A new mayor and two new town commissioners took their oaths and their seats on the Carthage Town Board Monday night.

Outgoing Mayor Ronnie Fields called the regular December meeting to order.

"This is the last time I get to do that," he said, grinning as he pounded the gavel. He asked Rick Martindale, minister of First Presbyterian Church, for an invocation.

After Martindale's prayer for guidance, Commissioner Robert Sullivan led the company present in the Pledge to the Flag. Sullivan was defeated in his bid for re-election, so this would be his final time on the board.

The consent agenda and minutes of the November meeting were quickly approved, and the departing commissioners left to take seats in the audience. Moore County Clerk of Superior Court Susan Hicks then administered the oath required by law of all who serve on municipal boards, beginning with Tom Stewart. He was elected mayor after having served some 10 years on the board as a commissioner.

His oath was followed by that of Milton T. Dowdy, who was re-elected to his seat along with Artie Barber, who took the oath next. Larry Caddell, former Carthage mayor and current Moore County commissioner, held the Bible for his wife, Lisa, as Hicks swore her in to the seat she won in November.

Finally, Lee McGraw raised his hand and was sworn in to take the seat being vacated by Stewart.

Without objection, on a motion by Barber, the board members elected Jean Riley as mayor pro tem. Also by acclamation, the commissioners appointed Lisa Caddell as an authorized check signer for the town.

In other business:

Town Manager Carol Sparks reported that a Nov. 30 sewer spill was caused when portions of dislodged roots made plastic bags cling together and stop up the line.

About 30,000 gallons spilled over by the time the overflow was discovered at 11:45 that morning. Workers rodded the line and spread lime over the outflow area, completing repairs in three hours. As required whenever spills exceed 15,000 gallons, a public notice was published.

Sparks reported that the 45-year-old municipal building heating system broke down. Repeated attempts to repair it met with more failures. SouthMoore Heating submitted the lowest bid for a replacement system at $11,970 and has ordered the unit. It should be installed by the end of the week, Sparks said.

Public Works has been exploring water lines with a camera system and is replacing old meters with new ones. Workers found valves that had been paved over and cut them out of the system so they will be able now to turn off water in order to isolate leaks.

The board approved a request by Richard Frye for voluntary annexation of property along U.S. 15/501 and set Jan. 19 as the date for a public hearing on that question.

They moved the January meeting to the third Tuesday, because the regular Monday date falls on Martin Luther King Day.

A closed session followed the meeting, but no action was taken afterward other than adjournment.

Contact John Chappell at (910) 783-5841 or by e-mail at jchappell@thepilot.com.