WALNUT COVE — Two newly elected town officials were inducted into the Walnut Cove Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night.
After taking their oaths of office, Chad Jarvis and Johnnie Hairston each started four-year terms as commissioners at the Dec. 12 meeting.
They were sworn in by District Court Judge Thomas Langan.
“This is your last campaign promise, and it invokes the name of God, so you better keep it,” Langan said.
Jarvis took the oath first with his wife, Paula “Sue” Jarvis, holding the Bible.
Hairston followed and was joined by his mother, Lois Hairston, who held the Bible while the new commissioner took the oath.
As Jarvis and Hairston joined Mayor Nellie Brown and commissioners Elmore Mabe and Thomas Mitchell, Langan concluded the induction ceremony with a memorable quip:
“So, you’ve taken your seat today; you’ve been sworn in. After tonight, you’ll be sworn at.”
Jarvis used open discussion time allotted to commissioners near the end of the meeting to comment on his upcoming term:
“I just want to reaffirm my commitment to transparency, keep my citizens and my fellow commissioners informed of anything I’m doing, of anything the board’s doing,” he said, thanking his wife and expressing appreciation for town employees and past officials.
When interviewed after the meeting, Hairston said, “I just want to hope I can make a difference for my community.”
Town Manager Kim Greenwood announced that plaques for exiting commissioners Danny Hairston and Joe Bennett, who did not attend the meeting, would be delivered to them.
The plaques thank the former commissioners for their years of dedication and service to the town.
Commissioner Mitchell, who was elected to serve as mayor pro tem, indicated that he welcomed a fresh start with the new board.
“I feel like that if you take the oath and you come here, you pray, pledge allegiance, that you should be fair and do your job with dignity,” he said. “I feel like this year I have been surrounded by a bunch of snakes. But I hope and pray that 2024 will be better than 2023.
“So I just want to say please, do your job with dignity and honesty and with truth.”
The meeting, held at the Walnut Cove Senior Center, drew a crowd that included several county commissioners, Board of Education Chair Von Robertson and King Mayor Rick McCraw.
Mayor Brown thanked the visiting officials for their demonstration of support.
“You all do great works for Stokes County — we’re all a big family here,” she said.
“When you look at the municipalities, the beautification of Danbury, the growth in King, North Carolina, the growth in Walnut Cove, and we look at Stokes County as one of the beautiful places that you can travel to see....”
Mayor Brown also thanked the seated and newly elected commissioners.
“We all are held to a higher standard as an elected official. We are here to service the citizens of the town with a lot of challenges as we move forward,” she said. “We will do the right things, and I can see the light ahead of us.”
Brown also expressed appreciation for the citizens, expressing the need to ensure compliance and set a good example for the next generation of leaders.
“Being honest about it, there’s a lot of work to be done in the town, and as a group, as a team, you can get it done.
“And at the end of the day, I want God to let me rest on my pillow in peace.”
336-654-5001
Service Areas
