NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The county commissioners are ready to embark in a new era, with different leadership at the helm and a clean slate.
Monday evening returning commissioner Rob Zapple and newly appointed commissioner LeAnn Pierce took the oath at the dais, as the county bid farewell to chair Julia Olson-Boseman, who lost the primaries for reelection earlier in the spring.
READ MORE: Zapple serves another term, Pierce joins the ranks as NHC commissioner
County manager Chris Coudriet presented Olson-Boseman with a plaque recognizing her service to the county. The former chair first served as commissioner from 2000 to 2004 before being reelected to a four-year term in December 2018. She was elected vice chair in 2018 before being appointed chair in 2019, 2020 and again in 2021.
“You have served two terms as county commissioner and a record that is going to be judged fairly and well,” Coudriet said at the meeting. “You led us through the pandemic, leading the charge to create business recovery grants for small business owners but also using dollars, with commissioner Zapple and others, to forge real steps into the housing affordability space.”
He went on to mention her support of the hospital sale and other programs. Olson-Boseman then quickly cut Coudriet off, gave him a hug and left the meeting before anyone was sworn in or any other action taken.
The new board then unanimously nominated and voted in commissioner Bill Rivenbark as chair and Pierce as vice-chair.
Pierce told Port City Daily on a call Tuesday she was approached by fellow commissioners ahead of Monday’s meeting to step in as vice-chair. Pierce said she didn’t expect a leadership role so soon.
“I didn’t want to be going in there swinging, with other senior people on the board,” Pierce said.
Though Pierce served as the first female mayor of Carolina Beach for two years, she was a council member for two terms and acted as mayor pro tem for four years.
“I think they wanted to have a strong stance — the county is moving forward in leadership roles,” Pierce said. “We all agreed to work together on the same team and get past a lot of, maybe, the strife that’s happened in the past.”
The board has faced scrutiny recently, especially for not publicly reprimanding Olson-Boseman for the ongoing legal challenges she’s facing.
The N.C. State Bar alleges Olson-Boseman mismanaged client funds. She was held in contempt of court and nearly jailed before agreeing to turn over financial documents. Olson-Boseman was also accused this year of offering hush money to the Coastal Horizons executive director over an ongoing deal for a new substance use center. She — and other county management and staff — is also being sued by a resident who alleges she infringed his First Amendment rights during a public hearing at an October commission meeting.
Pierce said new leadership is a step in the right direction.
“It’s a willingness of the board to show we’re moving forward in a direction that’s positive for the county,” she said.
Pierce expressed support for Rivenbark as chair. He was elected in 2020 after serving on the New Hanover County Schools Board of Education for two years.
Judge James H. Faison, III administered the oath of office to Pierce — with whom he has a 35-year friendship — and Zapple. Both commissioners’ families were in attendance.
Monday, Pierce acknowledged the support from fellow beach town residents, council members and Carolina Beach Mayor Lynn Barbee, who was in attendance for her ceremony, before thanking the voters.
“It’s not about me; it’s about us; it’s about all of us working together. I believe in teamwork, transparency and citizen input,” she said before taking her seat.
Zapple, who will now serve his third consecutive term on the commission, said the day was an emotional one.
“When I was first sworn in eight years ago, I made this promiseL I would listen carefully to all our residents — those who voted for me and those you didn’t,” he said after being sworn in Monday. “And that I would always focus on what’s best for New Hanover County.”
Since elected in 2014, Zapple said the population has grown from 216,000 to 237,000 and the county’s county’s budget has increased from $327 million to $507 million.
“The issues we’re dealing with are more complicated, the challenges more difficult,” Zapple said. “Fortunately, we have years of experience on our board and the talented and dedicated county staff ready to deal with whatever comes at us.”
He added the county staff is the real driver behind the commissioners’ work. They provide knowledge, feedback and options to “steer” the board on issues.
Bill Rivenbark, who has previously told Port City Daily he doesn’t speak to the media, didn’t respond to a request about his new role.
Tips or comments? Email amy@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.