Mecklenburg leader believes someone voted on colleague’s behalf, but county drops review

The Mecklenburg County attorney is no longer reviewing whether someone voted on behalf of County Commissioner Ella Scarborough during a virtual board meeting last week.

County Commissioners’ Chairman George Dunlap told the Observer Wednesday that he instead consulted with Scarborough’s daughter, Tori, about the incident this week. There will be no “expensive” formal investigation, Dunlap said.

“Based on our history, nothing would come from it,” Dunlap said. “I don’t know that it would serve our community well to go through that.”

Tori takes care of the 75-year-old Scarborough, a revered elected official who was the first Black woman to serve on the Charlotte City Council in the 1980s.

But in recent years, colleagues have questioned the mental fitness of Scarborough, who has appeared confused and disoriented during meetings — even prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the issue escalated when a voice that sounded different than Scarborough’s cast a verbal vote in approving a new compensation package for Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio. Scarborough’s camera was off during the meeting, which Dunlap said makes it difficult to prove precisely what happened.

“I don’t believe it was Ella,” Dunlap said of the verbal vote. “None of my colleagues believe it was Ella.”

Scarborough’s vote alone had little impact, as commissioners overwhelmingly approved Diorio’s raise and performance bonus.

Just Monday evening, Dunlap had told the Observer that he alerted county attorney Tyrone Wade to help handle the issue involving Scarborough and contemplate legal technicalities in the era of remote public meetings.

Dunlap had emphasized there was no allegation of impropriety against Scarborough. The law is clear, Dunlap said, that elected officials do not have power to discipline other elected officials.

Some in county government have inquired about options for Scarborough’s removal from office but were told there isn’t a mechanism to do so, commissioners have told the Observer. The matter, they say, is up to Mecklenburg voters. The next election is in 2022.

Scarborough and her daughter could be not be reached for comment Wednesday.

‘Consequences’ if it happens again

Dunlap has yet to discuss the episode with his colleagues publicly. During a meeting Tuesday afternoon, Dunlap said Scarborough was absent due to a death in the family.

Dunlap said he did not explicitly ask Tori during a phone conversation if she had voted for her mother. Scarborough herself was not on the call.

“I more or less suggested it was not a good thing to do if it did, in fact, happen,” Dunlap said. “There would be some consequences if it were to happen again... I don’t anticipate that it will.”

The chairman said he recapped the phone conversation with Wade, saying it would “probably resolve the issue.” Wade “just accepted what I said,” Dunlap told the Observer.

Dunlap said he has reached out to some Charlotte City Council members for guidance on remote meeting procedures.

City Council members have been holding hybrid meetings, with some officials attending remotely and others venturing inside the Government Center in uptown. Virtual attendees all have their cameras on during the meetings.