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Voters across county face range of choices Tuesday

BY MARK WINEKA
SALISBURY POST

As usual, Tuesday’s municipal elections in Rowan County offer some intrigue — and questions.

A trio of challengers are trying to upset the five sitting incumbents in Salisbury. Will a woman named Kluttz lead the Salisbury ticket for a fifth consecutive election?

Spencer Mayor Buddy Gettys meets Jody Everhart in a rematch of their 1997 contest that Gettys won by a mere six votes. How close will it be this year?

East Spencer has five candidates for mayor. Does Mayor Pro Tem Kenneth Fox have the votes to upset incumbent Mayor Rajive Patel, or will one of the other challengers — Titus King, Roderick Robinson or John L. Rustin Sr. — sneak past both of them?

Kannapolis has put up 14 candidates for four available seats on its city council. Will newly annexed candidates from the Coddle Creek area make a strong showing?

Growth issues abound in both Landis and China Grove. How will voters react to recent disputes among board members in those towns?

Cleveland is the only Rowan town without a real contest. The mayor and two commissioner seats are up for election this year, and only three candidates are on the ballot.

Polls in the Rowan County towns will be open Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Rowan Countians who do not live within the boundaries of a municipality will not be voting Tuesday.)

While the campaign rhetoric often proves lively, the municipal elections traditionally fail to attract a high percentage of voters. Elections officials are concerned that turnout will be far below Salisbury’s 23.9 percent showing in 1997, for example. East Spencer and Spencer led the way in 1997 with 35 percent turnouts.

Here’s a brief rundown of what’s at stake in each Rowan County municipality:

• Salisbury: The incumbent Salisbury City Council has worked as a fairly cohesive group, while launching several initiatives over the past two years.

Challengers Robert Boone and Bill Lake contend that the council may need some new voices willing to question management and offer some different opinions. Newcomer Brendan Davidson, 21, brings youth to the race and says the city’s planning for the future could stand some input from someone his age.

Mayor Susan Kluttz led the ticket in 1997 and is finishing up her first term, as are incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Paul Woodson and Councilman Bill Burgin.

William “Pete” Kennedy and Scott Maddox are seeking their fourth consecutive terms on the council.

The sitting council has established the Vision 2020 Committee to develop a 20-year growth plan for the city, appointed a Neighborhood Improvement Task Force to address problems associated with rental properties and absentee landlords and has become a partner with private business and the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce in a significant redevelopment effort downtown.

Council also has raised taxes in 1998, cut taxes in 1999 and approved considerable increases in water-sewer bills.

Voters of the South Ward precinct, which previously voted at the Salisbury Housing Authority, will cast ballots Tuesday at the Salisbury Civic Center.

• Cleveland: Mayor Jim Brown is unopposed for re-election. Incumbent Mary Frank Fleming and newcomer John Calvin Bradford are running for the two commissioner seats. Unless there’s an unforeseen write-in campaign, Bradford will take the place of Pat Phifer, who is not seeking re-election.
  
• East Spencer: The five candidates for mayor in East Spencer seek a two-year term. The seven candidates for aldermen are vying for one of three four-year terms up for grabs this year.

Each of the three incumbent aldermen, Thomas Mitchell, John G. Noble III and Chris Sharpe, are seeking re-election. The challengers include Andrae Alexander, Naomi Cowan, Ronald Hash and Deloris High.

Candidates in East Spencer have stressed the need to fix the town’s leaking water-sewer utility, communicate better with citizens and strengthen the town’s tax base.

• Kannapolis: Fourteen people are running for four seats on the seven-member Kannapolis City Council. Candidates have many things on their mind, including attracting more industry and retail stores and maintaining roads better. But few have specified ways they would accomplish those goals.

Two of the candidates live in the Coddle Creek area the city annexed three months ago. While the four incumbents trying to hold onto their seats have said Coddle Creek land along Interstate 85 would be ideal for industry, the two candidates who live there say the city should keep industry closer to town.

Several challengers also are upset about higher property taxes resulting from this year’s revaluation and a 3-cent increase per $100 valuation two years ago.

• Rockwell: In Rockwell, only two seats are contested, even though all seats are open for election because terms are not staggered. Six candidates are running for five alderman seats. Voters elect five aldermen and a mayor every two years. The elected officials appoint a mayor pro tem.

Mayor Harold C. Earnhardt is not seeking re-election. Alderman Robert Bost is the only candidate for mayor. Concerns in Rockwell include improving the park and sidewalks and bringing new business to the downtown. Another issue is the limited money allowed by the city of Salisbury for water and sewer extensions in Rockwell.

• Granite Quarry: Four seats are open in Granite Quarry: three four-year terms and one two-year term for alderman. The two-year term is the result of Kim Cress’ resignation. Ralph Almond holds the seat now and is running for re-election. James David Marple is challenging him.

Two incumbents are vying for three four-year seats. Incumbent alderman and Mayor John Linker is not seeking re-election. Granite Quarry aldermen choose a mayor from the board after the election.

James Costantino has come out strongly for better police and fire protection.

Other issues in the town are controlling growth while, at the same time, increasing the tax base, and keeping local taxes low. One challenger, Mary Ponds, the only black running for office, says the board needs diversity.

Steve Yoe, another challenger, says he would like to rid the board of favoritism and raise the morale of town office employees.

• Faith: The incumbent candidates in Faith hope they will all be re-elected so they can continue working together. The only challenger is Larry Harwood. And if he displaces one of the other board members, they say they are sure they will be able to work smoothly with him, too.

Incumbent Ron Hatley said, “We’re a good team. It would be nice if all of us could get elected again.”

By far the most important issue in Faith is the need for a sewer system. Faith is the only town in the county without a sewer. There is some federal money available, but it is contingent upon receiving a grant from the state.

Harwood said he thinks it will be a couple years until the community can afford a sewer system. But any disagreement that exists is over when it should happen, not whether or not it should.

• China Grove: Preparation for growth is the central issue for 10 candidates seeking the five seats on the China Grove Board of Aldermen.

The preparations run the gamut from water and sewer improvements to changing the format of government by hiring a city manager.

Four incumbent aldermen who are seeking re-election are very supportive of hiring a manager, while some challengers have voiced limited support.

In recent weeks, the issue of department heads having control has come to the forefront. Under current policy, only the board of aldermen has authority to hire, fire and suspend employees.

• Landis: Landis is also looking for growth and ways to capitalize on the northward spread from Charlotte.

Annexation, industrial recruitment and major projects have recently been overtaken by sparring matches among the four incumbent aldermen. Aldermen Gary Beaver and William Beaver have clashed repeatedly with Mayor Fred Steen, who is unopposed for re-election. The clashes have come in several areas, from window replacement at the Legion building to whether the old municipal building should be used by the fire department or as a community building.

This year Landis residents will be voting at new locations.

The East Landis precinct, which previously voted at the old municipal building on Central Drive, will now vote at the American Legion building. The West Landis precinct, which voted at Corriher-Lipe Middle School, will vote at the new municipal building on Main Street.

• Spencer: In the mayor’s race, voters have a choice of men well familiar with town government: Gettys and Everhart. Gettys has been mayor since 1991. Everhart is chief of the fire department and previously served on the town board 10 years.

Spencer voters will confront a long ballot — 13 names — for the six seats up for election on the board of aldermen. All six incumbents are seeking re-election with many familiar names providing the opposition.

The issues in Spencer include deciding the future direction of the water-sewer utility, how to redevelop Park Plaza, how to adjust to the transportation museum’s growth, how to build the tax base, whether to construct a new fire station and how to prepare for growth along Long Ferry Road and I-85.