Swain County commissioners approve Brian Kirkland to finish sheriff’s term, 4-1

At a special session on July 29, 2025, the Swain County Commission voted 4-1 to finalize the appointment of Brian Kirkland to complete an expired term as Swain County sheriff and approved the bond required by state law.

The appointment and related personnel approvals were presented under North Carolina statutes cited at the meeting. The commission also set a swearing-in ceremony for Kirkland at the county courthouse at 4 p.m. the following day.

The vote followed motions to approve the bond the board said was required under state statute and to accept Kirkland as the person to fill the vacancy. The commission chair (name not provided) led the roll call. The chair said, “we appreciate you, and we thank god for you stepping up into this position.” The board recorded the vote as 4 in favor and 1 opposed. The meeting record indicates the appointment was recommended by the Swain County Republican Party executive committee pursuant to a cited state statute.

Commissioners approved a separate personnel-related certification described at the meeting as required by statute before finalizing the appointment. The chair told the room that the swearing-in was scheduled for the next day at the courthouse at 4 p.m.

During a brief public-comment exchange before adjournment, a speaker who identified community concerns urged the commission to mend relations with neighboring Cherokee residents and said that Wayne Dover would have been a good candidate. The speaker also praised a named local, saying, “Ken Bryant does a great job.” Those remarks were made during public comment and did not change the commission’s recorded votes or actions.

Formal actions taken at the session were limited to the bond approval, personnel certifications, the appointment of Kirkland to complete the sheriff’s term, and routine adjournment motions.