The Roseboro Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon, immediately entering closed session and citing personnel matters as the reason.
No action was taken and no indication was given for the emergency session.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, commissioners voted to enter closed session. The meeting officially moved behind closed doors at 4:43 p.m. and remained in session for more than 40 minutes before adjourning at 5:26 p.m.
Roseboro Mayor Alice Butler declined to comment following the meeting.
Under North Carolina law, emergency meetings may only be called under specific circumstances. North Carolina Press Association attorney Mike Tadych explained the requirements governing such meetings and the limitations placed on public bodies.
“An emergency meeting can only be called because of generally unexpected circumstances that require immediate consideration by the public body,” Tadych said. “Notice of the emergency meeting must be given to each local newspaper, local wire service, local radio station and local television station that has filed a written request for emergency notice.”
That notice was provided to The Sampson Independent.
According to Tadych, notice must be provided immediately after members of the governing body are notified and may be delivered by email, telephone or the same method used to notify board members.
“Only business connected with the emergency may be considered at a meeting for which emergency notice is given,” Tadych said.
He pointed to a recent court case in Anson County involving the appointment of a sheriff following the death of the previous officeholder.
“A recent case out of Anson County found there was no emergency requiring the appointment of a new sheriff following the death of the former sheriff,” Tadych said. “The court invalidated the appointment because there was no actual emergency.”
Tadych also outlined the circumstances under which public bodies may enter closed session for personnel matters.
“Public bodies can go into closed session to consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer, employee or prospective public officer or employee, or to hear or investigate a complaint, charge or grievance by or against an individual public officer or employee,” he said.
However, he noted that general personnel policy issues cannot be discussed in closed session.
“A public body may not consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, appointment or removal of one of its own members in closed session,” Tadych added. “Nor may it consider filling a vacancy among its own membership except during an open meeting.”
Tadych further noted that any final personnel action must occur publicly.
“Any final action making an appointment, discharge or removal by a public body having final authority for that action must be taken in an open meeting,” he said.
Town attorney Sandy Sanderson stated during the meeting that the board wasn’t going to make a decision regarding the personnel matter. The Roseboro Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold its next regular public meeting on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m.