COURTLAND
With six of the planning commission’s nine terms set to expire at the end of April, the Southampton County Board of Supervisors on Monday restructured the terms so that two expire each year. The reorganization will go into effect following this year’s reappointments.

“I’m not sure how so many of these terms have come to expire concurrently, but the clear intent of the enabling legislation is to provide for staggered terms that most closely balances the annual number of appointments of a four-year period,” county administrator Mike Johnson said.

The Franklin and Berlin-Ivor seats will come with a four-year terms expiring in April 2020; the Newsoms and at-large positions will be appointed for three-year terms expiring in April 2019; and the Capron and Drewryville seats will come with a 1-year term expiring in April 2017. Terms for the Boykins-Branchville and Jerusalem districts expire in April 2018, effectively staggering the terms.

Commissioners Douglas Chesson (Berlin-Ivor), William Day (Capron), Keith Tennessee (Drewryville), Robert White (Franklin), Michael Drake (Newsoms) and Oliver Parker (at-large) are all eligible for reappointment. Subsequent appointments will be on four-year terms.