B
uncombe County's tax assessor R. Keith Miller was ousted on Tuesday after a two-week attempt to retire amid allegations of misconduct. The unanimous vote by county leaders came as they claimed Miller broke government rules by investing in a beach property with his direct report, Rebecca Leigh Stroud.

    Stroud, 55, had worked at the county since 2017 and resigned on September 11th. Miller's lawyer argued that he had submitted a letter of intent to retire on September 4th, but county leaders rejected it and instead issued a notice of termination. The move would jeopardize Miller's pending benefits as a retired government employee.

    Miller and Stroud purchased a $685,000 condominium in June for which they took out a loan. Miller was listed as Stroud's power of attorney for the transaction. They later transferred the property to an LLC, with Miller initially remaining as a company official before being removed on September 17th.

    Miller's lawyer described his client as "remorseful" over the decision and argued that it shouldn't negate his 28 years of public service. Elston claimed that allegations against Miller didn't warrant dismissal and that he was entitled to retirement benefits. Commissioner Brownie Newman pointed out that Stroud was a direct report to Miller, while Elston warned that pursuing the claim could lead to costly litigation.