From correspondent Virginia Bridges
The Durham County Commissioners agreed today to ask an attorney, possibly who represents another county, to investigate the firing of the former social services director.
At their meeting today, the commissioners voted to have an attorney investigate the first three questions on a list of 24 questions sent to the attorney general’s office, which declined to investigate. They did not pick an attorney, but Durham County Attorney Lowell Siler said the attorney representing Craven, Pamlico and Jones counties has expressed interest.
Those first three questions center on the county commissioners’ appointment of Gail Perry to the Department of Social Services board in June; whether DSS board members Stan Holt, Joe Bowser and Perry held an illegal meeting before the July vote to fire director Gerri Robinson, and whether it was a conflict of interest for Perry to vote to fire Robinson and then be appointed to her position on an interim basis. Bowser is a county commissioner and the liaison to the DSS board.
The commissioners also voted to ask the county’s internal auditor to review the entire 24 points in the original letter.
Commissioner Chairman Michael Page stressed that the investigation isn't centered on Robinson or Perry. “This is about the way we do business in Durham County, and how this was handled,” he said.
