By Miles Layton

PLYMOUTH — Plymouth Town Council voted 4-1 Friday night to appoint John Shelton to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat, selecting the retired law enforcement officer and civic leader to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

After being appointed to council, Albemarle Observer caught up with Shelton at the Oyster Bar — a good place to eat.

Shelton’s appointment came during a special meeting held to address the vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Steven Brown. Brown announced during a January council meeting that he would step down for personal reasons, just weeks after being elected in November.

Voting in favor of Shelton were council members Micah Weathersbee, Jerry Rhodes, Kim Williams and Danny Wobbleton. Council member Donsenia Teel cast the lone dissenting vote.

Two candidates applied to fill the open Ward 3 seat: Shelton and Clarice Johnson, an eighth-grade mathematics teacher at Washington County Middle School. After deliberation, the council selected Shelton, who will now serve nearly two years, completing the remainder of the term.

Shelton is no stranger to local voters. He ran for the Ward 3 seat during the last election cycle and finished third in a crowded field in November. A longtime law enforcement officer, Shelton retired in 2022 after 28 years of service. He currently serves as president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

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Shelton said his immediate focus will be on understanding the town’s operations and preparing for upcoming budget discussions.

“The first thing I need to do is just kind of get acclimated to what’s going on,” Shelton said. “I think the budget season’s coming up, so the next couple of months, there’ll be a lot of discussion over the town budget, and I need to really dig into that and figure out what’s going on with the budget and listen to the department heads and what they think they need for the budget and just try to make sure that we’re good stewards of the taxpayer’s dollar and that at the same time we figure out how to balance the tax rate with providing the services that the citizens deserve.”

Shelton emphasized fiscal responsibility while maintaining essential services, signaling that budget oversight will be one of his top priorities as he transitions into the role.

Given his extensive background in law enforcement, Shelton was also asked about public safety and the challenges facing the profession nationally and locally.

“Well, right now it’s a tough time to be in law enforcement,” Shelton said. “There’s a lot of negativity around law enforcement in the national media. And I remember throughout my career, I saw — I describe it as seeing the pendulum swing.”

Shelton reflected on the shifting public perception of law enforcement over the decades.

“So the pendulum was swinging after the Rodney King incident,” he said. “The pendulum was against law enforcement, and then it started coming back to the middle.”

“And then after 9/11 happened, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and it was pro-law enforcement. And it kind of came back to the middle. And then you saw a few years ago with the George Floyd incident, the pendulum went back to the other side, and then it started toward the middle. And now with all the ICE issues that are going on, the pendulum hasn’t come back to the middle yet.”

Shelton said those swings in public opinion have had real-world consequences for recruitment and retention within the profession.

“So whenever that pendulum swings to the negative side, you see applicants — your applicant pool shrinks,” he said. “I remember when I first started law enforcement, you would have 20 people apply for every open position. Now you might have 1 person apply for 20 open positions. So it’s tough to hire people right now. People aren’t wanting to get into that career.”

He added that he hopes the national climate improves without the need for a major crisis.

“So hopefully things, the climate will change in the national media,” Shelton said. “The climate nationally will change. And I hope that it doesn’t take another significant incident like a 9/11 or something for that to happen. I just hope that it naturally swings back to the middle and we have people that want to be police officers.”

As for other pressing issues, Shelton said he intends to focus first on getting up to speed before advancing new initiatives.

“Not anything that I could come up with right now,” he said when asked about other major concerns. “Once again, I just want to get in, get into the office, immerse myself in what’s going on. What decisions have been made by this council up to this point, get, read into some of the things that have been decided in closed session. And we’ll just kind of move forward and see how things are going and give my input where it can be given.”

During the lead-up to the November election, Crystal Davis, who would go on to be elected mayor, posted some stuff, but Shelton said that’s in the past.    

“She posted some negative things about me on social media, and I did not respond at all to any of it. So there was no back and forth. That was completely one-sided,” he added. “And the last time I saw her before tonight was on Halloween on Washington Street. And I thought at that point the hatchet was buried. We gave each other a hug right in the middle of the street in front of God and everybody.”

Despite any past tensions, Shelton made clear his focus is on governance, not personalities.

“I’m here to work for the people of Plymouth,” he said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with any personality conflicts. It’s what’s best for the town.”

With the 4-1 vote, the council filled a vacancy that could have lingered for months, ensuring Ward 3 residents will have representation as budget season approaches and key decisions loom.

Shelton now steps into the role with nearly two years remaining in the term — a significant window to shape policy, oversee spending and weigh in on issues affecting Plymouth’s future. For his part, he says the priority is simple: learn the landscape, study the numbers and serve the people.

As he takes his seat on the council, Shelton signaled a steady, measured approach — one grounded in fiscal oversight, civic experience and a desire to move forward.

“I’m here to work for the people of Plymouth,” he said. “It’s what’s best for the town.”