Power on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners took a major shift Monday night from the old guard to the new when newly elected Commissioner Kirk deViere defeated longtime Commissioner Marshall Faircloth in the election for chair of the board.
The vote was 4-3 for deViere vs. Faircloth.
Votes for deViere: deViere, newly elected Commissioner Pavan Patel, newly elected Commissioner Henry Tyson and Commissioner Veronica Jones, who nominated him. Jones is in her first term, having taken office in late 2022.
Votes for Faircloth: Faircloth, Commissioner Glenn Adams (who was chair this past year), and Commissioner Jeannette Council, who nominated Faircloth. Faircloth, Adams and Council are long-serving members of the board.
The board unanimously voted for Jones to be the vice chair.
The vote for chairperson took place minutes after deViere, Tyson and Patel were sworn in to their seats serving the commission’s District 2. DeViere, Tyson and Patel replaced former commissioners Toni Stewart (who lost her reelection effort), Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose (neither of whom sought reelection this year).
Both deViere and Faircloth solicited Jones’ vote, Jones said on Tuesday, and she kept her decision to herself until Monday night’s meeting. She thought carefully and prayed, she said, as she decided between newly elected deViere and veteran Faircloth.
She told deViere as the meeting began that she would nominate him, deViere said Tuesday.
“I felt like we just need a little bit different, a change of a vision,” Jones told CityView on Tuesday. “All of the current commissioners have done a wonderful job. They have wonderful insights,” and have served as chairmen before, sometimes several times, she said. “And I really do feel like when you change things up … it allows the opportunity to maneuver and do things different.”
Why not Jones for chair, since she’s been in office for two years? She said she preferred to be the vice chair this year with deViere.
Faircloth could not be reached for comment before publication Tuesday.
While he is new to the Board of Commissioners, deViere is not new to political office. He previously served one term on the Fayetteville City Council and two terms in the state Senate. He was knocked out of the Senate in the 2022 Democratic primary by fellow Democrat Val Applewhite after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper endorsed Applewhite.
The vote for deViere as chair also reflects bipartisan coalition. DeViere and Jones are Democrats, and Patel and Tyson are Republicans.
In recent years, Keefe and Boose — who were the only Republicans on the seven-person board — complained that the five Democratic members led by Adams prevented them from serving as chair or vice chair because they were Republicans.
DeViere laid out his vision for Cumberland County in a short speech after he was selected to be chair and in an interview with CityView on Tuesday.
“We’ve got some big decisions to make in the next few years,” he said. “Our county’s growing, and how we handle that growth matters. We need to get it right, as our community and our children deserve nothing less.”
“Clean water is our priority, is my priority. Ensuring clean, safe drinking water is nonnegotiable,” he said. “We must provide a clean water source to our community and be prepared to fund it. We need to have a clear understanding of the water needs across the entire community, including residential, commercial and government.”
Drinking water from wells in part of the county is contaminated by PFAS chemicals from the Chemours Co. chemical plant at the Bladen County line, and the county plans to extend public water to residents in the area.
The county will partner with the county Board of Education and invest in public education, schools and classrooms, “ensuring every child has a fair start in life,” deViere said.
“We face real challenges with affordable housing that require real solutions that are sustainable,” he said. “We can no longer talk about it. We need to act. And this board will.”
He said he will work with elected leaders from the local mayors to state lawmakers, to the governor and to members of Congress (and he name-checked Republican state Sen. Tom McInnis and Republican state House Rep. Diane Wheatley of the Republican-controlled legislature) to bring investment here and solve ongoing community issues, such as affordable childcare for the workforce.
Council, who had nominated Faircloth to be the chair of the Board of Commissioners, said Tuesday she knew there was a move afoot for deViere to be elected chair.
“But the new people came, and they were excited, and they wanted to take over, so I wish them well,” she said.
“For everything, there’s a season, so I look forward to serving with a brand new board, with people who have fresh new commitments as they learn and go on to provide a service to the citizens of Cumberland County,” Council said.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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