Mayo named to commission
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 15, 2011 1:46 PM
Full Size
Ray Mayo
Goldsboro businessman Ray Mayo was appointed today by the Wayne County Board of Commissioners to the District 1 board seat that for the past 19 years has been filled by Commissioner Andy Anderson, contingent upon Anderson submitting his formal letter of resignation.
Anderson, 76, who had recommended Mayo to succeed him, told the board he would submit the letter in time for Mayo to be sworn in at commissioners' Dec. 6 meeting. That will give Mayo the chance to participate in the board's annual election of chairman and vice chairman, he said.
Mayo was at the meeting and briefly thanked commissioners for appointing him.
First elected in 1992, Anderson was the first Republican elected to the board since Reconstruction.
State law requires that vacancies on the board be filled by a person who lives in the same district and is a member of the same political party as the person who is leaving. Anderson and Mayo live at Pikeville.
Mayo, owner of North Carolina Manufacturing, a machine shop, was also recommended by the GOP Executive Committee.
In a letter announcing his intention of resigning, Anderson cited a need to spend more time with his family, work on special projects to benefit the county and to "preserve" his health. He did not cite a specific health problems.
Commissioner Jack Best, who joked that he didn't know if he wanted Anderson to leave, made the motion to appoint Mayo contingent on Anderson's official letter of resignation.
"He worked hard to find somebody with his work ethic and who will work hard (like him)," Best said.