Commissioners chip in for forensic chemist, won’t vote on chair and vice chair

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the pending appeal at the State Board of Elections, the New Hanover County Commission has decided not to vote for its new chair and vice chair, even with the deadline to vote for those positions mandated by law.

Commissioners cannot swear in two newly-elected members, Skip Watkins and Rob Zapple, due to an appeal filed by John Christian Anderson concerning an incident at a precinct on Election Day. Watkins and Zapple will replace Brian Berger and Thomas Wolfe.

After speaking with the county attorney, Commissioner Jonathan Barfield says they’ve decided to put off the vote for the chair and vice chair, even though there’s a law that says that must happen at the first meeting in December.

“We have decided as a majority of the board to delay that decision until after this decision is made in Raleigh,” Barfield said. “That way these new members can indeed participate in this process, as we’re going to be dealing with that chair and vice chair for the rest of the year. And I believe it’s right to have them involved in the process.”

For now, Woody White will remain chair and Beth Dawson will remain vice chair.

At the commission meeting Monday, members did approve a request to help pay for a new forensic chemist who will work for the Wilmington Police Department. The position, set to be an annual cost of more than $83,000, will expedite local cases and reduce jail time, officials said. Right now, it takes about 18 months for results to come back from the SBI Crime Lab; officials say this position will reduce that time to one month.

Following a presentation from District Attorney Ben David, commissioners unanimously approved the contribution for the job.