By Robert Sullivan

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Board of Commissioners are looking into an interim commissioner to fill the board during the absence of Commissioner Mike Caskey, who is serving in the Middle East with North Carolina National Guard.

Discussion on the appointment of the interim is the first item on the agenda for the upcoming meeting on Monday.

Board Chairman Greg Edds confirmed in a phone call on Thursday that the board was looking to appoint a temporary replacement. Edds said that the discussion stemmed from an October meeting of the board, where the commissioners were close to being unable to achieve a quorum. A quorum is a majority of the board, which in Rowan County’s case is three commissioners.

At the second October meeting, Caskey had been recently deployed and both commissioners Judy Klusman and Craig Pierce were going to be unable to attend due to health issues. In order for the commissioners to be able to achieve a quorum and officially make decisions, Pierce attended the meeting and pushed through.

Caskey officially had an indefinite leave of absence from the county approved by his fellow commissioners at the board meeting on Dec. 2, 2024. That decision also suspended his pay as a commissioner until his return.

The North Carolina General Statutes allow for the commissioners to “appoint any qualified citizen of the county as a temporary replacement for the period of the official’s leave of absence.”

Any temporary commissioner appointed would serve until Caskey was able to return to his seat, which is expected to be later this year.

Edds said that the commissioners have candidates in mind, but that the county was unable to release any identities of those candidates.