Big Bucks For Booze Board
In the wake of a booze and debauchery scandal that ultimately claimed the resignations of the local Alcoholic Beverage Control Board’s chairman and executive director, Mecklenburg commissioners have reaffirmed a salary structure for the currently serving ABC Board members and its new chairman, to align with new state ABC rules. Meanwhile, the board’s new CEO is pulling down an annual salary of $150,000.
The adjustments, made in response to legislative changes approved earlier this year for the statewide ABC system, changes the board’s salary structure from per-month to per-meeting. ABC board members will be paid $500 per meeting, not to exceed $500 per month, while the chair will receive $600 per meeting, not to exceed $600 per month. While the technical language changes, the monthly totals received by members and the chair remains unchanged.
The local ABC Board began a wholesale change in leadership earlier this year, when in February former board member Elton Shoemaker was selected to serve as interim CEO after former CEO Calvin McDougal resigned, along with former Board Chairman Parks Helms. Both stepped down after a scandal that involved liquor sales reps wining and dining ABC staff at a lavish $13,000 dinner party.
Cleveland Edwards was named the board’s new chairman earlier this year, while former Lance executive Paul Stroup was tapped as its new CEO.
“We had some problems last winter, unfortunately, that tarnished our reputation to some degree and damaged our trust within the community,” Stroup told commissioners Wednesday night. “But I was extremely pleased to find an organization with very competent and committed people working there.”
Stroup said the compensation adjustments for ABC board members were justified. The local outfit is the largest in the state, he said, an operation that includes 25 stores, employs 105 full-time workers, and produces annual revenues approaching $100 million. By comparison, Wake County generates about $77 million, with Guilford rolling in at about $32 million. There are167 ABC Boards in the state, Stroup said, and a large majority of them, 107, are single-store operations; 98 produce less than $2 million in revenue a year; only seven have sales greater than $20 million a year.
The bulk of local ABC profits, Stroup said, are poured back into the community through funding for the library system and alcohol law enforcement and education programs.
While noting appreciation for the work the ABC Board does, Commissioner Vilma Leake, a Democrat, cast the only vote against the salary structure adjustments.
“There are many boards that we have meet that we do not provide compensation for,” Leake said, “and they still do an excellent job.”
Along with the salary adjustments, commissioners also approved other tweaks to ABC oversight and operation: the local board must submit a monthly copy of law enforcement activity report to the board of commissioners; submit an annual balanced budget to the board of commissioners and hold a public hearing before adopting a budget; conduct an annual financial audit and present it to commissioners for review; receive commission approval for any salary increase for the CEO; and obtain advance approval from the county finance director for any ABC Board travel expense that exceeds $1,000.
——————
SCREW-UP ALERT: This article has been updated to correct the previous version, which stated that commissioners had approved salary increases for ABC board members and the chair. They did not; the technical language for how they are paid changed, not their actual compensation. It’s still big bucks for the booze board, though.
Thanks to Commissioner Neil Cooksey for pointing out the error in the original article.
We need your help! If you like PunditHouse, please consider donating to us. Even $5 a month can make a difference!
Short URL: https://pundithouse.com/?p=3327
