January 8, 2024, Camden County Commission meeting at 9:30 a.m.

I attended the January 8, 2024, Camden County Commission meeting at 9:30 a.m.

Commissioners Gohagan and Skelton were present. I remembered to write “2024” for the year, so we were off to a smashing start.

This was a Monday road petition meeting.

The first road petition was for Greensboro Court in Village of Four Seasons. There was nobody present for or against the petition to vacate this road.

The County Attorney had reviewed the petition. The Commission voted unanimously to approve it.

The second road petition was for 284 Trails End Road.

This had been presented at the prior road petition meeting. The petitioner had been told she needed to get the permission of one of the adjoining property owners. She opted to buy the property instead. Problem solved.

The petitioner was the only person present at the meeting.

The Commission approved it unanimously.

The final road petition was for a portion of Lamplighter Drive and it had also been presented at the prior meeting. The County Attorney had recommended that these petitioners also get permission from an additional landowner which they did.

There was no opposition and the petitioners were present.

This was approved unanimously.

And that was that.

As I walked from the courthouse, my mood turned somber. Standing out in the parking lot, the winter horizon looked like an impenetrable wall of gray that seemed to drain color from the landscape. It rendered all other emotion vapid and lifeless.

A Mordor sky loomed over me.

No birds in the air. No life and only muffled sound.

The wind seemed to crawl down the curves of Camden County’s gravel roads, whispering disappointment and betrayal. Behind every straggle of trees, there lurked lost promise and lost promises.

The latest information I’ve learned is that the Camden County Commission is conducting an investigation into Camden County Road and Bridge. The allegations include theft of county time, theft of county property, and a fundamental betrayal of the taxpayers who funded the department. It still isn’t clear how pervasive the corruption was throughout the culture of the department and how it went unnoticed for so long by the men entrusted to supervise Road and Bridge.

One supervisor has been terminated and more details are likely being uncovered.

Knowing Camden County, it’s safe to bet that operational controls and accountability were minimal.

The sad part is that in a small community like ours, many of these men aren’t just county employees. They are our friends, fathers, sons, uncles, and nephews. The saddest part is that this had to be investigated at all. How could this happen here? 

The inevitable truth for those skeptics among us is that, as usual, here in Camden County there will be no justice.