Tommy Daughtry, a retired Dominion supervisor, was appointed to the District 1 Roanoke Rapids City Council seat held by Suetta Scarbrough, whose family announced late last month she was stepping due to health issues.

The pathway to Daughtry being named to the seat Tuesday during a special council meeting was finalized through several votes and matters of protocol which led City Attorney Geoffrey Davis to consult Robert's Rules of Order.

Before getting to the stage where a vote was called for to fill Scarbrough’s unexpired term, the council first had to vote on the process to name someone to the seat, City Manager Kelly Traynham explained.

On a 3-2 vote, in which Mayor Emery Doughtie cast the tiebreaker, the panel opted to go with the motion and vote method in which a motion is made to appoint someone. The mayor is allowed to cast the tiebreaker using this method.

Councilwoman Sandra Bryant’s motion to use a nomination and ballot method failed by a 3-2 measure. 

Had this method been approved the mayor would have not been allowed to cast a tiebreaker and the council would have continued deliberating until a decision was reached.

Bryant opted for the nomination and ballot so the council could hear from prospective candidates for the seat.

The sticking point during the process came as Councilman Wayne Smith introduced a motion to appoint Daughtry to the vacant seat. That motion initially passed with Smith and Stainback voting in favor and Ferebee and Bryant voting against. Doughtie then broke the tie which gave Daughtry the seat.

Councilman Carl Ferebee wanted an opportunity to make a motion to appoint former Halifax County Manager Tony Brown to the seat and Davis, in his study of Robert’s Rules of Order, said Ferebee was allowed to make a motion to amend Smith’s original motion.

Smith agreed to rescind his original motion so Ferebee could introduce his amendment. 

The motion to appoint Brown ultimately failed on a 3-2 vote and Daughtry would be allowed to get the seat.

Stainback said Daughtry is retired from Dominion. “He had a really big job there supervising all the outages. He was very active with his kids when they were younger — just a good man. He’s somebody I can work with. He’s somebody I grew up with.”

Doughtie described Daughtry as a Christian man who has always done a lot for the community. “He’s still very involved with the power company.”

Ferebee said he was disappointed in the process that didn’t allow more than one person to be considered. “The way it was done was just we elected this person and the others didn’t have a say in it. If there was a process or a way of getting both candidates out there in a vote form and then the mayor would break that tie, that’s what I was looking for.”

The nomination and ballot method would have allowed the discussion and vetting Ferebee and Bryant were seeking.

Ferebee said, according to Robert’s Rules, “You don’t close a nomination until there are no other candidates. Even though they were saying there was a motion I think it’s incorrect the way they processed it.”

Brown, Ferebee said, “He has a lot of experience already in what we do and he wouldn’t have to start from ground zero. We’re doing right now a four-year appointment versus usually it’s a year or two in there. But now it’s four years.”

Ferebee said, however, “I don’t have an issue with Tommy. I know him well, I know he’s a good guy, I know he’s capable. Tony is a capable guy too. I wanted to be able to do a vote for those two and at this point it was more like we didn’t have an opportunity to do a vote on those two.”

Brown had said prior to the meeting that he was interested in the position but would abide by the council’s decision.