Bob Lewis will move from his seat on the Carolina Beach Town Council to the mayor’s chair.
The three-member board, in working to restore the five-person makeup following two resignations last month, unanimously voted to appoint Lewis mayor at a near-capacity meeting Tuesday night. Residents sounded applause for the transition.
Lewis accepted with modesty. “To me,” he said, “the mayor’s seat is just a mayor’s seat. It’s just one board member.”
Nominated by Councilwoman Sarah Friede and supported by Mayor Pro Tem Steve Shuttleworth, Lewis will fill the vacancy that Ray Rothrock left in November during a meeting in which he abruptly quit in protest of the board’s handling of business, notably with the recent resignation of Tim Owens as town manager.
Lewis will serve out the remainder of Rothrock’s term, which will expire in 2013. Lewis’ term on council would have expired the same year.
Friede’s and Shuttleworth’s terms are set to expire in 2015.
The other vacancy–a council seat, left open by Lonnie Lashley, who resigned alongside Rothrock–will receive an appointee next week, the item tabled from Tuesday to allow the board’s three members to ponder who would be the best selections; Lewis’ move to the mayor’s seat frees up another council seat to fill.
The town received applications from 16 residents interested in service and reduced the pool to five finalists, whom council publicly interviewed Tuesday night.
They were:
- Douglas B. Andrews, a nearly 20-year resident who touted his management experience at Chloride Systems in Burgaw for a business and financial acumen that he said would benefit the town.
- Tom Bridges, a retired principal from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district–he moved to Carolina Beach in 2007–who said the decision-making rhythm of his past profession makes him the right fit for Carolina Beach’s dynamics.
- Duke Hagestrom, a nearly 10-year resident and local business owner who said his information-technology background and experience solving budgetary problems makes him fully capable of handling hard financial times with creative thinking.
- LeAnn Pierce, a 21-year resident and local hotel owner who said her service on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission gives her an appreciation for how decisions affect her neighbors in addition to how governmental bodies process their tasks.
- Jody N. Smith, a 9-year resident and graduate of UNCW who said her coordination of the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project for the past 10 years and sense of volunteerism has prepared her for the challenges of public service, which include being an ear for the townspeople.
After the one-by-one interviews at Tuesday’s meeting, Friede said she wanted to hear feedback from the public on the candidates and have some time to digest their discussions.
The appointments may take place next Tuesday.
Contact Ben Brown at [email protected] or (910) 772-6335. On Twitter: @benbrownmedia
