Chairman and County Seat Supervisor Gary Walker and Vice Chairman Garland H. Hamlett Jr. were re-elected to serve in their current positions following discussion at a recent organizational meeting of the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors.

“Thank you, board, for your confidence and re-appointing me as your chairman for another year,” Walker said. “I would like to welcome our new members. It’s nice to have fresh attitudes and fresh opinions … I hope we can work together as a team to do what’s best for the citizens of Charlotte County.”

An original motion made by Wylliesburg/ Red Oak Supervisor Kay Pierantoni appointed Hamlett to serve as chairman.

However, a substitute motion was made by Cullen/Red House Supervisor Dr. Nancy Carwile to keep Walker as chairman.

“I worked hard to get a rotation system for chair, and the chair serves for two years, and then the vice chair becomes chair,” Carwile said. “I feel like it takes the politics out of it.”

She said that’s why she proposed to keep the chair position the same.

“The people elected three people this year,” said Pierantoni. “In two years they will have another election.”

Pierantoni said while she understood Carwile’s rotation, each year is new, and the officials are responsible to the citizens to start freshly.

“To say that this has been set up, it was set up by a previous board, and this board starts anew today and should start anew with a clean slate and clean mind,” said Pierantoni. “Agreements that have been in the past should be null and void as we go forward.”

Carwile said she would like to give everyone a chance to be chairman.

Pierantoni said the rotation system was “very much politics.”

“I just think that it shouldn’t be a popularity contest,” said Carwile.

The substitute motion carried 4-3 in favor of Walker as chairman of the supervisors for 2018.