WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – It was business as usual at the New Hanover County Commission meeting — except for the fact that Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman attended the meeting remotely after she requested staff allow her to do so, sometime last week according to county staff.
Monday’s meeting is the first commissioners meeting following the cumulation of legal troubles which led to a judge finding her in contempt of court for failing to turn over banking records to the North Carolina State Bar.
In July, Olson-Boseman was on vacation in Italy when the ruling was handed down by a judge in Wake County. Despite months of requests, Olson-Boseman continued to ignore the requests of the NCSB and a preliminary injunction first issued in March ordering the chairwoman to provide the records to aid in their investigation into allegations of mismanaging client funds when she was practicing law.
Despite the public nature and serious allegations of the investigations, county commissioners have been hesitant to acknowledge the allegations against Olson-Boseman, most of them saying the matters are private issues, and not related to county business.
However, county residents have continued to send emails and post comments on social media asking why commissioners are not addressing these matters.
Commissioner Jonathan Barfield told WECT in July the board has received numerous emails asking them to remove her from the board itself.
“That’s not an easy task for commissioners to do, and in terms of a vote of no confidence, that is a symbolic motion and does not achieve anything,” Barfield said.
One New Hanover County resident spoke during the public comment period to address the allegations against Chairwoman Olson-Boseman, and the lack of action by commissioners.
“We see a group of commissioner who are supposed to have the best interests of the citizens so the decisions help us and not hurt us. You have not done that when you say you are not aware — what that shows us is a total lack of honesty, you have not censured her or removed her from any responsibilities which you can do, and it disturbs us that you haven’t,” Neal Schulman said.
Copyright 2022 WECT. All rights reserved.
