Column: Henry Tyson follows in the footsteps of late grandfather and late uncle as county commissioner

You might say there was a sense of déjà vu Monday when Henry Tyson took his oath as a new member of the Cumberland Board of County Commissioners. 

“So help me God,” the 40-year-old businessman said as N.C. Appeals Court Judge John Tyson swore-in his son at a special meeting of the board at the Crown Complex ballroom.

Henry Tyson is a novice when it comes to holding elected political office, but he has the pedigree. 

Not only is his father a state appellate court judge, but Tyson’s late grandfather served as a county commissioner from 1956 to 1972, including seven terms as chair, before serving in the N.C. House from 1973 to 1985. And Tyson’s late uncle, Henry MacMillan “Mac” Tyson II, was a county commissioner from 1996 to 2000. 

“I’m humbled and honored that the voters would put their trust in me to represent them on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners,” Tyson said before taking his oath in front of about 400 people who turned out on the cold evening with temperatures below freezing. “Growing up and hearing stories that my uncle would share, and my dad would share about my grandfather’s time on the commission, has made the opportunity that much more special. 

“Seeing the fruits of his policy still in place and stories others would share in the community has given me a resolve to honor him and my family in the service I give.

“Cumberland County is my home, and my strongest desire is to make it a better place for generations to come,” Tyson said, “just as my father, uncle and my grandfather have served in public service before me.”

A Republican, Tyson earned his seat on Nov. 5 with 37,883 votes (16.47%), according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, over Republican Peter Pappas with 37,704 votes (16.39%) in the six-candidate race. 

Former N.C. Sen. Kirk deViere, a Democrat, led the ticket with 41,691 votes (18.12%), followed by Republican Pavan Patel with 38,749 votes (16.85%), with Tyson taking the third seat. 

‘Do what the people elected you to do’

Outgoing commissioners Toni Stewart, Michael Boose and Jimmy Keefe offered emotional farewells.

Glenn Adams, the outgoing chair who remains as a commissioner, remembered Stewart for her advocacy of the “the most vulnerable,” Adams said, and “her tireless work for the homeless. We’ll miss you, and most of all your heart.”

Stewart finished last in the Nov. 5 election. 

“It’s been an honor to serve,” Stewart said. “I was vice chair twice and chair once. All the titles equal out to being a servant … It’s all about the people.”

Boose, 69, said he could not have served 12 years on the Cumberland County Board of Education and eight years as a commissioner without the support of his wife. 

“He had a passion for economic development,” Adams said. “He was always willing to listen and to learn. You left an indelible mark. Your work here will not be forgotten.”

Boose, like Keefe, did not seek re-election. 

“My father taught me passion,” said Keefe, 63, whose father, the late John Keefe, was a commissioner from 1992 until his death at age 66 on Feb. 29, 1996. “My late mother taught me compassion.”

He challenged deViere, Patel and Tyson to be bold.

“I’m excited to see your excitement,” said Keefe, who served 16 years as a commissioner. “You should be fearless. Don’t be afraid to think differently. Do what the people elected you to do.”

Boose and Keefe presented current and past commissioners with a memento quoting the late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. that read: “The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.”

DeViere new commission chair

DeViere was elected as chair of the commission in a 4-3 vote of himself, Patel, Tyson and Democrat incumbent Veronica Jones, who nominated deViere, according to CityView reporting. Democrat incumbent Marshall Faircloth was nominated by Jeannette Council but received only three votes from himself, outgoing chair Glenn Adams and Council.

The audience erupted in approval at the choice of deViere, who played a leading role as the Cumberland County state delegation brought more than $421 million from the 2001 state budget long session and another $100 million in the short session for more than $500 million in deViere’s second term.

“We weren’t sure how the votes would go,” deViere, 54, later said.

Jones was the board’s unanimous choice as vice chair.

“I want to thank every one of you,” Jones said, and then telling the audience, “All of these seats up here belong to you.”

The swearings-in for deViere, Patel and Tyson were poignant. 

Grey deViere, 7, held the bible that belonged to Kirk deViere’s late mother, Eva Tow, who died of cancer in 2015, as Secretary of State Elaine Marshall administered his oath. Sen. Tom McInnis, who represents Moore and parts of Cumberland County, administered the oath to Patel, with Patel’s family, including his 90-year-old grandmother, who was seated nearby. And John Tyson was in his black judge’s robe swearing in his son. 

“It’s an incredible honor for a parent,” John Tyson, 71, said.

He thought back to his father’s time as a commissioner when Henry McMillan Tyson was a Gray’s Creek native and known for his advocacy of industrial, business, agricultural and conservation growth. 

“Henry was 10 when his grandfather died,” John Tyson said about his father, who died at age 78 on April 7, 1993. “I think he would tell Henry to have a servant’s heart, to listen more than speak and to remember the people who put him there.”

‘We’ve been given a mandate’

Henry Tyson said before Monday’s special board meeting that he listened to county residents during his campaign. 

“Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and discuss issues important to many different people in our county,” he said. “During those discussions, I have learned that the community wants clear, decisive, responsive leadership. A big issue for us to solve is the current crisis of clean, sustainable drinking water for residents in our county. The resounding response from voters is clear, and that is that we’ve been given a mandate by the community to get this addressed and get it right. 

“Another issue that I heard several times is government accountability and efficiency. Our residents want to see us work with other municipalities to help create synergies that in the end will help not only in spending tax dollars wisely but also in making services such as 911 more efficient.

“Lastly, many residents are concerned about the upcoming re-evaluation and what the implications are to the amount of taxes they will pay,” said Tyson, who earned a degree in political science and government in 2006 from Campbell University and works as a commercial real estate broker and co-owner with his mother, Kirby Tyson, of Tyson Commercial Real Estate and The Hub. “Many residents I spoke with are living on fixed incomes and bought their properties years ago. We will need to take a hard look at how we can streamline what we can, so our most vulnerable taxpayers aren’t having to choose between paying their taxes or their bills.”

Epilogue

The new commissioners left us with assurances of what they will bring going forward for the fifth-largest county by population in the state. 

“Truthfully, I’m very humbled to be a voice for our county,” said Patel, 33, who raised nearly $90,000 in campaign funds and placed 4,000 campaign signs from one end of the county to the other. “I appreciate our outgoing commissioners. I’m going to listen and work as hard as I can for our county and our future.”

Tyson said the trust of those who believed in his campaign is a trust, in his words, he doesn’t take lightly. 

“Everyone I talked to, you have a voice on this commission,” he said. “To Toni, Jimmy and Michael, we will make you proud.”

DeViere had the last word. 

“We’ve got some big decisions to make in the coming years,” he said, including priorities to include clean and safe drinking water, affordable housing, accessible childcare and supporting public education, “and we have to get it right.”

And, he said, the new board must work with state and congressional legislators from Raleigh to the nation’s capital to see that Cumberland County always is remembered and never forgotten. 

“It’s time to move beyond rhetoric,” deViere said. “Now, let’s get to work.”

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this column incorrectly stated the Cumberland County state delegation brought more than $402 million from the 2001 state budget. The delegation brought in $421 million, not $402 million. An earlier version of this column also incorrectly called Henry Tyson a lawyer. He is not a lawyer. This column has been updated with the correct information and additional details. CityView apologizes for these errors.

Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961

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