Hope Mills residents divided following removal of Commissioner Tonzie Collins from board [The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.]

Sept. 28--HOPE MILLS -- For Dennis Jones, Tonzie Collins has been the go-to man on the town Board of Commissioners.

Friday morning, the day after Collins' fellow commissioners voted to remove him from the board, Jones reflected on how he perceived Collins' role on the board.

"If you have a problem in Hope Mills and you need a commissioner, Tonzie is the very one you want to call," said Jones while eating breakfast at Robin's on Main restaurant. "He'll stick with it and get the problem solved."

But, Jones added, "He just don't know when to stop talking. That's his nature."

The day after his ouster, opinions were divided on Collins, who lost his seat amid allegations of threatening and intimidating behavior toward town employees and interference in town business.

After a 10-hour hearing Thursday, a procedure known as amotion, the board voted 4-1 to remove Collins. Collins was the sole "no" vote.

The vote means the five-member board will have a vacancy until after the Nov. 5 election. Mayor Jackie Warner said the four remaining members could appoint a replacement in 30 days, but she said that is unlikely.

Collins was unrepentant the day after his removal. He said he had expected the board to remove him and called it a "kangaroo court."

"The evidence put on was never substantiated by the attorneys from the (League of Municipalities)," Collins said. "There was no evidence whatsoever to substantiate it."

Collins, who is running for a fifth two-year term, said he has heard from a lot of supporters since the Thursday night vote.

"They say, 'Run again.' They say, 'We'll support you,' " said Collins, who plans to continue to attend board meetings. "Just about everybody, they want me to run again."

Pam Crusan is one of those supporters. Crusan said she has known Collins for 40 years and helped with some of his past campaigns.

"I love Tonzie," said.

Like Jones, Crusan said that Collins is always responsive when constituents come to him with problems. She said Collins can come across as "gruff" but is a good person.

Crusan said she thinks the board overstepped in removing Collins.

"I don't feel like the Board of Commissioners should have the right to vote off a fellow colleague that has been voted in by the people," Crusan said.

Tony Franco, owner of Cars by Design on Trade Street, said he has known Collins for 20 years and never has had a problem with him. But Franco said the board probably made the right decision in removing him.

"I think there's been way too much controversy that needs to be put to rest," Franco said. "Not just for the town, but for Tonzie, also."

Kyle Jackson, owner of Under the Oak craft store on Trade Street, said he does not know if ousting Collins so close to an election is a good thing. But Jackson said the possibility of lawsuits over Collins' behavior may have been a valid reason.

"If he's costing the town a lot of money, I can completely understand why you want to do that," Jackson said.

Warner said she felt the board had no choice but to hold the hearing that resulted in Collins' removal.

The mayor estimated the town spent about $34,000 in legal fees on the hearing. But she said she believed if the town had not done so, it could have spent much more in lawsuits and increased insurance costs related to Collins' behavior.

"I just believe that it was time," Warner said. "This needed to take place because the employees needed to know that we supported them. I think our employees have tolerated a lot over the past few years. We've probably lost some good employees because of the harassment that was going on."

Warner said she thinks Collins will probably be reelected. He is one of eight candidates running for five board seats, a slate that includes two write-in candidates.

The mayor said she hopes that Collins is re-elected, he will change his behavior. She noted that orders banning Collins from contact with town employees and from entering nonpublic parts of Town Hall will remain in effect.

"Maybe what will happen is that he will learn from this," Warner said. "Maybe he understands now he needs to make some changes in the way he deals with people."

Commissioner Jerry Legge said he did not know which way he would vote in the hearing until he heard all the evidence. He said some of the charges surprised him.

In particular, Legge said he didn't know about an incident in which Collins allegedly asked a Hope Mills police officer to use a Taser on Building Inspector Mike Bailey.

At the hearing, Collins' lawyer, Coy Brewer, characterized the incident as "horseplay."

"When I heard all that stuff, I was like, 'Whoa,' " Legge said.

Legge, who said he believes Collins had a "target on his back" because of some of his alleged behavior, said he considers Collins a friend and that voting to remove him from the board was a painful decision.

Legge said he expects Collins to win re-election.

"I hugged his neck last night before I left and said, 'I've got a feeling you'll be back,' " Legge said. "And I said, 'When you come back, come back with a different attitude and we'll work together.'

"He just nodded his head," Legge said. "He didn't really make a verbal commitment or anything."

Staff writer Rodger Mullen can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3561.

___

(c)2013 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)

Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services