Cannon defends "duel" residency
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 28, 2015 10:47 PM
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News-Argus file photo
Dr. Dwight Cannon, District 2 representative on the Wayne County Board of Education, in an undated photo, has been a board member since 2012. Since taking on a pastorate at a New Jersey church 16 months ago, his attendance at board-related meetings has decreased.
As the Wayne County Board of Education exited a three-hour-long closed session Monday preparing to begin a work session of the called meeting, a table carrying a laptop and bearing the nameplate of board member Dr. Dwight Cannon was wheeled into the board room.
Before the session was called to order, the computer was shut down and the table removed from the room. Cannon had another meeting to attend, he said.
The FaceTime option, and conference calls, have been utilized by the District 2 representative six times over the past 14 months.
From January 2014 to the present, Cannon has had the potential to attend 49 meetings -- including regular monthly meetings, special called sessions and committees where he was assigned.
Over that period, he has been present for 30 meetings, absent for 13 and phoned in for the other six. That equates to a 59 percent attendance rate.
He attended all of the regularly scheduled monthly meetings, with the exception of one, on April 17, which was a continuation of the April meeting, held on the 14th.
Last year, there were seven special called meetings or work sessions. Cannon attended four, was absent for two and accessed the other one through FaceTime. For the two called meetings thus far this year, he was on FaceTime for the first and then the closed session at the recent meeting, but had to leave before the open session began.
In the previous year, he served on three committees -- finance, curriculum and instruction and the personnel/student services hearing committee. For the latter, there were three occasions to be part of hearings and Cannon was present for all of those.
There were six called finance committee meetings. He was on conference call in May, absent in June, August, September and on Oct. 1, then present for an Oct. 28 session.
For the seven curriculum and instruction meetings, he attended four meetings and was absent for the other three.
He is currently assigned to the facilities and policy committees. Facilities has met twice so far this year and he has missed both. There have been four policy meetings, of which he attended one, missed one and was there via FaceTime for the other two.
Cannon has pastored a church in Burlington, N.J., for the past 16 months and his Facebook page lists his residence as Burlington. He maintains his status as an elected official is in line with the requirements.
"I went through the legal channels. I would not have taken the post had I not checked with an attorney and the board attorney," he said. "It's almost like a military (assignment). I'm not a resident of New Jersey. I don't pay taxes in New Jersey."
The situation is reminiscent of a predecessor who not only held the same board seat but the same home address. Shirley Sims, a 50-year veteran in education, including 18 on the board, put her Dudley home on the market and moved to Garner. When the house sold quicker than she anticipated, she stepped down in June 2010.
Her house was purchased by Cannon.
Cannon was sworn in to the school board on Dec. 3, 2012, replacing Len Henderson, appointed by the county commission in 2010 to complete Mrs. Sims' term. Cannon had also been among the candidates interviewed for the appointment.
Initially, he was pastor of Greater St. James AME Zion Church in Goldsboro, serving for seven years before accepting the pastorate at Wesley AME Zion Church in New Jersey.
In addition to traveling back and forth, Cannon is currently campaigning for Global Mission 2016, a four-year position with the denomination.
"My mentor retires in 2016," he said. "It has been in my plan all along. My whole career in ministry has been built around mission work."
The new job would involve traveling to 19 countries and 28 different overseas conferences, including Angola, Liberia, Zimbabwe and the Bahamas, he said.
"I have offered myself to do that post," he said. "My heart and passion is definitely missions."
Two other candidates are also up for the position, he said. If elected in August 2016, that would affect his status. The new job would be based in Charlotte .
"It is a paid position. I would no longer be a pastor," he said.
Cannon said he had been advised there is no conflict with his situation since he owns and maintains a residence in the district he serves. He said he learned of a precedent that had been set some years before when a board member, George Beasley, lived in Florida and would fly in to attend meetings.
Wayne County Board of Elections Director Rosemary Blizzard said the residency issue is a "very fine line."
"It's very hard to look at a person and say, 'You don't live here.' The law is very clear on this," she said. "Generally speaking, in order to run for a particular office, you should be a resident of that district or jurisdiction for which you're running.
"Once you're elected, it's expected that you would maintain your voting rights within that jurisdiction."
The Board of Elections does not get involved in residency status, unless the issue is challenged.
"I have attended hearings for candidates challenges and it can get very involved -- looking at electricity bills, are they living in the house versus not living in the house; where does the dog sleep?" she said. "If it gets to that point, a lot more people will be involved to make sure the process is followed."
Cannon said he owns the Dudley home. While housing is provided by the New Jersey church he pastors, he pointed out that he does not own it nor does he vote or pay taxes in that community.
Jack Edwards, the district's attorney, said he is unaware of any violations.
"My understanding is he's away with his work but he still has his residence. In fact, my understanding is that his wife is here," he said. "The fact that he's away doesn't make any difference, or shouldn't."
The issue, though, goes beyond residency.
How important is attendance for elected officials?
The question has been raised in the past for other local board members, including former commissioner J.D. Evans and former school board member Thelma Smith, whose declining health prevented them from attending numerous meetings before their passing.
"If there's anything on attendance, I haven't seen it," Edwards said. "There's no statutory requirements or anything that I'm aware of. As far as having to attend a certain percentage of meetings, (Cannon) has been present by Skype."