By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com

Republican Samantha Martin became the new chair of the Lee County Board of Commissioners on Monday, opening a new era of leadership in Lee County.

The change came five days after fellow Republican and now-former Chairman Kirk Smith submitted his letter of resignation from the position. There was no oath of office, just a gathering of personal effects as the two changed seats following a paper ballot vote of 6-1 in Martin’s favor.

Martin’s first words after being handed the gavel were of appreciation to Smith.

“As the board moves into a new chapter leadership, I think it is important that we pause to recognize and sincerely thank Chairman Kirk Smith for his years of dedicated service to Lee County, and for the tremendous amount of responsibility he has carried during his time as chair,” Martin said. “Serving as chair requires much more than presiding over meetings. It requires countless hours of preparation, regional coordination, committee work, relationship building, and in representing the interests of Lee County, much of which happens quietly behind the scenes and often goes unseen by the public.”

Among the challenges Martin, first elected countywide in 2024, will face chair is a proposal to increase the county’s tax rate by five cents, the largest tax increase in years and the first increase at all in the past five. The Rant will have a full story about the tax increase proposal in the coming days.

Each member of the board took a moment near the end of the meeting to give thanks to Smith.

“We thank Mr. Smith for your years of leadership and service, and for what you’ve done for Lee County,” said Democratic Commissioner Mark Lovick.

Smith had suggested in his letter of resignation to County Attorney Whitney Parrish on May 14 that some members of the commission had worked behind the scenes to remove him from office through changes proposed in the board’s rules of procedures.

“To avoid embarrassing the Board members, who worked behind the scenes colluding to change the Rules and Procedures of the Lee County Board of Commissioners and as my ‘vote of no confidence,’ effective immediately, I will step down as Chairman, to preclude a vote of those who plotted with staff to revise our rules,” Smith wrote.

But Republican Commissioner Taylor Vorbeck, who chose not to seek re-election this November, pushed back on that narrative.

“On the addressing of rules of procedures, there was no collusion on my effort, and I can feel like I can speak for the rest of the members,” she said. “I think when you are put into an elected position, you are held to a higher standard, and when you are voted in as chair, you are held to an even higher standard. I believe that standard should not be changed based on your personal opinion on a matter.”

The effort to create rules allowing the removal of board leadership, and ultimately Smith’s resignation, appeared to stem from an incident at the commissioners meeting on March 16, when Smith aggressively questioned an attorney representing the Southern Environmental Law Group in Chapel Hill about the potential environmental impacts of data centers.

Martin will serve out the remainder of Smith’s term as chair of the board through December.