A special Swain County Board of Commissioners session will take place Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. to ensure commissioners thoroughly understand the appointment process of county chairperson as it pertains to moving Commissioner Phillip Carson to the position. This meeting is public.
Following the departure of former chair Kevin Seagle, the board of commissioners and executive committee of the Republican party accepted letters of interest over a period of three weeks from 12 candidates.
Commissioner David Loftis introduced the chairperson candidates: Carson, Robbie Brown, Eric Watson, Robert Lowe, Dennis Jones, Karen Green, Jay Kirkland, Fred Crawford (withdrawn), Mike Drinkwater, Eugene Shuler, Courtney Dills and James Douthit.
The Republican party interviewed candidates and nominated Douthit, Drinkwater and Carson.
Commissioner Bobby Jenkins made a motion to move Carson to the county chair seat. Lawson made the second motion.
Unbound by the party’s recommendation, Loftis spoke out against Carson as chairperson.
“People in this county voted him out because they didn’t want him (Carson) to be chairman,” Loftis said. “I don’t think it’s right for the three of us (commissioners) to overrule the voters of this county and make him chairman. I think we got two choices and I will go along with either.”
Commissioner Tanner Lawson argued that every commissioner, including Carson, was elected to their seat unlike the appointed nominees.
According to Loftis, Carson would have to resign prior to any appointment to chair.
“Alright, let’s table this,” said Lawson. “With that being said, we have to have an emergency meeting set. So, let’s set that for the purpose of this business, so we can have a final say so and make sure we are doing it by the book.”