Mecklenburg commissioners recommend one of four finalists to replace Ella Scarborough
Mecklenburg County commissioners on Saturday recommended that former commissioner Wilhelmenia Rembert serve as the interim replacement for Ella Scarborough on the board.
Scarborough, a longtime fixture in Mecklenburg politics and government, is in hospice care, the Observer reported March 1, citing board chairman George Dunlap.
Commissioners recommended Rembert for the temporary at-large seat after interviewing four nominees Saturday, according to a county news release.
Rembert was board vice chair for one term between 2004 and 2006. She also is a former member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education.
Scarborough is on medical leave. Her current condition is unclear. The longtime Black political leader in Charlotte had been absent from meetings for months before taking leave.
The other finalists were former state Rep. Beverly Earle; former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board Chair Mary McCray; and Sam Spencer, a spokesperson for Rep. Alma Adams, the former chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission and a current six-year member of the commission.
At their regular meeting Tuesday, commissioners are scheduled to consider their recommendation of Rembert and vote to appoint a temporary at-large commissioner who will serve through Dec. 5, according to Saturday’s release.
Tuesday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Meeting Chamber of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. 4th St. in uptown.
The new commissioner will be sworn in during a March 22 ceremony. That’s the day the term begins.
Commissioners on Feb. 8 unanimously approved Scarborough’s medical leave request.
On Tuesday, March 8, the board discussed the 17 eligible applicants for the temporary seat and nominated four to be interviewed.
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 3:21 PM.