Councilman Chuck Allen not sworn in yet
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on August 7, 2012 1:46 PM
Despite a handful of recounts and a ruling against a preliminary hearing, Mayor Pro Tempore Chuck Allen's election to represent District 5 isn't completely settled yet.
Allen sat and watched as the members of the Goldsboro City Council took their oaths, but was unable to be sworn in himself because the results of his election are still not considered official.
Allen withstood a challenge from a write-in candidate by two votes in the July 17 election and that challenger, Jerome Tew, filed a formal protest of the results last week, leading to a preliminary hearing held by the Wayne County Board of Elections Friday.
Tew was denied a full hearing, but can file a protest at the state level for up to 24 hours following his receipt of the written order showing the board's denial of the hearing, Interim Board of Elections Director Beverly York said today.
Mrs. York said the order had not been sent out this morning, but that it was completed.
"(Allen) cannot be issued a certificate of election until the timetable has passed," she explained.
Allen said he wanted to be sure there was no question concerning his election to office before he was sworn in.
"I just want to be sure they're done. I don't want to get ahead of myself on that," he said. "We want to be sure that we do everything proper."
If there is no further challenge, it's likely Allen could be sworn in at the council's next meeting, Aug. 20.