ROCKINGHAM — Natalie Johnson has been, at least temporarily, promoted.
The Richmond County Board of Commissioners last week voted to appoint Johnson as interim board clerk.
Johnson has worked for the county for more than a decade.
She was hired in 2015 as administrative assistant to then-county manager Rick Sago and began assisting then-clerk Marian Savage with assembling official minute books. She also provided assistance to Sandy Ridley with the Urgent Repair Program.
Johnson told the RO that while her position has remained administrative assistant, her duties have “expanded significantly” over the years.
Those responsibilities have included providing support to various offices within the county government, including the Water Department and Economic Development. With the latter, Johnson said she helped to “coordinate and run” Raffle at the Rock and Hops and Hot Rods.
Chairman Jeff Smart said Johnson is “aware of everything that goes on in the office,” and thanked her for her help over the last month.
The appointment comes following the resignation of Dena Cook at the end of August.
Later in the meeting, interim County Manager Cary Garner announced that longtime tax administrator Vagas Jackson had tendered his resignation to accept a job with Union County.
Garner explained that the county’s tax system is divided into an appraisal side and a collection side, with an administrator overseeing both sections.
Jackson also served as the county’s appointed tax assessor, which is required by the N.C. Department of Revenue.
At Garner’s request, the board approved the appointment of Tammy Craven as acting assessor to finish out the remainder of Jackson’s two-year term, ending June 30, 2027.
Tammy Craven stands after being appointed acting tax assessor.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Garner said that Craven fulfills all but one portion of the statutory requirements to be a certified assessor. He added that the final class must be done within two years of the appointment.
Craven has been in the tax department for nearly 30 years and is “very knowledgeable, very respected in her field by her peers” — both within and outside the county — Garner said.
“We are in very good hands in (the) tax (department),” Garner continued, noting that another revaluation is “around the corner.”
“I have a very high confidence level of where Mr. Jackson has left the department.”
Garner was appointed interim county manager in September following the approval of a separation agreement with former manager Bryan Land.
