with an October election date. The method requires a candidate receive 50 percent of the votes cast plus one in order to be declared the winner."

The method mandates that if there is not a winner, a runoff election can be requested and scheduled in November. The runoff election would occur on the November election day that over 500 cities and towns currently use under the plurality method of local elections. The story continues saying the October local election is the same used by 17 other cities in the State, including Raleigh, Shelby, Statesville, Monroe, and Rocky Mount. Mayor Cohen adds, "I've heard some argue that we could save money by holding the city election at the same time as the county elections, or by going to a plurality election where the candidate who gets the most votes in the initial balloting is the winner," Cohen said.

"There have been some figures thrown out, and every time they get thrown out they seem to be different. Mayor Cohen continues saying, "I believe that elections are the foundation of our democracy. Like the foundation to your house, I would ask, 'Do you want it built the cheapest way?" This is perhaps one of the most ridiculous comparisons I have ever heard, because the cost of the election is in no way tied to or connected to the cost of building a strong foundation for your home. This is stupid !!

The fact is that ALL Burke County towns and the Burke County School Board use the plurality method and hold their elections in November as more than 500 of the 700+ municipalities in North Carolina do. This results is an average cost in conducting local elections of about 1200 hundred dollars per town. Since Morganton chooses to hold a seperate election in October and the Burke County Board of Elections handles that election, taxpayers must find and cough up 20 THOUSAND dollars to pay for the privilege of electing local officials every two years.

The cost is so much higher because Morganton holds a SEPERATE election from all other municipalities in Burke County and the seperate election must be paid for as a SINGLE election instead of being SHARED with other towns when holding local elections and electing their leaders. As to elections, the plurality method is the most cost effective way for citizens to decide on who they want to be mayor or elected to their town or city council. The fact that North Carolina allows a local election process that only has 17 towns and cities is a reason to believe that these areas including Morganton are not getting true representation because most people who vote if not all voters look for first Tuesday in November as the time to select local, state or national leaders. Many registered voters in Morganton never vote in city elections because they are CONFUSED as to when and where to vote.

Mel Cohen continued arguing the plurality method can result in a candidate being elected who has received a smaller percentage of the overall vote. Cohen also said holding elections in October, rather than November, keeps them from getting lost in the shuffle of deciding county-wide issues. Just look at last year's elections. The county elections in November saw a turnout of 10.4 percent of registered voters, he said. Morganton's October election had a turnout of 14.6 percent. Cohen said he believes the city will have to go back to a single polling place for city elections in 2013.

Let's look at these statements. First, this country has had more than one election on a national level to be decided by either a single vote or a few votes. In 235 years the idea has been whoever gets the most votes wins. We as voters and taxpayers may not always agree with that or not always be happy with the election results, but when should taxpayers be forced to pay exponentially more to hold an election at a time other than in November to somehow provide that candidiates and incumbents have an opportunity to be elected without being affected by other possible contested elections?

If you have what voters want and you can articulate to the electorate that you will do what is in the best interest of the voters, you shouldn't need a "training wheel" so to speak such as a seperate election to prove that to voters. Next, Mayor Cohen's comparison of the "county election in November" and Morganton's election in October is really comparing 'apples to oranges' since Burke County has more than 52 thousand registered voters and Morganton has a little more than 10 thousand registered voters. So the difference in voter turnout is not the same using simple math and comparing the end results.

Mel Cohen continues and is quoted as saying he believes the city will have to go back to a single polling place for city elections in 2013. The fact that Morganton devised a contract with Burke County providing that Burke County Board of Elections will conduct ALL future elections in Morganton is proof enough that under state election law, the ONLY thing Morganton can do is select the method of local elections, non-partisan / runoff, plurality, etc. but the Burke County Board of Elections has the legal authority to decide the number of polling places to be used in every two-year election cycle in Morganton's City elections.

Finally, Mayor Cohen stated to the reporter, "The multiple voting sites and the method of notifying voters used by the elections board were confusing and we won't be using that in the future," he said.

It should be noted here that on election night, October 11, 2011, while results were being completed and the election staff was very busy, Mayor Cohen called and demanded to speak to the Director of Burke County Board of Elections, Debbie Mace. Mayor Cohen reportedly told her that "the city election went so well, WE can probably start using only one polling place in 2013." Director Mace responded to Mayor Cohen, "What's this WE stuff ? When Morganton contracted with Burke County in 2011 to hold future elections, Burke County Board of Elections is required to do the job itself, not with any assistance from Morganton. Director Mace told mayor Cohen, "That's what Morganton is paying Burke County to do".

The Director further told Mayor Cohen, "You don't have a say in the matter other than when you want us to hold your election". Mayor Cohen repeated that he believed Morganton would be better using a single precinct to which Director Mace responded saying "Morganton's election would have to conducted as state statutes require, and using one polling place will not meet the statute requirements of conducting Morganton's elections. Mayor Cohen responded and said "Let me contact the State Board of Elections" "I can get it changed."

Director Mace said "The State Board of Elections won't talk to or discuss this with you, and if they did they would be violating the law." From this in October to the February "State of the City" address in which Mayor Cohen continues to talk about changing things OUTSIDE of his authority, but continuing to CONFUSE voters as to when and where they vote. Every two years in Morganton after local elections are held in October, for about 1 to 2 weeks many citizens will question the local officials saying "When do we vote for Mayor" or "When do we vote for city council." Many who would vote in city elections are just confused as to when and where they should go to vote for mayor or city council members.

Hopefully those of you that read this will see just how "messed up" things are in Morganton, and it is because a dictator runs the city and everything in it, Mel Cohen has been mayor since 1985! for more than 26 years !! Maybe one day Morganton voters will wake up and realize they have been manipulated and led to believe Mayor Mel is a good mayor, when just the opposite is true, Morganton has missed many good opportunities over the years because Mayor Cohen acts as though he is a KING and Morganton is his Monarchy in which to rule and do as he has stated in public many times "Whatever the Hell I want to, and no one can do anything about it"