Currituck County commissioners appoint Troy Braithwaite to temporarily fill District 5 seat

The Currituck County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 17 appointed Troy Braithwaite to temporarily fill the District 5 seat while Commissioner Owen Etheridge is on leave.

The board convened a special meeting to interview three finalists selected from a larger applicant pool. Chair and staff said 14 people applied, one was disqualified for not being properly registered at the time of application, and the county attorney helped narrow submissions to three finalists: Troy Braithwaite, Steven Hedrick and Fred Whiteman. After a recess and brief deliberation, a commissioner moved to appoint Braithwaite and the motion carried on a voice vote.

The interviews followed a set format: each candidate gave an opening statement, answered questions from commissioners in turn, and offered a closing statement. Each candidate emphasized community service and local experience. Braithwaite, a nearly 30-year Moyock resident active with youth sports and longtime service on the county Board of Adjustment (he has served as that board’s chair), characterized his approach as “law- and process-driven” and said “my main purpose is service to the county.” He told commissioners he recently changed his voter registration to Republican “out of respect for [Commissioner Etheridge’s] voters” and said he would file as a Republican if he later chose to run for the seat.

Steven Hedrick described 22 years in the county, military service and work as a small-business owner. Hedrick said he would avoid doing business in developments where he took part in official decisions and identified traffic and the potential effects of a proposed bridge on Mid-County development and school capacity as issues that warrant long-range planning.

Fred Whiteman highlighted prior service on the planning board (including as chair), leadership of the Moyock Small Area Planning Committee and hands-on work addressing Moyock drainage and Eagle Creek sewage concerns. Whiteman told the board drainage choke points in Moyock remain a pressing infrastructure issue and said he would not hold grudges if he were in the minority on votes.

Commissioners asked candidates about growth pressures, sewer capacity, drainage, the role of county government and how each candidate would work with a seven-member board. The chair and other commissioners repeatedly emphasized that the appointment was temporary until Commissioner Owen Etheridge returns from leave and reminded the public that state law does not provide a separate removal process for a sitting commissioner who requests leave.

After the interviews and a short recess, a commissioner made a motion to appoint Braithwaite to the District 5 temporary vacancy; another commissioner seconded. The board approved the appointment by voice vote and the chair announced the motion carried. The chair asked Braithwaite to coordinate onboarding with county staff and said the new appointee would be sworn in at the board’s first November meeting; county staff were directed to provide materials and scheduling assistance.

The board publicly commended all three finalists for their service and urged continued community engagement. Commissioners also asked the public to remember Owen Etheridge and his family while he is on leave.

The board’s formal action: appointment of Troy Braithwaite to the temporary District 5 vacancy, effective upon swearing-in at the November meeting; the motion carried by voice vote, with no roll-call tally recorded.