Official will end service Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on December 5, 2011 1:46 PM
Andy Anderson
Wayne County commissioner Andy Anderson of Pikeville, the board's senior member, will end his 19-year career on the board at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday.
And just minutes afterward, his handpicked successor, Goldsboro businessman Ray Mayo, will be sworn in to complete the final year of Anderson's term.
Mayo will take the oath just prior to the board's election of chairman and vice chairman. J.D. Evans currently serves as chairman and John Bell as vice chairman.
Commissioners will hold an agenda briefing at 8 a.m. followed by their official meeting at 9 a.m. in their meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
Anderson, 76, announced his intention to step down from his District 1 seat last month.
Anderson recommended Mayo, owner of North Carolina Manufacturing, a Goldsboro machine shop, as his replacement.
The executive committee of the Wayne County Republican Party agreed, and in mid-November county commissioners appointed Mayo contingent on Anderson's resignation.
In an earlier letter announcing his planned resignation, Anderson cited a need to spend more time with his family, work on special projects to benefit the county and to "preserve" his health.
Anderson has said he was not referring to any specific health problems other than just aches and pains and the strain of being constantly busy. He said he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.
"Daily county commissioner work is placing a great demand on my time and priorities," Anderson wrote. "I have a great deal of respect for our current board of commissioners and recognize the many major accomplishments we have made in the past several years. I would not like to see this trend change."
First elected in 1992, Anderson was the first Republican elected to the board since Reconstruction.
In other business Tuesday, commissioners will consider establishing Jan. 3-31 as the county's tax listing period.
Any listing after Jan. 31 will be subject to a penalty of 10 percent of the taxes levied.
All real estate in the county is permanently listed and charged to the owner of record Jan l. As such, no claim has to be made on real estate, unless improvements have been made or the owner's address changed.
Commissioners will meet as the Board of Equalization and Review following their session to hear tax appeals.
The board also is expected to act on a resolution asking the state Department of Transportation to dedicate and name the section of Interstate 795 in the county in honor of Anderson and former U.S. Congressman and Goldsboro attorney Martin Lancaster.
The resolution notes that Anderson was involved in the "promotion, design and planning of the 1-795 corridor within Wayne County, even before he became a Wayne County commissioner, through service on various committees including his role as vice chairman of the Transportation Advisory Committee."
Lancaster also was involved in supporting and promoting the planning and construction of an interstate highway to connect I-95 in Wilson County to I-40 in Duplin County.
Commissioners will hold a work session on a rezoning request by Robert Perkins for property at 600 South U.S. 13.
Perkins has asked that the property be rezoned from Residential-Agricultural 20 to Residential 15 to allow for the property to be divided into lots.
The request has been recommended by the Wayne County Planning Board, but a public hearing would be required before any action could be taken.