Following questions related to the true residency of county commission vacancy-nominee Melissa Gott, the New Hanover County Republican Party is soon to issue a report that should uphold her reputation, party leadership said Monday.
“We’ve been charged to get back to the county commission our documenting Miss Gott’s residency. We are working on that and we will be getting back to the county commissioners in the next day or so,” said New Hanover GOP Chairwoman Rhonda Amoroso.
She added: “We are going to make sure Miss Gott’s reputation is upheld and prove that she is a longtime resident here in Wilmington.”
Gott, a Wilmington attorney and former planning board chairwoman, won nomination from her party last week to fill a short-term vacancy on the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. It opened after Ted Davis, a longtime commissioner and board chairman, resigned to accept appointment to the N.C. House.
But shortly after Gott’s nomination, a neighbor of the Wilmington address where Gott claims to live alleged that she actually lives elsewhere, potentially at a Brunswick County house she and her husband own in the Jackey’s Creek neighborhood. Notably, her husband, William Johnson, was registered to vote at the Brunswick County address and had cast ballots in that county since 2008. Gott on Friday said Johnson planned to change his registration to reflect the New Hanover County address.
Gott’s voter registration lists her home as 602 Chestnut St., a 19th-century house Gott and her husband own. It also houses her law office.
Gott’s neighbor had complained that Gott generally uses the building only for professional purposes, not as a home, but Gott at a county commission meeting Friday pledged that it was indeed her primary residence and has been for years.
Whatever the true case, the allegation left too much of a cloud for current commission Chairman Jonathan Barfield to support her for the vacancy. Ultimately, the board approved a motion from Vice Chairman Jason Thompson to send the nomination back to the GOP so the party could document Gott’s residency and report back with its findings or recommendations.
Amoroso said her party may deliver its report to the commissioners in person or by mail.
But when reached Monday afternoon, Barfield said he had a different anticipation. “They should recommend another person,” he explained when asked what he thought the GOP was instructed to do. Barfield said he was in the middle of other pressing business and could not immediately comment further.
Thompson said the GOP may stay firm on its recommendation of Gott if the party believes her candidacy is legitimate.
“I thought that we instructed them to recommend someone who passes muster,” Thompson said Monday evening. “If that’s Melissa Gott, because they have all the documentation (about her residency), so be it.”
Gott was not immediately available for comment.
The commission may take up the matter at its next regular meeting, on Oct. 15, in order to establish a fifth member—crucial for tie-breaking votes. Since Davis’s resignation, the board’s count has been four.
Because Davis served on the commission as a Republican, the board must fill the seat with a Republican. The GOP’s recommendation of Gott is, however, a recommendation the board may ignore. Law gives the commissioners the final say on the appointment.
Either way, a relatively short time remains until New Hanover County’s voters will visit the polls and elect a candidate for a four-year term in the seat. Three seats are available on the commission, and six candidates will appear on the ballot.
They include Democrats Barfield, Robert C. Murray and Rob Zapple, and Republicans Beth Dawson, Woody White and Derrick Hickey.
Hickey was a finalist for the GOP’s vacancy nomination last week.
Contact Ben Brown at [email protected] or (910) 772-6335. On Twitter: @benbrownmedia
