Weeks after Election Day and a countywide recount of all 67,000 votes cast, Commissioners Skip Watkins and Rob Zapple took seats among the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners during a Dec. 22 meeting.
Dozens of people gathered in the New Hanover County Historic Courthouse assembly room, where all seats were occupied and a line of spectators stood along the back wall. With two signed and authenticated certificates of election in hand, Chairman Woody White welcomed Watkins and Zapple to be sworn into office after almost one month of delay while an elections appeal was heard and dismissed by the New Hanover County Board of Elections on Nov. 20 and the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Dec. 9.
“We should have done this on Dec. 1. We have languished for four years, and certainly for two years, with a commission that has not been fully functioning,” White said.
District Judge Sandra Ray administered an oath of office to Watkins while his wife Valerie Watkins held the Bible. His children, VJ Watkins and Brian Watkins, and nephew James Webb stood nearby.
“Let me be the first to say — finally — congratulations,” Ray said.
Zapple took his oath of office, administered by District Judge James H. Faison III, with wife Michele Zapple by his side, sons Holden Zapple and Jack Zapple and daughter Zoey Zapple and her partner Sterling Wheaten behind him, and grandson Jameson Zapple lifting up the Bible.
Watkins and Zapple embraced before taking their seats. Watkins thanked God for the opportunity to serve and thanked former commissioner Thomas Wolfe for his service to the board.
“Tom, I don’t know how you gave this seat up. I don’t think I’ll ever give it up,” Watkins said.
As one of five Democrats elected to the board in more than 30 years, Zapple pledged to work together with the board to make decisions that benefit all citizens of the county, regardless of race, gender, political affiliation, or where in the county they live.
“Let us all plan together, work together, and move forward together toward our common goals,” Zapple said.
Vice Chair Beth Dawson also cited the diversity of the current board when she nominated Jonathan Barfield Jr. as the new chair.
“It is great to finally have a full board of five dedicated public servants who are committed to serving all of the citizens of New Hanover County,” Dawson said, welcoming Watkins and Zapple. “We have the most diverse board we have had in years, and not just politically. The good thing about that is, we are also the most representative of all of the citizens that we serve, over 213,000 citizens that we serve here in New Hanover County. Therefore, in the spirit of mutual respect, in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration … I enter into nomination the name of Commissioner Jonathan Barfield for chairman.”
Watkins nominated Woody White to continue his tenure as chair. Barfield won the majority with affirmative votes from Dawson, Zapple and himself, and in turn nominated Dawson to continue serving as vice chair. She carried the same affirmative votes as Barfield.
After the board presented service awards to county employees and retirees, heard an annual update from the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, and filled vacancies on a number of committees and boards, Barfield hinted that Dawson could serve as chair following the next election of leadership.
Before Watkins and Zapple were sworn, Wolfe was thanked for his service to the board. He pledged to continue serving the community through work on boards and committees, with a special focus on creating jobs and bolstering the local economy.
Commissioner Brian Berger, whose term expired along with Wolfe’s, was not in attendance.
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