Baxter v. DANNY NICHOLSON, INC.

*830HUDSON, Justice.

This case presents the question whether the term of an appointed public officer ends immediately upon the appointment of his successor by the governor or when the successor takes the oath of office. We find that the General Assembly answered this question when it enacted N.C.G.S. § 128-7, which provides: “All officers shall continue in their respective offices until their successors are elected or appointed, and duly qualified.” Under the plain meaning of the statute, we conclude that the authority of an appointed officer continues until the date on which his successor takes…