NC GOP committee upholds recommendation of Beth Burns to Board of Commissioners seat

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Republican Party’s Plan of Organization Committee has upheld the vote of the Pender County Republican Party Executive Committee recommending Beth Burns be appointed to fill the open county commissioner seat vacated by the resignation of Brad George in August.

The Pender GOP Executive Committee voted 15-14 in August to recommend Burns take over the District 1 seat on an interim basis, until the new commissioner is seated in December following the mid-term election. However, a challenge was filed against the validity of the party’s recommendation, necessitating the review at the state level.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Commissioners table Burns recommendation

Pender County GOP chairman Joshua Smith said he hopes this clears the way for Burns to resign from her seat on the Pender County Board of Education to take the seat on the board of commissioners.

“I am hopeful with the revised opinion from the NCGOP Plan of Organization committee that we can now move forward with this appointment and have representation on the board for our District 1 residents,” Smith said in a statement to WECT News. “In the short window from now until the swearing-in of a new District 1 Commissioner in December, I am confident that Mrs. Burns will be a great asset to our residents. We should now turn all of our focus back to the residents and unify ourselves heading into November.”