Tim Lea basically had 48 hours to make a decision when the late Bob Ewing asked him to run for his seat on the Moore County Board of Commissioners eight years ago.

“Bob called me on a Monday morning, and I had until 10 a.m. Wednesday to file,” Lea said. “He paid my filing fee and told me in the parking lot afterward that he had done it so I wouldn’t leave Carthage without filing.”

Lea doesn’t want his successor to have the same pressure, which is one reason he announced Wednesday that he will not seek a third term.

“I wanted to make sure that whoever is interested in seeking the seat has more time to think about it than I did,” Lea said. “I hope that there will be a number of people who step up and show interest in the position.”

The filing period for the November election begins at noon Monday.

Lea, 60, said the main reason he decided not to seek re-election is that he “strongly” believes in term limits, whether they are “self-imposed or legislatively imposed.”

“I think sometimes people get into office, and they stay too long,” he said. “I’ve also got a track record of serving two terms wherever I’ve been.”

Those stops include two terms on the Moore County Planning Board, the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees and the Moore County Public Education Foundation Board of Directors. He served as chairman of the Planning Board.

Asked what he will miss the most, Lea simply said, “Serving the people.”

County Manager Cary McSwain said Lea’s passion for the job is evident in how he conducts himself.

“Commissioner Lea has always been very diligent and thorough in his investigation of the issues,” McSwain said. “He gets involved and engaged with people to fully understand the issues. He’s always done his homework. He also seems to speak from the heart. I wish him well and hope that his future endeavors are fruitful.”

In a letter Wednesday to supporters announcing his decision, Lea said he has always tried to do what he felt was “in the best interest of our county from a perspective of preserving what is unique about its culture, heritage and rural nature.”

“At the same time I have understood the importance of planning for current and future growth and have worked hard to ensure that as growth comes, it will be appropriate for our county’s infrastructure and resources,” he said. “Additionally, I have consistently worked to be fiscally responsible, most notably with respect to county indebtedness. I have also worked to support those decisions that would assure wise use of your tax dollars while resisting tax increases.”

Among the board’s accomplishments during his two terms, Lea is most proud of:

• Bringing greater transparency to county government through the establishment of a public-comment period.

• Improving communication with the Moore County school system, which helped to facilitate the building of new middle and elementary schools and the renovation of existing schools.

• Improving and expanding the water and sewer system by eliminating chronic water shortages for all of Moore County, upgrading ancient sewer lines in Pinehurst and extending water lines to new users.

• Establishing the new Senior Enrichment Center with the necessary and appropriate renovations.

• Reorganizing the contract negotiation process to make it more fair, open and competitive.

• Participating actively in the ongoing 3,000-acre Heart of North Carolina MegaPark project that borders the northwest part of the county.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t express my sincere gratitude to our county executive team and employees,” Lea said in the letter. “Elected officials come and go, but it is members of the staff who actually implement the policy, procedures and decisions of the Board of Commissioners on a day-to-day basis. “We are indeed most fortunate in Moore County to have such talented and dedicated people working for us, and they are the reason our county runs so smoothly.”

Lea was elected to the board in 2004 and survived a close call against Tim Sloan in 2008.

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at tnatt@thepilot.com.