DavidsonNews.net

In a comment posted over the weekend, resident Robert Maier suggested that residents concerned about the animal cruelty case against community services officer Kenn Latzer raise the issue during the public comment period of Tuesday’s town board meeting. Town board member Cary Johnston has written to DavidsonNews.net welcoming residents to the meeting, but she also wants to make sure people understand the process by which Mr. Latzer came to be charged. Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Bill Jackson takes issue with town officials’ handling of the matter. Read on for their comments.

COMMENT: TALK TO THE TOWN BOARD

The town’s monthly board meeting is this Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Public comment is allowed early in the meeting. People interested in showing their support of Kenn should attend the meeting and possibly comment on his behalf.

Generally the chief of police and other staff attend this meeting, along with the elected board members. Since there has been no comment on this from town officials on this site, perhaps they do not know the extent of public displeasure with this matter.

Also on the agenda for the meeting is a report on the town’s “animal shelter.” In light of recent events, this should be of particular interest.

Robert Maier
Walnut Street

COMMISSIONER: WE’LL LISTEN

I have never before commented publicly on Town issues on a blog because I considered it inappropriate for me, as a Town Board member, to do so. I am only commenting now because I am not running for re-election and because I know no more about the issue of “Kenn and the Cat” than anyone else does. My husband is a Hospice patient and I am very much out of the loop on some issues including this one. I ONLY know what I have seen on TV and read in the papers. I do know that both occasionally get stories wrong!

First, everyone needs to know that, with the exception of the Town Manager, Town Board members do not hire and fire personnel nor decide salaries, promotions, suspensions and similar issues. All those decisions are made by the Town Manager. It was not the Town Manager who raised the issue of animal cruelty. It was Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Control. When a division of county government makes a charge against a town employee, his immediate superior has no choice but to investigate and turn the results of the investigation over to the DA’s office in Charlotte. That office decides whether or not to file charges. Filing charges is not conviction, but when charges are filed it is standard policy to suspend the employee with pay until the issue is resolved.

In this country we are all innocent until proven guilty. Maybe the charge is totally false and Kenn will be exonerated. Maybe the charge is accurate, but there is a reasonable explanation. Even if the charge is proven, maybe Kenn’s well known acts of kindness to animals will over ride a single mistake. The point I’m trying to make is that all any of us know is what we have read in the papers or seen on TV.

As someone else said on the blog, The Town Board does have a period for public comment at the beginning of every meeting. If you show up Tuesday night and want to talk, we’ll listen. Remember that the people to whom you’ll be directing your comments likely know no more than you and I do, and they will not be the ones to decide whether or not to retain Kenn’s services. It might be a better use of everyone’s time to wait until all the facts are known and until the charges are proved or not before making public testimonials on Ken’s behalf.

Cary Johnston
Town board member

CANDIDATE: I SUPPORT KEN

Quote from Town spokeswoman, Sara-Lynne Levine: “While we appreciate Kenn’s work for the town … unfortunately it was a mistake we couldn’t ignore.”

A mistake that Town officials “could not ignore”! How about a wrong to a decent human being that cannot be ignored? The Nifong-style prosecutor should drop the Class one misdemeanor charge, forthwith.

I cannot help but think that the damnable Michael Vick scandal influenced the TV media–and the authorities–to jump the gun on this one. Kenn Latzer is a symbol of what makes us a community.

William E. Jackson Jr.
South Downing Street
Davidson mayoral candidate

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Jackson said this weekend he has asked District Attorney Peter Gilchrist to look into the case. He said Mr. Gilchrist was unaware of the case, but promised to look into it.

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