Tensions remain high in Pender County after two commissioners miss meeting

PENDER COUNTY, N.C. — Tensions remain high in Pender County after two commissioners missed Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, preventing the board from reaching a quorum and forcing several agenda items to be postponed.

Randy Burton and Jerry Groves were absent from the meeting, leaving the board unable to conduct official business.

“It wasn’t a great feeling in the room,” said Joshua Smith, chairman of the Pender County Republican Party, who attended the meeting. “A lot of people were very disappointed, unhappy.”

The lack of a quorum prompted an unscheduled recess and drew criticism from Commissioner Jimmy Tate.

“I believe this is the worst board that I’ve served with since I first went in public service in 2007,” Tate said.

Burton claims his absence was due to being out of town.

Groves said he did not attend because he feared for his safety.

“I feared for my safety,” Groves said.

He pointed to a series of political cartoons published in the Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, including one he said depicted a tombstone and three crosses.

“Pettigrew did a cartoon with Tombstone in the back with three crosses with me in it. Isn’t that pretty serious? I would think so,” Groves said.

Andy Pettigrew, owner of the publication, denied that the newspaper had published anything threatening.

“We have never at any point in time threatened his safety. That’s ridiculous,” Pettigrew said.

Pettigrew also said he was surprised by the security presence at Monday night’s meeting.

“I will say this: Last night, I’ve never seen a county commissioners meeting with as many sheriff’s deputies present,” he said.

Several sheriff’s deputies attended the meeting, and attendees were required to pass through a metal detector.

Because the board could not reach a quorum, several agenda items were postponed, including a resolution concerning the return of the Maple Hill postal facility and the appointment of Beth Burns as interim District 1 commissioner.

Smith said a rumor circulated that the potential appointment of Burns may have been connected to the commissioners’ absences.

“Two people couldn’t make it. That hasn’t happened, I don’t know how long, where we couldn’t meet a quorum, but there could have been better communication,” Smith said.

If appointed, Burns would serve as the interim District 1 commissioner for about two months before a new commissioner is selected.

“Early voting starts in less than a month. Nov. 3 we’re going to have a new commissioner named, so I would love to just focus on what’s ahead of us now and just leave this behind us,” Smith said.

North Carolina law addresses situations in which county commissioners fail to attend meetings. In certain circumstances, absent commissioners can be compelled to attend when their participation is considered sufficiently important to the functioning of county government.