BY DONNA SWICEGOOD
As one chapter in the history of the City of Statesville closed on Monday, another one began as Doug Hendrix was sworn in as the new mayor.
Hendrix, who recently was chosen by voters to succeed Costi Kutteh as mayor, was sworn in by Iredell County Resident Senior Superior Court Judge Joe Crosswhite. Kutteh, who served for 20-plus years, did not seek re-election, leaves office as the longest serving mayor in Statesville’s history.
Monday night’s meeting was the last for Kutteh and council members Steve Johnson, C.O. Johnson, Joe Hudson and Kim Wasson. Steve and C.O. Johnson and Hudson did not seek re-election, while Wasson ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor.
Kutteh, C.O. Johnson and Hudson were presented with the state’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, by Walter Bowers, director of Gov. Josh Stein’s Charlotte office.
Bowers said the award, which began in 1963, was presented to the three for their service to the community. Kutteh and C.O. Johnson both began their terms on city council in 1989. Kutteh served on city council until he was elected as mayor in 2005.
Hudson, who served one term on city council, retired as the city’s wastewater treatment director prior to running for office. Including his time as the director and council, Hudson logged 39 years with the city.
Kutteh also recognized the four outgoing council members and presented each with a plaque.
Wasson, who served one term, said she was proud of the accomplishments of the council during the past three years.
“We worked hard,” she said.
Highlights included the completion of the new Fire Station 1, the current renovations of the Police Department and the upgrades to several parks, she said.
Watson expressed her appreciation to the citizens of Statesville. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said.
Steve Johnson, who prior to joining city council, served 22 years “across the street,” Kutteh said, as an Iredell County commissioner.
Steve Johnson offered some advice to the new council members. As he neared the end of his speech, he said, “God bless you all. God bless Statesville.”
Hudson told the capacity crowd assembled in Council Chambers that it dawned on him earlier Monday that he first began his service to the city on December 1, 1986 and was ending it exactly 39 years later, on Dec. 1, 2025.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the caliber of people we have here,” he said.
C.O. Johnson talked about his long association with Kutteh. Both came onto the board at the same time. Like Hudson, Johnson also spent years as a city employee before running for office. He was a firefighter with the Statesville Fire Department and retired from the SFD.
“Thank you for your service,” Kutteh said.
As Kutteh was presented his plaque from City Manager Ron Smith, he realized he had C.O. Johnson’s plaque and the two quickly switched. “I was looking forward to hanging Jap’s plaque on my wall,” he said.
Kutteh spoke of what he called the spirit of Statesville.
“To see the good, and the goodness and the kindness, and the generosity that gives Statesville a spirit that is rarely, if ever, duplicated,” he said. “There is a Statesville spirit. I don’t know where it comes from. I don’t know why it’s there. But we get along better than most.”
Kutteh then took his seat as mayor one last time to adjourn the meeting.
Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem David Jones then opened a new session for the swearing in of Hendrix, who was accompanied by his wife Carole, as mayor.
Newly council members James Pressly, Trey Robertson, Tip Nicholson and Kristi Madison Pfeufer, along with Doris Allison, who was re-elected, were then sworn in by Judge Crosswhite.
The first official act of the new council was to elect a mayor pro tem. Jones was re-elected to that role.
