Board roundup: 2026 leadership elections, appointments, budget amendments and tax reports
Summary
At its Dec. 15 meeting Burke County commissioners elected leadership for 2026, approved several appointments and budget amendments, accepted tax reports and passed the America 250 resolution; most routine items were approved by unanimous votes.
At the Dec. 15 Burke County Board of Commissioners meeting the body handled routine governance matters, voting unanimously on leadership, appointments, consent items and budget and tax reports.
Elections and leadership: Commissioners elected Jeff Britton as chair and Phil Smith as vice chair for 2026. Nominations were made from the floor and both elections were approved by voice/hand vote.
Appointments: The board accepted several appointments and reappointments: James Wakeford was appointed to Board of Adjustment (Seat 3) to fill a vacancy; Betty Greer was reappointed to the Board of Equalization and Review for a three-year term ending Dec. 31, 2028; Dr. Anthony Frank and Dr. Joel Welch were reappointed to the Public Health Advisory Board and Gwen Stevens was reappointed to fill an at-large seat. The board also agreed to reconstitute the Dangerous Dog Appeal Board and approved a slate of applicants while staff continues to seek a veterinarian for the body.
Consent agenda and budget items: The consent agenda — which included the proposed 2026 rules of procedure, meeting schedule, commission appointments, a resolution accepting donated desk cubicles and two budget amendments (one for approximately $136,000 combining a $20,000 Department of Veterans Affairs grant and $116,000 social-services assistance allocation; another for $205,400 to address vehicle repairs) — passed 5-0.
Finance and tax items: Tax-collection reporting for the period ending Nov. 30, 2025, showed year-to-date collections of $41,398,388 against a budget of $60,495,871 (about 69.7% collected); the board accepted the tax-collection and a tax-release/refund report by motion.
Other business: The board adopted a resolution recognizing Burke County’s role in the U.S. semiquincentennial (America 250) and closed the meeting after routine comments and vacancy announcements. Public comment included a resident’s complaint about congestion and safety at the Ikerd convenience site and an animal-welfare advocate’s call for stronger enforcement and ID requirements for pets.
Votes at a glance: Leadership elections, consent agenda approval, acceptance of presentations and reports, appointments and ordinance adoption were recorded as unanimous (5-0) votes where noted.
