Craven County has a new county commissioner.
The Craven County Board of Commissioners appointed Tim Mason to fill the vacant District 1 commissioner seat during a work session on Oct. 20, 2025, in New Bern, NC and he was sworn on Nov. 3, according to a press release from Craven County.
The press release said the commissioners held a special meeting on Oct. 15 to interview candidates who were recommended by the Craven County Republican Party. The meeting minutes note Commissioners Vice Chairman Jason R. Jones (District 2), Beatrice R. Smith (District 3), Shevel “Sherry” Hunt (District 5) and Chadwick Howard (District 6) Chairman Denny Bucher (District 7) were present, and Commissioner Etteinne “ET” Mitchell was absent.
NewBernNow.com asked Public Information Officer Shane Digan who voted for who? He said Jason Jones, Beatrice Smith, ET Mitchell, Sherry Hunt and Chadwick Howard voted for Tim Mason; and Denny Bucher voted for Jason Sanderson.
Mason’s term will run until the first Board of Commissioners meeting in December 2026, according to the release.
The release said, “Commissioner Mason moved to Craven County in 2015 after his retirement as a systems analyst for a defense contractor. Mason first retired from the U.S. Army after more than twenty years of service in various capacities, including infantry, logistics, and operations research. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree in National Security Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Mason is a member and trustee of the Bridgeton Methodist Church. He is married to Patti Mason, who is currently serving on the Craven County Board of Education.”
The seat became vacant after the death of Commissioner Thomas “Tom” Mark on Sept. 3. Commissioner Mark had represented the district for about 15 years. The district encompasses northern portions of Craven County, including Bridgeton, Fairfield Harbour and Vanceboro.
The full release is available here.
The meeting schedule is available here, agendas and packets can be found here, and videos of regular meetings can be found here.
By Wendy Card, editor. Send an email with questions or comments.