by
Keith Strange
Staff Reporter
Mount Airy News
Aug 22, 2012 | 1010 views | 0
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DOBSON — The Surry County Board of Commissioners has set a deadline of next Monday to find a replacement to fill the seat of the late Commissioner Garry Scearce, and they’re seeking input from the public.
During Monday night’s lengthy meeting, Dan Kiger, chairman of the Surry County Republican Party, told the board that the party’s executive committee stands ready and willing to work with the board to fill the seat and make a recommendation to the Board of Elections.
Scearce died on July 22 following a battle with cancer.
Board members recessed Monday’s meeting and will reconvene the meeting next Monday at 6:30 p.m., at which time they expect to appoint a replacement to Scearce’s seat.
North Carolina statute 153A-27 “permits remaining members of the board to appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy through the first Monday in December, next following the first general election held more than 60 days after the vacancy occurs.”
State law requires that the appointee be a member of the same political party and a resident of the same district, in this case Mount Airy.
Board Vice Chairman Eddie Harris said Tuesday morning that the board is seeking input from county residents regarding the replacement.
“We’re interested in what the public has to say about this,” he said. “We’re interested in finding a qualified, dedicated individual from the Mount Airy district who is ready and willing to serve.”
Harris said the board “would like to get this person in place as soon as possible,” because they believe that Scearce would want the board to move forward.
“Our goal next Monday is to make an appointment to fill the unexpired term of the late Garry Scearce,” he said.
The person appointed to the seat will serve in a temporary capacity that will end on Dec. 4, according to County Attorney Ed Woltz.
“If Garry Scearce had survived through the first full half of his (four-year) term, the Board of Commissioners would appoint a replacement for the entire rest of his term,” he said. “But since he didn’t, the board is authorized to nominate a replacement through the first Tuesday of December following the general election.”
In the interim, Woltz said the executive boards of both the Republican and Democrat parties will select candidates to run in the general election.
While the board is set to work closely with the Republican Executive Committee, they are not legally bound to follow its advice.
“The (Republican executive) committee can have input, but the board makes the decision,” Woltz said.
Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.
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