By Josh Bergeron
josh.bergeron@salisbury post.com

SALISBURY — By a unanimous count and without any fanfare, Rowan County commissioners on Monday reappointed Greg Edds chairman and Jim Greene vice chairman.

It will be the third-straight year that Edds and Greene have held the positions. It’s also the first time the same two people have served as chairman and vice chairman for three, straight years since the 1980s, according to a review of meeting minutes.

In brief comments after being unanimously chosen as chairman, Edds stressed the value that each member brings to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.

“I do want to say thank you to this commission, each one of you,” Edds said. “In the past couple weeks, I’ve repeated that this is a talented group of folks … each person that’s here makes this board stronger. Without any, one person this board is weaker.”

Edds said being chairman is the highest honor of his life excluding his faith and family.

Monday’s county commissioners meeting began with the swearing in of commissioners Mike Caskey and Craig Pierce to a second term. Both were joined by family members as they took the oath of office.

Caksey and Pierce were reelected in November to another four-year term with 37.93 percent and 30.72 percent of the vote, respectively. Both men were first elected to the board in 2012. Now, they’ll serve until 2020. Caskey is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer. Pierce owns a local construction business.

During the 2016 campaign, both men said they would work to ensure current projects, such as a county-owned water and sewer system, would be completed.

After the swearing-in ceremonies, the Board of County Commissioners voted for the chairman and vice chairman until December 2017.

Commissioner Judy Klusman made a motion to pick Edds as chairman. Pierce motioned to close the nominations immediately after Klusman’s motion. County commissioners unanimously voted to close the nominations with Edds as the only nominee.

Greene was the only nominee for vice chairman.

The terms of Edds, Greene and Klusman expire in 2018.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.