Update: Monday 12/4/2023 10:25 AM

During todays Lenoir County Commissioner’s Meeting, the Lenoir County Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Commissioner Chad Rouse. Immediately following the meeting, the clerk to the board published the notice for the special meeting on December 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm.

Original Story, published Friday, 12/1/2023 at 12:00 PM.

Commissioner Chad Rouse resigns
School board member Keith King to be appointed

Commissioner Chad Rouse is resigning from the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners. Neuse News has confirmed that Lenoir County School Board member Keith King will be voted on as Rouse's replacement at an upcoming special Lenoir County Board of Commissioners meeting.

"A resignation letter was submitted over the holidays," said Lenoir County Commissioner Chair Linda Rouse Sutton. "He's going to be full time with his family in Florida."

Rouse's resignation as a County Commissioner comes on the heels of an early retirement and investigation by the Kinston Police Department. Rouse was terminated from the KPD due to a policy violation while in the retirement process.

"I followed normal policy and procedure," said Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette, on termination of Rouse's employment.

When a commissioner resigns prior to the end of their term, their party, in this case the Lenoir County Republican Party, can submit a name for the commissioners to vote on as a replacement. If no name is submitted, the commissioners can select and vote on who will fill that seat.

"I will be giving a recommendation, but I have not yet done so," said Sean Keenan, Chair of the Lenoir County Republican Party.

King issued a press release announcing his candidacy for the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners earlier this week after serving three terms on the board of education. If King is appointed to Rouse’s vacated seat, he will finish Rouse’s term which ends in 2024 and would have to file to run in the 2024 election.

"Keith will be sworn in at a special called [meeting] advertised for this Wednesday, December 6th at 1:00 pm," said County Commissioner J. Mac Daughety.

The Kinston native, whose school board term ends in 2026, has served on the Lenoir County Recreation Commission, the Lenoir County College Horticultural Advisory Committee, as a La Grange Rotarian, with the La Grange Chamber of Commerce, as a La Grange Christian Church deacon, and as a youth baseball coach for nine years.

“I look forward to contributing to our county’s government and helping Lenoir County to continue moving forward," said King. "I want to help provide a safe and prosperous environment for our citizens."

If King is appointed to the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners, it will leave a vacant seat on the school board. North Carolina General Statute § 115C-37.1, provides the next steps to replace a school board member. If the resigning member was the nominee of a political party, the appointing authority must consult with the county executive committee of that party and appoint the person recommended by the party executive committee within 30 days. The appointed person would also have to be from King's District 2, which covers Falling Creek and Moseley Hall precincts.

The regular county commissioners meeting is Monday, December 4, 2023 at 9:00 am. The special meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm. The next school board meeting is Monday, December 11, 2023.

UPDATE:

Statement from the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners

The Lenoir County Board of Commissioners is aware of Commissioner Chad Rouse’s impending resignation from the Board of Commissioners, due to his relocation to Florida. His last meeting with the Board is scheduled to be on Monday, Dec. 4.

Commissioner Rouse has been an integral member of our governing board and a strong advocate for the residents of Lenoir County. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 153A-27, in the coming days, the Board of

Commissioners will take the necessary steps to fill this newly-created vacancy. At this time, the Board of Commissioners has not undergone any formal consideration of prospective candidates or taken any actions in regards to the filling of this vacancy.

We look forward to receiving the recommendation of a replacement for Commissioner Chad Rouse from the Lenoir County Republican Party and taking that recommendation into consideration.

The Board of Commissioners looks forward to continuing our focused efforts on making Lenoir County a great community.

Linda Rouse-Sutton, Chair

Lenoir County Board of Commissioners

*Publisher’s Note - Commissioner Rouse agreed to an interview with Neuse News, then canceled and was given an opportunity to comment to today’s story but did not respond by the deadline.