This week the two candidates for mayor and the five for town commissioner were asked to respond to these questions.
* * * *
Why should people vote for you?
The two candidates for mayor responded:
Commissioner Bridget Wall-Lennon:
Voter should choose me, Bridget Wall-Lennon, for mayor of Wake Forest because I am Committed, Concerned and Community-Focused. I am concerned about everyday issues that affect the lives of Wake Forest citizens – issues like affordable housing, transportation, economic development, job creation and growth. I am committed to working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies and resources agencies to identify amendable solutions, and I am servant leader who works in and for the community. I am running for Mayor of Wake Forest because we are at the proverbial “fork in the road” in determining, as a town, who we want to be, where we want to go and what will be our foundation that will have generational impacts. I believe I can provide new leadership Wake Forest needs for a time such as this. I am a servant leader at heart who believes in working in and for the Community.
I have twenty-five years of experience in public sector. My proven leadership on the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners that past 4 years can demonstrated in a few highlighted accomplishments that I led and advocated:
* Initiated effort to have Town staff work with the NCDOT to have road signs installed on Capital Blvd. that provide directions to Joyner Park
* Led the effort to have Governor Roy Cooper come to Wake Forest in 2018 to recognize the Wake Forest High School Football team, coaches, and support staff, when they won the 2nd back-to-back 4AA Sate Championship in 2017. (The team would go on to win a 3rd 4AA State Championship in 2018)
*Planned and coordinated with the Town staff, several churches and local resource organizations, Wake Forest’s first mass Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic in March 2021 where 500 vaccinations were provided.
*Planned and coordinated with Town staff, the first “How to Do Business w/ the Town of Wake Forest”, which provided opportunity for local business owners to learn of procurement and contracting opportunities with the Town of Wake Forest, Town of Rolesville, Wake Tech, Wake County, NC Department of Administration and NC Department of Transportation.
*In 2017, while running for town commissioner, advocated for an affordable housing plan. Funding for an affordable housing study was approved and started in July 2021. Advocated for and worked with staff to move forward with the town’s first development agreements for affordable housing.
*Advocated for and leveraged resources for the mobile home residents at Wellington Park Mobile Home. Sought resources from the City of Raleigh and Wake County to assist these residents.
*Initiated change in the town ordinance that 1) increased notification of property owners for proposed property rezoning from 100 ft. to 500 ft., 2) increased size of public hearing signs placed on propose rezoning property, and 3) established time when developers must hold their Neighborhood Meetings.
As you head to the polls on Tuesday, November 2nd, I ask for your support and vote.
Vote Bridget Wall-Lennon for Mayor of Wake Forest. www.BridgetforWakeForest.com
Thank you, Wake Forest Gazette for the opportunity to share with readers our platforms and vision for Wake Forest.
Thank you to all who have taken the time read our responses.
Mayor Vivian Jones:
I have a proven record of getting things done for our community. I have worked with organizations throughout the county and state to learn what other towns are doing and in leadership positions to highlight our community to others; NC League of Municipalities, NC Mayors Association, CAMPO, Electricities of NC, GoTriangle, and others. I recognized that many residents needed transportation and I worked to provide bus service for all of us. I served on the Wake Transit Planning Committee. The Wake County Board of Commissioners appointed me to the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. I work hard to make sure Wake Forest continues to benefit from multi-modal transportation options. I am currently vice-chair of CAMPO and have previously served as Chair.
Early on I realized that we had a lot of artists in our community and that we needed to promote their work because art is an economic driver for a community. We also needed to provide cultural arts events for our residents, so I spearheaded the purchase and renovation of The Renaissance Centre. We now have local, statewide, and international performances here.
It has always been my belief that a vibrant downtown is the hallmark of a successful community. I have encouraged and supported streetscape improvements, working with Wake Forest Downtown, events like Friday Night on White to keep our downtown active and growing. During my term, the senior center has been more than doubled in size and serves an ever-increasing number of seniors with art, exercise and interesting programs.
I have encouraged using technology to better serve our residents. I suggested that we appoint a Technology Advisory Board to take advantage of the many tech-savvy residents we have. This Advisory Board is making suggestions for ways we can innovate and also bringing interesting and fun ideas for our youth. My work with Electricities of NC made me realize that we needed to be updating our electric distribution system to provide data available with new technology. We are converting all street lights to LED and now have interactive systems to provide on-time data of outages and problems which helps keep our system operating better than the private and co-op providers.
I encouraged the Town several years ago to have a trained urban forestry team to maintain our street trees and do all the trimming so it would be done properly. They now maintain 18,000 street trees as well as helping residents when they ask for help with their trees. I have always supported and encouraged development of parks and greenways—beginning with the plan for E. Carroll Joyner Park; greenways that connect to different areas of the town eventually being able to use greenways to access downtown, parks, recreation facilities as well as our neighbors Rolesville and Raleigh. I listened to the Pickleball adherents several years ago and pushed for the Town to build courts at Flaherty.
