Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

Wilson Asks Avery Commissioners

To Oppose District Split

Story by Ron Fitzwater

Gerald Wilson, district attorney for the 24th Judicial District, appeared before the Avery County Board of Commissioners on Monday, April 2, to request their support in opposing the division of the 24th District and asked them to “go on record” with their opposition.

Wilson reported that Senate Bill 1302, sponsored by Senator Joe Sam Queen, would, if passed, “divide the 24th district into two separate districts.” Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties currently make up the 24th district. The split would make Madison and Yancey counties District 24A, and Avery, Watauga and Mitchell counties District 24B. Wilson said that the split was “unnecessary” and that “the only thing it would accomplish is the creation of several high-paying jobs that the taxpayers of this area are going to have to pay for.” Wilson reported that according to the Administrative Office of the Courts, the estimated cost for the split is $1.2 million, monies Wilson said would be “totally wasted.”

The split would require extensive staffing, according to Wilson. “It would require two DAs, two additional assistants, staff for the DAs, two new district court judges, two new directors of juvenile affairs and two new directors of mediation, among others.”

Wilson told the board that this issue comes up every year. Defending his and his staff’s ability to cover the district, Wilson said that everyone was being served very well, and added, “Lest you think that I have come here to protect some political district, as I have been accused of by Mr. Queen, I have not. If I were in this particular issue for politics, I’d be on the other side, because there is no way I could have a safer political district than Watauga, Avery and Mitchell counties.”

Queen said he introduced the bill to “give better judicial services to the people of western North Carolina.” Queen who represents four of the five counties affected by the division said, “We divided it [24th district] to get some more district attorney help and to get a couple more judges to serve the citizens of this area.”

The commissioners decided to postpone a decision about the bill until after talking to Queen.