ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 28, 1996 TAG: 9611290043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS say the charges of nepotism are unfounded but other residents say it's time to clear the air.
Anne Carter Lee Gravely says she's had enough.
The lifelong Rocky Mount resident has asked Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood to request a state police investigation of the town government.
However, two town councilmen who are named in allegations by Gravely - Arnold Dillon and Bobby Cundiff - say they've had about all they can take of her.
Both provided documentation Wednesday to show that Gravely's concerns - based on nepotism and political influence - are unfounded.
"I invite an investigation," Cundiff said. "Then maybe she'll find something better to do with her time."
Gravely feels her time is being well spent.
She said she decided to make such a bold move because there's growing sentiment in the town that the local government is out of control.
"It's a mess," she said. "And I want to do something about it because I've lived my life here and I'm proud of this town."
Gravely has backers.
Jack Betts, who's criticized the town for refusing to release information under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, said an investigation is merited.
"It'll do some good," he said. "If anything, it'll clear the air. People ought to know what's going on."
Gravely, who's a volunteer with a local revitalization group, has attended several town council meetings recently.
At one, while she was speaking, Town Attorney John Boitnott made a comment about her breasts. Boitnott's remark was recorded on a cassette tape used to take minutes of the meeting. Reporters were made aware of the tape later.
At first, council members refused to acknowledge that they were aware of the problem.
Gravely said Wednesday that the council's handling of the situation prompted other residents to help her get information about the town that she's turned over to the commonwealth's attorney.
Hapgood said Wednesday that it's not his policy to talk about possible investigations.
Gravely said she's concerned about a number of things, a few of which include: nepotism involving Dillon and Cundiff; the treatment of town employees by council members; and the ability of the acting town finance director to do her job.
Dillon, the most outspoken member of the council, was quick to respond.
Dillon's son works for the town's water department and his daughter-in-law works for the town's finance department. Both have been hired since Dillon's been on the council - something that Gravely questions.
Dillon said he left the room when the council voted on his son's hiring, and that he had nothing to do with his daughter-in-law's status because Town Manager Mark Henne had the authority to make the hiring decision himself.
Cundiff's nephew works for the town's water department. He was hired 13 years before Cundiff became a member of council.
Henne said Wednesday that the town has no nepotism policy.
Gravely also questioned the fact that a town check was used to buy Dillon's mother a refrigerator. Dillon provided documentation Wednesday that he said shows that his mother, who lives in a four-room house in an economically depressed section of town, qualified for the appliance under a federal grant program. Dillon said a town check was used, but that the money came from an account used for that program.
Gravely also said people are concerned about the capability of Amy Dooley, who's serving as the town's acting finance director. Dooley, who doesn't have a college degree, was appointed to the temporary position upon the recent departure of Donna Coleman, who resigned to take an auditing job with Norfolk Southern.
Gravely said she has nothing against Dooley personally, but wonders if the town is compromising itself by not having a more qualified person doing the job.
Henne and Dillon jumped to Dooley's defense Wednesday, and pointed out that she agreed to take the job until someone else was hired.
"We've got to have someone to sign the bills," Dillon said.
Cundiff and Dillon say Gravely's actions can be directly attributed to her support for the local revitalization organization.
The two councilmen haven't always seen eye-to-eye with the goals of the organization.
On Wednesday, Dillon produced an August memo sent to Henne from Coleman, then the finance director.
It acknowledges a request by Gravely for financial information on four of six council members - Cundiff, Arnold Dillon, Posey Dillon and Steve Angle. The Dillons are not related.
Days before, the four had voted against a request made by the revitalization group.
"This is nothing but a citizen with a personal vendetta against the town of Rocky Mount," Arnold Dillon said.
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