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The Stanly County Board of Commissioners showed their displeasure with Gov. Roy Cooper at Monday’s board meeting.

The board, made up of seven Republicans, unanimously passed a resolution which condemned the actions of the state’s Democratic governor. Commissioner Ashley Morgan made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Mike Barbee.

“We have no other way of showing our governor where we stand on this,” Morgan said.

In Morgan’s opinion, Cooper has shown a lack of leadership with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the state losing the Republican National Convention, which was scheduled for Aug. 24-27 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

“(Cooper) is a follower and not a leader,” Morgan said.

He said Stanly will lose $85,000 of revenue from the airport because of the event being moved.

“To some counties that is pocket change, but for us that is a lot of money,” Morgan said.

Referring to tourism and hospitality industries affected by the current phase, Morgan said “we need as much money as we can. He’s saying, ‘We are not open for business.’ ”

He said losing the RNC “was more or less the last straw.”

“(Cooper) does pretty much as he sees fit and I’m pretty much fed up with it. I know a lot of folks, not just (in) our county but the entire state are (as well),” Morgan said.

Morgan also added neighboring states, such as Tennessee, have bars and health clubs open for business.

Commissioner Zack Almond said Cooper “continues to put political partisanship in front of hardworking North Carolinians and we’re tired of it.”

He said 17,000 hotel rooms had been booked by the committee, not counting the bookings by delegates.

Delegates also play golf, eat out and participate in other recreation.

Almond used preseason NFL games as an example.

“Are you just at risk to get COVID when you’re among fellow conservatives or are you immune to it when around other sports fans?”

Commissioner Tommy Jordan said the problems transcend political ideology.

“We need to be careful to not let this board act as a particular partisan body,” he said. “It’s here to serve everyone…the results from this decision will be financially bad.”

Chairman Matthew Swain said the cancellation of the convention also cost the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office approximately $50,000. The county had earmarked the money for new bulletproof vests.

“Some of our deputies sorely need this because they are using equipment that is several years old,” Swain said.

“I would like to think if we were getting ready to lose $135,000, even if it was the DNC, we would pass a resolution to this governor,” he said.

Swain requested the resolution reflect the money lost by the sheriff’s office.