Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/46443
ELECTION Guide 201 Candidates Vie for Office in 2011 Elections In the 2010 muncipal elections, a little more than 9 percent of registered voters made their voices heard. Candidates vying for election in 2011 hope to have a better turn out, and have been stumping at various candi- date forums in order to ensure that voters know what they are all about. As is the case in all elections, Up & Coming Weekly went out to the candidates to give them a chance to put their case to the people. Below you will fi nd a response from the candidates who are seeking offi ce in the county's three major municipalities: Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Each candidate was asked what are the top three priorities facing their city and what they felt must be done to meet those priorities. FAYETTEVILLE Mayor Crime is usually a result of not working. Most people that work do not usually result in crime of stealing or robbing. We need to start at the legislature and put in place a more stringent and get-tough policy on crime. Felony crimes must be priority. Get rid of the country club jails and treat criminals as criminals. I would love to see this city embrace its diversity and stop looking at people as those people or other people. We start this by having more dialogue with the elected leaders setting the tone. When we can socialize, learn, party and pray together then we will be on the right path! Hoping to be your next District 1 city councilman (your voice for North Fayetteville) The race for Fayetteville's number one spot — mayor — has been heating up in recent weeks. In- cumbent Mayor Tony Chavonne is seeking his third term in offi ce. He is facing former city councilman Nat Robertson. Mayor Tony Chavonne Fayetteville's top priorities are: 1. Need to grow and diversify the tax base. We have to continue to grow and diversify our tax base to reduce the pressure on the residential property owner. Diversifi cation requires we think more broadly than solely service sector jobs and continue to attract better-paying jobs like Booz Allen and Raytheon while promoting an entrepreneurial environment that nurtures local businesses like K3 and The Logistics Company. At the same time we have to continue to monitor our expenditures carefully to ensure we maximize the use of our citizens' tax base. 2. Manage growth. We face signifi cant growth that is straining our infrastructure. Increases in traffi c require our continued efforts for funding for expansion and maintenance like the recently-funded 295 project. We have to continue to work with the school system to better manage the type and location of growth in the community so that our children's education opportunities are not compromised. 3. Public Safety. We have to continue to fi nd innovative solutions to fi ghting crime to include getting citizens more involved in taking their neighborhoods back. The council has to continue to invest in funding for personnel and equipment. District 1 Keith A. Bates (incumbent) The city's top three priorities are: Growth, crime prevention and jobs. How do we address them: Growth: we are in the process of Safety Improvements along Ramsey Street. If Cape Fear Valley Hospital is successful in obtaining the certifi cate of need to build a 65-bed hospital on the grounds of Cape Fear Valley Pavilion North, we will work with Cape Fear Valley to have a hospital overlay district created. We have also approved the Ramsey Street Corridor Development Plan, in conjunction with the Uniformed Development Ordinance. Crime prevention: We have increased the number of sworn police offi cers, and are continuing to work with community watch groups Jobs: Continue aggressively recruiting businesses to our city Robert L. Evans I can envision Fayetteville as the leading city in North Carolina and befi tting of the "All American City" title. My priority is jobs. We should all be ambassadors to encourage business both private and public to locate here. We must continue a job-training program for future job skills. We must be willing to sacrifi ce short-term for long-term gains. Incentives can be tax or resources. We need to bring back job- training programs for seniors in high school. Every student won't go to college and skills such as cosmotology, carpentry and brick work are but a few. We have business in the area that can sponsor a job-training program for school students if the right incentives were in place. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM District 2 Kady Ann Davy (Incumbent) I seldom fi nd my service as councilperson defi ned by a standing order of priorities since one issue may be of a critical nature for a defi ned period of time and then superceded by another issue. However, there are certain issues that tend to stay on my front-burner. These generally relate to citizen safety, quality of life and economic development. I pledge to continue to focus on safety and protection of properties, thus the need to keep a well-trained and ample police force, along with neighborhood involvement in our community policing and vigilance. Economic development is constant in my mind, in terms of areas that we must continue to work as a collaborated effort. This involves the planning and action related to improving our work force and developing necessary infrastructure to support and sustain controlled growth. How do I intend to address them: Each of my days start with prayer, followed by working together with council and city staff on ways we can address the above areas. I will continue to plan and hold employability workshops to address job training. I regularly meet with community members (and I welcome others as well) who are visionaries and action-minded individuals, advocating for public/private partnerships. Together we form approaches to work on areas of economic development. There continues to be discussion on the development of downtown, Cedar Creek Road/ I-95 area and many other areas. Ongoing efforts in planning for a youth council and innovative strategies to expand/extend our transit services. I also meet weekly with the Davy Community Action Team (DCAT). These approaches serve me well in several ways. They allow me to get a feel for what others are thinking/seeing; I continue to get more people involved, communities continue to thrive when they are acted on by their occupants. I continue to work well with others. I appreciate the cohesiveness that our councilmember's provide our entire community. Working beyond district lines provides an overall benefi t citywide. I believe the citizens of District 2 benefi t when their representative work to see achievements in other parts of the city, knowing that such achievement in one area tends to support wins and achievements citywide. District 3 Al Woodall My top three priroities are: Safety/Security, Salary/Cost Savings and Scenery/Beautifi cation. I have never had a desire, nor a strong passion to become a politician. Certain events have been occurring in our beloved City, State and Nation that have energized me to action. In my September years, I don't have the opportunity to spend 20 years to get the peoples work done. If I am elected I will have to hit the ground sprinting at a fast pace to accomplish the common needs of the wonderful Fayetteville citizens and our stalwart Military neighbors. Some say I am too patriotic — is that like loving your family too much or having too much money? My frugality is unmatched. I do not have a credit/debit card, or a NOVEMBER 2-8, 2011 UCW 13