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Hurst: Watson must go
By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE, News Editor
The Martin County commissioners’ chairman called for the resignation of the Edenton-based Northeast Partnership’s president.
During an interview Monday, Chairman Mort Hurst said Rick Watson, president and chief executive officer of the partnership, should give up his six-figure job.
“We need somebody that’s going to represent the people,” Hurst said.
Hurst tied his call to Watson’s affiliation with partnership clients backing a proposed theater complex in Roanoke Rapids.
The regional theater project has been spearheaded by Randy Parton, the brother of country music superstar Dollie Parton.
“If he wants to work for the Partons, he needs to work for them,” Hurst said. “He needs to go ahead and resign.”
Hurst cited reports that county managers from some of the partnership’s 16 participating counties had called on the group’s executive board to take action regarding the CEO. Some of the managers apparently called for an end to allowing the CEO to invest in partnership clients, according to the (Elizabeth City) Daily Advance.
During an interview, also on Monday, Watson acknowledged the Partons have “given me an incredible opportunity” to work with them, but added he hasn’t signed any paperwork to that effect.
“I am going to sign it at the proper time,” he said.
Watson noted the theater complex hasn’t been built, so, at this point, there’s nothing to manage. It could be a year or more before that job opens up, he related.
“Most businesses, there’s a transitional period so that you can do that smoothly,” he said.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Watson added, speaking of media coverage.
For instance, he related, reports that the Parton family will get $500,000 to market the theater are wrong. The N.C. Department of Commerce will give the half-million dollars to Roanoke Rapids, which will market a theater district created around the complex, he said.
Watson added that he wasn’t surprised by the conclusion Hurst reached, suggesting it was based on the chairman’s receiving limited information.
Hurst said his dissatisfaction with Watson relates to local economic development projects that he holds could have used more help from the partnership. He singled out DFI’s attempts to build an ethanol plant in Jamesville.
“We’ve got a major project sitting in limbo,” Hurst commented. “We’ve got a major project that needs pushing. We’ve been pushing it for seven years.”
Hurst’s comments were echoed by Tommy Bowen, vice chairman of the Martin County board.
Bowen said the county, which reportedly was in the running for the theater, had agreed not to pursue other entertainment-industry clients to help attract the Parton complex to eastern North Carolina.
Though the theater concept was originally promoted as a regional boon that would entail construction of multiple venues, Bowen said he felt the complex “was never coming (to Martin County) to start with.”
“Martin County seems to be always helping other counties do things, but we’re not doing nothing for Martin County,” he said.
If Watson is going to work with the Partons, he should resign from the partnership, said Jay McRoy, chairman of the Beaufort County commissioners.
“I think he needs to be held accountable,” said McRoy.
“We have not had much input of how that operation has been going, and I think the counties need to have some input and some control of what’s happening with that partnership,” he added.
Ernest Burden, chairman of the Washington County commissioners, also serves on the Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission, the state-funded leadership arm of the nonprofit partnership.
“I think he’s doing just fine,” Burden said of Watson.
But, Burden agreed, Watson’s association with the Partons “can be perceived as (a conflict of interest). On the outside looking in.”
“Nothing is 100-percent certain,” he continued, “but, I personally think the partnership needs (Watson) at this juncture to get across a hurdle, some things that are in the works. I think to lose his leadership right at this point in time is not the right thing to do. Down the road, yes, he must go on about his business. But I think we need a little time to line up some things and get the kind of leadership that he has provided, if we possibly can.”
Zeno Edwards, another northeastern EDC commissioner and a former state House member from Washington, said the partnership had received two opinions from lawyers who concluded Watson’s activities did not constitute conflicts of interest.
“As far as I’m concerned, they are lawyers and they should know,” Edwards said.
Asked why Watson should stay, Edwards replied, “He needs a job, for one thing. The other job hasn’t materialized yet.”
Edwards said he feels sure Watson will resign when the Partons put him on the payroll.
During an interview Monday, Chairman Mort Hurst said Rick Watson, president and chief executive officer of the partnership, should give up his six-figure job.
“We need somebody that’s going to represent the people,” Hurst said.
Hurst tied his call to Watson’s affiliation with partnership clients backing a proposed theater complex in Roanoke Rapids.
The regional theater project has been spearheaded by Randy Parton, the brother of country music superstar Dollie Parton.
“If he wants to work for the Partons, he needs to work for them,” Hurst said. “He needs to go ahead and resign.”
Hurst cited reports that county managers from some of the partnership’s 16 participating counties had called on the group’s executive board to take action regarding the CEO. Some of the managers apparently called for an end to allowing the CEO to invest in partnership clients, according to the (Elizabeth City) Daily Advance.
During an interview, also on Monday, Watson acknowledged the Partons have “given me an incredible opportunity” to work with them, but added he hasn’t signed any paperwork to that effect.
“I am going to sign it at the proper time,” he said.
Watson noted the theater complex hasn’t been built, so, at this point, there’s nothing to manage. It could be a year or more before that job opens up, he related.
“Most businesses, there’s a transitional period so that you can do that smoothly,” he said.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Watson added, speaking of media coverage.
For instance, he related, reports that the Parton family will get $500,000 to market the theater are wrong. The N.C. Department of Commerce will give the half-million dollars to Roanoke Rapids, which will market a theater district created around the complex, he said.
Watson added that he wasn’t surprised by the conclusion Hurst reached, suggesting it was based on the chairman’s receiving limited information.
Hurst said his dissatisfaction with Watson relates to local economic development projects that he holds could have used more help from the partnership. He singled out DFI’s attempts to build an ethanol plant in Jamesville.
“We’ve got a major project sitting in limbo,” Hurst commented. “We’ve got a major project that needs pushing. We’ve been pushing it for seven years.”
Hurst’s comments were echoed by Tommy Bowen, vice chairman of the Martin County board.
Bowen said the county, which reportedly was in the running for the theater, had agreed not to pursue other entertainment-industry clients to help attract the Parton complex to eastern North Carolina.
Though the theater concept was originally promoted as a regional boon that would entail construction of multiple venues, Bowen said he felt the complex “was never coming (to Martin County) to start with.”
“Martin County seems to be always helping other counties do things, but we’re not doing nothing for Martin County,” he said.
If Watson is going to work with the Partons, he should resign from the partnership, said Jay McRoy, chairman of the Beaufort County commissioners.
“I think he needs to be held accountable,” said McRoy.
“We have not had much input of how that operation has been going, and I think the counties need to have some input and some control of what’s happening with that partnership,” he added.
Ernest Burden, chairman of the Washington County commissioners, also serves on the Northeastern North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission, the state-funded leadership arm of the nonprofit partnership.
“I think he’s doing just fine,” Burden said of Watson.
But, Burden agreed, Watson’s association with the Partons “can be perceived as (a conflict of interest). On the outside looking in.”
“Nothing is 100-percent certain,” he continued, “but, I personally think the partnership needs (Watson) at this juncture to get across a hurdle, some things that are in the works. I think to lose his leadership right at this point in time is not the right thing to do. Down the road, yes, he must go on about his business. But I think we need a little time to line up some things and get the kind of leadership that he has provided, if we possibly can.”
Zeno Edwards, another northeastern EDC commissioner and a former state House member from Washington, said the partnership had received two opinions from lawyers who concluded Watson’s activities did not constitute conflicts of interest.
“As far as I’m concerned, they are lawyers and they should know,” Edwards said.
Asked why Watson should stay, Edwards replied, “He needs a job, for one thing. The other job hasn’t materialized yet.”
Edwards said he feels sure Watson will resign when the Partons put him on the payroll.
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