Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White is calling on County Manager Kim Denton to resign, saying her request for reimbursement paperwork related to Helene relief is a roadblock for aid in western North Carolina.
"Bureaucracy often interrupts people's lives," White said in a Facebook post. "But it should never cost people their lives.”
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Denton sent out guidance to county leaders last week regarding approval and documentation for relief efforts. The email doesn’t prevent people from volunteering, but it says certain protocols must be followed for auditing and reimbursement purposes. Without the documentation, Franklin County taxpayers could end up footing the bill for costs that would otherwise be reimbursed by the federal government.
The memo came a day after White said county deputies worked with private pilots and authorities from across the state to deliver resources to western North Carolina. The area was ravaged by Hurricane Helene, which knocked out road networks and utilities and left more than 100 people dead.
“If you receive a request to provide any assistance for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, the county manager will need to approve the request in advance of deployment,” Denton's Oct. 3 memo said. “There are strict reimbursement guidelines and financial policies. These policies/forms have to be properly prepared, documented and may be audited for Franklin County to receive reimbursement for our support activities. Franklin County has to ensure that federal, state and local guidelines are followed in these efforts. Otherwise, the county may not be reimbursed.”
Often in emergency situations, state and local governments end up providing services that are eligible to be reimbursed by the federal government later on. But it can be an exacting process, one that requires the local governments to prove the money they spent was spent in ways that qualify for reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, acknowledged as much on Wednesday when the legislature passed a $273 million relief bill, saying “we want to be careful on how the money is spent” because FEMA might decide it doesn’t qualify for reimbursement “if you don’t do it exactly they want it to be done.”
White said during an Oct. 2 news conference that his office helped collect more than 500,000 pounds of supplies on behalf of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s office. His staff went to western North Carolina on Sept. 29 to help distribute the supplies. “All our air missions executed by the lieutenant governor's office have been completed via privately owned aircraft,” White said.
White stood alongside Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, at the Oct. 2 news conference. Robinson touted the sheriff’s relief efforts while also criticizing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s response to the disaster and urging him to send more resources to the western part of the state. “Any blame for any failure should be laid on [Cooper’s] shoulders,” Robinson said at the news conference. “That's the reason why we're doing this.”
Robinson’s office hasn't responded to requests to elaborate on his claims that state government has impeded aid efforts. Robinson has also received criticism for actions ahead of and following Helene.
In his Facebook post this week, White echoed themes of government obstruction, decrying “bureaucrats attempting to stonewall hurricane relief,” adding that the duty of government officials is to protect people, “not make their lives harder or more difficult.” He then called for Denton’s resignation.
Denton didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. James Hicks, a county spokesman, said Denton wasn't available for an interview on Wednesday. "We are standing by what we have sent already," Hicks said.
In a statement Wednesday, White said his decision to make a public statement about Denton wasn’t just based on his frustrations with the Helene relief efforts. “I have become increasingly less confident in Mrs. Denton’s ability to lead Franklin County for quite some time,” White said in the statement, adding: “The salaries of our deputies, teachers, emergency service heroes, and others have remained stagnant.”
Salaries are approved by county commissioners, not the county manager. According to Sept. 16 county board minutes, county commissioners unanimously agreed to increase the Sheriff's office budget for salaries to $1.07 million, effective Oct. 1. The vote came after discussions with Commissioner Michael Schriver regarding the need for salary adjustments for employees of the sheriff's office, jail and courts, according to meeting minutes.
Will Doran and Jack Hagel of the WRAL NC Capitol team contributed to this report.