GREENSBORO, N.C. — Earlier this year, legislation passed in Raleigh allowed for Bill Goebel to be appointed and sworn into the Guilford County School Board.
This week lawmakers passed a bill that would call for the removal of the Guilford County Republican.
However, Goebel's attorney Chuck Winfree said the legislation is illegal.
Winfree says the law allows for legislators to unseat the full board —but does not allow for the removal of a single individual.
He says Goebel was legally sworn in and, based on the law, remains an active member of the school board.
"Our law does not allow our legislature to remove individual members without cause," said Winfree. "If they commit some crime or do something where they can be impeached, that's one thing, but you can't just remove them because you would rather have your friends in office."
The Guilford County Republican Party has pushed for Goebel's removal since his appointment back in March.
Last December, the party nominated Michael Logan to fill the vacant seat, but he never got the votes needed from the other school board members.
Goebel says he wants to move forward, passed the partisan politics, and do what's best for students.
"I keep saying the main thing, the main thing is the kids and the parents of the kids. Forget about Bill, Goebel, forget about Michael Logan, what's right for the kids?" said Goebel.
The other change involves the implementation of Civil Service Boards in both Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
Five people would be chosen to serve on the board that would hear grievances and personnel matters within the Police and Fire Departments.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan supports the idea But Some council members felt that it would limit already existing powers and cost the city more money.
"Typically opponents would contend that it may constrain or take away the discretion of city employees like police or fire chiefs. Proponents of civil service boards would contend that it would add an additional layer of due process in employment and discipline decisions," said Dillan Bono-Lunn, an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Elon University.
The bill also calls for the city managers to find funding for the Civil Service board members.
For Greensboro, at least, the latest budget proposal was very strict and already called for a property tax hike.
There is no timeline as to when the Civil Service boards would need to be in place.