Stanly commissioners name six to EDC board
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners nominated six new board members to the county’s Economic Development Commission at Monday’s meeting.
Matthew Swain, board chairman, was not in attendance and was excused from the meeting by a motion passed unanimously to open the meeting.
Commissioner Bill Lawhon made a motion, seconded by Tommy Jordan, to table the nominations to the next board meeting with Swain not in attendance. The motion failed 3-2 with vice chairman Ashley Morgan and commissioners Mike Barbee and Lane Furr voting against the motion.
Commissioner Zack Almond asked to be recused from the votes on Districts 2 and 3 due to a conflict of interest, noting advice received from county attorney Jenny Furr. The motion was granted.
In District 1, Larry Baucom was renamed to the board with positive votes from Furr, Almond, Jordan and Lawhon. Barbee nominated and voted for Max Fesperman.
Two nominees were named for District 2, with Lawhon nominating James “Cecil” Curlee, of Preformed Line Products, and local bail bondsman Phillip Burr, nominated by Barbee.
Burr won the nomination 3-2 with Furr, Morgan and Barbee voting for him and Lawhon and Jordan voting for Curlee.
In District 3, Eddie Wall, who works with First Bank Insurance Services, and former Stanly commissioner Joseph Burleson were nominated by Lawhon and Barbee, respectively.
Burleson won the nomination 3-2 with Morgan, Furr and Barbee voting for Burleson and Jordan and Lawhon voting for Wall.
The other three nominees were voted in unanimously, including attorney Charles Brown in District 4 and renaming Cindy Beane to District 5.
One partial term, left vacant with the departure of former Stanly County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff James, was filled by local certified public accountant Wil Huneycutt.