Jackson County Commissioners’ Chairman Stacy Buchanan made use of the word “intentions” Monday, formally resigning from his post four months earlier than expected.

Last week Buchanan announced that he would be resigning effective June 30. However, his letter of resignation — beginning with “I will be” and ending with “notification of my intentions” — gave rise to questions as to whether he would stay on for that long.

This Monday (March 7), vice chairman Roberta Crawford opened commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting by reading another letter from Buchanan.

“It was with mixed emotions that I resigned my position as Chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners last Monday with an effective date of Thursday, June 30th, 2005,” Buchanan wrote. “My plans were to stay on until June 30th to ensure a smooth transition. It now seems appropriate in order to ensure a quicker and smoother transition for the new Chairman, that I step down effective immediately so the process of naming my replacement can begin.”

Local Democratic officials said they had to wait until the official “occurrence of the vacancy” to begin searching for a replacement.

“It is our opinion that the occurrence of the vacancy takes place on June 30,” said Jackson County Democratic Party Chairman Nelson Bumgarner, quoting from the state’s response.

Consequently, the earliest the party could have met to choose a successor was July 1.

Now, with Buchanan gone immediately, the search for a replacement is under way, with a new chairman expected to be named by March 21.

“Let’s hope that we will have a full board at that time,” Crawford said, gesturing to her left and right where Buchanan and commissioner Joe Cowan’s seats sat empty.

Cowan has missed recent meetings, including those at which Buchanan resigned, due to health complications.