Cabarrus Republicans use new law to pick town official for empty commission spot
Harrisburg Town Council member Ian Patrick is poised to join the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners, stepping into the role just months after a contentious fight over the last vacant seat prompted lawmakers to rewrite the rules.
Patrick, an architect in his second term on Harrisburg’s council, was selected Monday evening by the Cabarrus County Republican Party to finish the term of former Commissioner Lynn Shue, who died this month. The committee spent more than five hours interviewing applicants before selecting Patrick, according to a news release.
Patrick was recommended under a new law passed in June that shifted vacancy power away from commissioners and gave the decision to the departing member’s political party. The change followed a messy fight earlier this year, when the board voted to fill former Commissioner Chris Measmer’s seat before it was officially vacant. The process prompted a lawsuit against the county, an injunction by a judge and weeks of delay. When commissioners later failed to reach a quorum, the choice fell to the clerk of court.
The GOP’s recommendation will go to the commission for consideration during its Monday meeting. It’s unclear in the state law what would happen in the event the board does not cast a majority vote to approve Patrick.
Republican leaders said they chose him for his planning and infrastructure background.
“Ian Patrick brings a unique blend of professional expertise and civic leadership at a time when Cabarrus County is experiencing unprecedented growth,” said Cabarrus GOP Chair Lanny Lancaster.
The last vacancy left the board split 2–2 on key issues, stalling decisions on personnel, spending and other contentious matters until Commissioner Jeff Jones was appointed. With Shue’s death, the commission again sits at an ideological split between its more conservative and more moderate members.
Patrick said which way he leans will depend on the issue at hand.
“I’m not really interested in playing politics,” Patrick told The Charlotte Observer. “I certainly lean more conservative, but that doesn’t mean that if it’s a good thing for Cabarrus County that it shouldn’t be done.”
Who is Ian Patrick?
According to a news release from the Cabarrus County Republican Party, Patrick is a licensed architect in North and South Carolina who holds two architecture degrees from UNC Charlotte. The party highlighted his leadership roles with the American Institute of Architects, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Construction Professionals Network, as well as his service on Harrisburg’s Town Council.
Patrick described Cabarrus County’s rapid growth as its biggest challenge and said he hopes to bring the same “intentional growth” mindset he championed in Harrisburg. He said the county needs a plan that outlines what types of development the community wants while preparing for the infrastructure and service demands that come with expansion.
Patrick said he will resign from the town board in early December, and hopes to be sworn in at the Dec. 15 commission meeting where the board is set to select a new chair.
“I just want to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty,” he said.
