HAMLET — The Hamlet City Council on Friday voted unanimously to appoint former Hamlet Mayor Abbie Covington to fill the council seat left vacant by the departure of Terry Moore last month.
The council first officially approved Moore’s resignation. The seat was available to anyone who expressed interest and who could gain approval from the council, but Covington was the only person who came forward. Covington was first elected to the City Council in the 1970s and has served in elected office for more than 40 years. She was the city’s first female mayor and held the office for 10 years in the 1980s and 90s, and later returned to the council where she remained until 2013.
Covington first expressed interest on Feb. 18, saying , “I think that going back to days of sounder practices would resonate with the public.” She will be sworn in at the monthly council meeting on Tuesday.
“I had to make an appointment for my dog with the vet and I had to pencil in ‘city council’ on Tuesday,” Covington said after the vote Friday.
She was mayor when current Mayor Bill Bayless joined the council, but said, “I’m glad we switched seats.”
Bayless said it’s a “great idea” to have Covington on the council.
“She knows municipal government,” he said.
Councilman Eddie Martin said prior to the vote Friday that Covington’s record “speaks for itself.” Martin was Chief of Police of the Rockingham Police Department during the Imperial Foods fire in 1991, and said Hamlet “couldn’t have had a better representative” during that crisis.
“I think she’ll be an asset to our board,” Martin said.
In an interview with the Daily Journal in February, Covington expressed frustration at watching the recent turmoil on the council from the sidelines.
“I’m very concerned about the City of Hamlet, and have always been, and I want to do what I can to make a positive difference in the lives of people that live here,” she said. “I want this to be a council with less drama and more positive action.”
Her husband, Jim Covington, was in attendance for the vote and said she decided she could do good for the city and that he’s “proud” of her for successfully making it onto the council.
“Somebody’s got to stand up and she’s not afraid to do that,” he said.
Moore resigned his position after storming out of a closed session after which the council planned a vote to censure him. This action was prompted by Moore obtaining months-long records of sensitive location data of Hamlet Police Department officers, including Chief of Police Tommy McMasters, from Richmond County Emergency Services.
The city argued that this information was not public record and that Moore did not follow proper procedure in addressing personnel concerns, and Moore was additionally accused of potentially creating a hostile work environment for McMasters.
City Manager Jonathan Blanton said following Covington’s initial interest that it’s “difficult for me to imagine a candidate that is more qualified.”
“I think we’re going to have the most stable and experienced council that we’ve had, certainly since I’ve been here,” Blanton said. “I respect Mrs. Covington a lot … I’m thrilled beyond measure that she’s agreed to accept and beyond excited looking forward to working with her to accomplish a lot of the great things that we’ve got going.”
