Molly McKay brings decades of public service to city council

For more than four decades, Molly McKay has been practicing law, a career that has taken her from the depths of a coal mine to arguing cases at the state supreme court level. Now, she brings her public service experience to the dais as Morganton’s newest city councilwoman.

From Columbus, Ohio, McKay said her view of the city comes from sort of an outsider’s standpoint, and although she has lived in the city for more than 30 years, she plans to provide a fresh perspective. McKay, who is 72 years old, started her career as an attorney in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where she worked in private practice.

At one point, McKay was concentrating on oil, gas, and mineral law, which brought her into the depths of an Alabama coal mine, a testament to how far she was willing to go to make her case. She argued cases about ownership when it comes to rights of those who own the surface area versus those who own minerals.

At the time, McKay said that Alabama had one of the deepest shaft coal mines in North America. “And I went down in that mine,” she said with a laugh, adding that for a certain period of time she was Mine Safety and Health Administration qualified.

When the oil patch in Alabama dried up, McKay went to work for the City of Tuscaloosa as its court administrator. In a city that grows by the thousands when university classes are in session, McKay said the city court dealt with influxes of misdemeanors. She supervised about 1,800 probation cases per year.

It was during her time as court administrator that McKay also learned a lot about the inner workings of a municipal government, preparing, implementing, and administering an annual department budget of $400,000. She also supervised a staff of 14 and coordinated with over 75 law enforcement officers pertaining to cases filed in court.

During her time in Tuscaloosa, McKay became exposed to cases involving domestic violence. While waiting to secure her law license in North Carolina, McKay started working with Options as a volunteer and would go to court with women who sought a Domestic Violence Protection Order. At the time, she could not give legal advice but could explain the legal system.

After passing the North Carolina Bar Exam, she found that the legal community in Morganton was welcoming and supportive. “Rather than seeing me as an outsider, who came in and offered competition, they saw me as a colleague and supported what I was doing,” McKay said.

Since 1996, McKay has been working in juvenile law, serving as the attorney advocate for the Guardian ad Litem Program for Burke and Catawba counties. She now primarily focuses on Catawba County, where she has been serving since 2004.

Though she is semi-retired, McKay is passionate about helping her clients, who range from 1 day old to 18 years old. Any time a petition is brought into juvenile court by the Department of Social Services, alleging that a child has been abused or neglected, the child is entitled to have a guardian ad litem appointed to them. If the guardian ad litem is not a licensed attorney, that’s when McKay steps in to represent the child.

“We have to report to the court what the child’s wishes are, but we also have the responsibility and obligation to report what we consider to be in their best interest,” McKay said.

COURTROOMS TO CHAMBERS

For as long as she has been a resident, McKay said she had always been impressed with how well-run the city is. Whether navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic or supporting the community during and after Hurricane Helene, she said staff work hard to meet residents’ needs.

McKay said CoMMA and CoMPAS Cable show how the city creatively meets community needs. “I think it’s that kind of creativity that supports this being a vibrant community.”

However, McKay said the city needs to explore how to expand workforce housing because of its critically short supply. “We can bring jobs here, but if people don’t have a place to live, if they have to live someplace else, they’re going to end up getting a job someplace else.”

While she said certain obvious elements of Development and Design can’t be compromised, McKay said the process could be more collaborative instead of oppositional between staff and developers.

“Trying to figure out a way to say yes, to me, is more important than finding out a way to say no,” McKay said. “Now, I’ve got to learn a whole lot more about the process, so in some respects I’m on the outside looking in.”

McKay said that Burke County’s streamlining and modernization of the development process appeals to her. The county has been exploring new software to improve customer relations by outlining key steps in the process and educating first-time builders or developers.

Ever since the city’s bustling furniture manufacturing era, she said Morganton has been a place where people come to live and work. “Morganton has continued to attract people and keep people,” McKay said, adding that she plans to help the city flourish.