Two new members were among the four men who took the oath of office Monday night to serve on the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.
And while the Republicans retained a majority on the board, GOP members were split when voting on leadership positions for the board.
Newcomers Robert Belcher and Gary Brinn joined incumbents Jerry Langley and Hood Richardson in a ceremony presided over by Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons and attended by a crowd of more than 30 people, including family members of some board members.
Following the ceremony, the board members re-elected Langley to the post of chairman and elected Al Klemm vice chairman of the board.
Langley defeated Commissioner Stan Deatherage for the post when Klemm, a Republican, joined Democratic commissioners Ed Booth, Belcher and Langley in voting for Langley. GOP board members Brinn, Deatherage and Richardson voted for Deatherage.
Klemm also defeated Deatherage for the post of vice chairman in another vote that split GOP members with Belcher, Booth, Klemm and Langley voting for Klemm and Brinn, Deatherage and Richardson voting for Deatherage.
The oath of office for the incoming board members followed recognition of departing board members Robert Cayton and Jay McRoy. Cayton did not seek re-election, opting to seek election to the N.C. House of Representatives. His bid was not successful. Cayton had previously served as vice chairman of the board. McRoy was defeated in the November election.
“A lot of people don’t realize all that goes into being a commissioner,” Langley said after citing Cayton and McRoy for their service. “If you see these gentlemen, thank them.”