Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments Vacancy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wayne County sets application deadline, interviews to fill at-large commissioner seat after Aycock’s death
Summary
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners set a public application process and deadlines to fill the at-large vacancy created by the death of Commissioner George Wayne Aycock Jr. Applicants must be Republican and Wayne County residents; the board will interview candidates Jan. 6 and may act then.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 2 approved a process to fill the at-large commission seat left vacant by the death of Commissioner George Wayne Aycock Jr., setting a public application deadline and interview schedule.
County legal staff explained that state statute “158-27” governs vacancy appointments and requires the board to fill the seat within 60 days of the vacancy. The board must consult the local Republican executive committee but is not bound by that committee’s recommendation. The attorney also noted a special-election filing period is open in parallel; any person who wins the election would be sworn in the following December.
Under the schedule the board approved, letters of interest, resumes and references will be due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22. Commissioners will review applications over the holidays; applicants will be interviewed at the board’s regular meeting on Jan. 6, when the board may take action or recess and set a follow-up meeting. If the board fails to appoint someone by the statutory deadline (Jan. 17), responsibility to appoint shifts to the clerk of superior court, who also must consult the party’s executive committee.
County legal counsel outlined eligibility requirements drawn from the statute: an appointee must be of the same political party as the seat holder (the transcript identifies the requirement as the Republican party) and a Wayne County resident; because Aycock was an at-large commissioner there is no district residency requirement. The attorney said the filing period for the special election closes on Dec. 19 at noon, which informed the board’s decision to place the application deadline after that date so the board can see who has filed for the seat.
Commissioners discussed practical matters for the appointment process, including sending a letter to the local party to request its recommendation, publishing the application and questions previously used for interviews, and emailing applications to all six commissioners for review. The board adopted the proposed schedule by motion and unanimous hand raise.
Next steps: the county clerk will post application instructions; commissioners said they will circulate an agreed set of interview questions ahead of Jan. 6.
