COMMISSIONER RESIGNS
Cabarrus County sees more top leadership turnover as Pittman resigns
Cabarrus County Commissioner Larry Pittman will resign effective Sept. 30.
Cabarrus County is facing another shake-up in its top leadership, with Commissioner Larry Pittman's resignation adding to nearly two years of turnover that has roiled the county's governing board and administrative staff.
Pittman, a former state lawmaker who joined the five-member commission in December 2024, announced Monday evening that he will resign effective Sept. 30 as he prepares to move to eastern North Carolina with his wife.
His departure means four of the county's five current commissioners are either leaving office or facing reelection this year. Two other commissioners have already been replaced through appointments since early 2025, while the county has also fired two managers and its longtime attorney during that period.
Commissioners Jeff Jones and Kenny Wortman are not seeking reelection. Vice Chair Ian Patrick is running to retain his seat in November. Board Chair Laura Blackwell Lindsey, whose term expires in 2028, is the only current commissioner who will neither face voters nor leave office this year. Pittman's resignation, just over a month before the Nov. 3 election, creates another vacancy that the remaining commissioners must fill through an appointment.
In a Facebook post Monday night, Pittman, 71, said he and his wife, Tammy, purchased a home in Pamlico County in April after searching for a house near his childhood home for more than five years. The couple plans to complete their move by Sept. 30, Pittman's 72nd birthday.
"Thank you to all our friends and supporters who have sought to encourage us during our time of service for over eleven years in the North Carolina House, and during my time on the Cabarrus County Commission," Pittman wrote.
In a county news release Tuesday, Lindsey praised Pittman's service, calling him "one of the most principled men I've ever met."
Frequent county turnover
Pittman's resignation is the latest in a series of departures that have repeatedly changed the makeup of Cabarrus County's governing board.
In April 2025, then-Commission Chair Chris Measmer resigned to fill a vacancy in the North Carolina Senate, setting off a contentious replacement process.
Commissioners initially voted to appoint Lamarie Austin-Stripling before Measmer's resignation took effect, but a judge blocked the appointment. After the board failed to fill the vacancy before the statutory deadline, Cabarrus County Clerk of Superior Court Bill Baggs appointed Jones.
The board faced another vacancy in November when longtime Commissioner Lynn Shue died. This time, the appointment process followed a new state law giving the departing commissioner's political party a greater role in selecting a replacement.
The Cabarrus County Republican Party recommended Patrick, a former Harrisburg Town Council member, and commissioners appointed him in December. The newly constituted board then elected Lindsey as chair and Patrick as vice chair.
Now, Pittman's departure will require commissioners to fill a third vacancy in less than two years.
According to the county, the board must consult with the Cabarrus County Republican Party's Executive Committee, which has until 5 p.m. Oct. 30 to recommend a replacement. Under state law, commissioners must appoint the party's recommended candidate to serve the remainder of Pittman's term, which expires in November 2028. Lindsey, who serves on the party's executive committee, has recused herself from voting on its selection to avoid a conflict of interest, according to the county.
The changes on the commission follow a similarly tumultuous period for the county's top administrative leadership.
In January 2025, commissioners fired longtime County Manager Mike Downs and County Attorney Richard Koch, who had served in their positions since 2011 and 2006, respectively. Lindsey made the motion to fire Downs, which Pittman seconded.Commissioners hired Sean Newton as Downs' replacement in March but fired him just five months later in a 3-2 vote. Lindsey and Pittman opposed his dismissal. Both former managers subsequently sued the county over severance payments. The county agreed to pay Downs $489,000 to settle his lawsuit in September 2025, while Newton filed a lawsuit in May 2026 seeking nearly $290,000.
Following Newton's dismissal, Kelly Sifford served as interim manager until commissioners unanimously appointed John Eller IV in June, making him the county's third permanent manager in less than two years.
