The Board of Adjustment consist of seven In-Town members and three Out-of-Town members. In-Town members are appointed by the Board of Aldermen and Out-of-Town members are appointed by the Rockingham County Commissioners. Out-of-Town members are members that reside within the Town's one mile Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction (ETJ). All members are appointed to three-year terms.
The Board of Adjustment hears and makes quasi-judicial decisions on Special Use Permits, Variances and Appeals. A quasi-judicial board functions much like a court in applying the Zoning Ordinance to specific cases. A quasi-judicial decision must be decided based on the finding of facts presented at the hearing and the Board's decision may only be appealed to Superior Court.