I am now co-chairing the Stakeholder Group appointed by NCDOT in connection to their purchase of the S-Line and transit-oriented development planning which we expect will lead to commuter rail opportunities for our residents. I was asked by the NC League of Municipalities to chair the NC Mayors Association when it began six years ago. This has been a opportunity to learn from other mayors and to share our successes so we can all thrive.
It was my idea to do the first Northeast Area Community Plan because I felt that area needed attention in order to maintain its historic nature. In 2020 during the racial unrest in the country I brought together a group of residents and formed a Mayors Roundtable to talk about our community, race relations and what we might need to do. A core part of this group continues to meet and share ideas. Also during this time some people were suggesting that we adopt a Juneteenth Holiday and give our employees the day off. I suggested that instead, we put money in a fund for our Northeast Area neighbors who needed help maintaining their homes in order to prevent gentrification of this historic part of our town. The Board approved this and we now have a program in place that will be ongoing.
During the COVID crises, I stayed abreast of what was going on in our state and county. I followed the Governor’s lead in mandating restrictions. When things eased up I chose to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and to wear masks when indoors. I chose not to mandate masks over the past two months because I knew this could not be enforced, there were too many “exceptions” that were allowed and it seemed appropriate to allow businesses and/or each person to make the determination when it was necessary. This has been a challenging time for all of us. When things eased up I encouraged the Town to begin having events and opening up our facilities. I believe this was a good decision since we had a good attendance at Six Sundays in Fall, a great crowd for our Friday Night on White event in September and a record-breaking crowd at the Halloween Boo Bash last week.
These are just a few of the things I have worked on during my tenure as your mayor. I have gained the respect of my counterparts and under my leadership Wake Forest has become a leader in Wake County in building a growing, sustainable community. My commitment to Wake Forest is total. I support all of the organizations in the Town. When an organization has an event or fund raiser, I am there. I support them with my presence and with my money. I am at the Downtown Business Alliance meeting; I am at the Rotary Club Oyster Roast; I am at a lot of the Wake Forest High School football games; I am at the kick-off for the Dream League; I am at the Chamber Business After Hours; I am at the Juniorette’s meeting when invited; I am at the elementary schools when invited; I am at the high school civics class; I am at the JROTC Activation Ceremony and their Military Ball; I am at the DuBois Alumni Annual Meeting and their Black & White Banquet—I am at every event to which I am invited or that I hear about! I want the residents of Wake Forest to know that I pay attention to what you are doing and support you in every way I can because you are what makes this a great community. Working together we can keep Wake Forest the best place to live. I will listen to you, I will work for you, I will support you in every way I possibly can.
* * * *
The five candidates for the town board responded:
Commissioner Liz Simpers:
Just like you, I am concerned about traffic, safety, development, and making Wake Forest the best place to live, work and play in. Just like you, I moved to Wake Forest because I loved the small-town feel, the welcoming neighbors, aJnd the opportunities here.
In the past four years, I have built strong relationships with the school system, business leaders, local churches, county commissioners, NC DOT, and our state lawmakers. Our town is financially healthy. We are closely managing, adjusting, and monitoring projects to make sure they are good for the entire town.
Local elections matter so much, and typically only 20% of registered voters participate in off-year elections like this one. Your vote will make a difference!
As the most senior member of the board of commissioners, and the only female running, I would be honored to earn one of your two votes and to serve you and our great town for another term!
Michael Molinaro:
Voters should vote for me if they believe that the will of the majority expressed through the results of the Community Plan Survey are to be implemented. We need to “Pump the Brakes” on development until adequate infrastructure is caught up, and to preserve the history of Wake Forest. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and do the next right thing for you and Wake Forest!
Vote – Molinaro on November 2nd!
I’m with Mike!
Keith Shackleford:
Not only is Wake Forest where my home and business are located but my roots run deep here. Since returning to Wake Forest in 1996, I have been an active member of the community. I don’t think anyone is more invested in this community than me. I will always do what I think is best for our residents and our businesses. Not favoring one over the other, but by putting our common goals first. As our population grows, so do our businesses. Understanding that and being open-minded and objective are what make me the best candidate for Town Board. I will always weigh the pros and cons on an issue, develop my opinion and cast my vote based on what is best for Wake Forest.
Patrick Griffin:
Why should voters vote for Patrick Griffin for Wake Forest Town Commissioner?
To get the best overall picture I invite you to visit, like, and/or follow my page at: https://www.facebook.com/Patrick-Griffin-for-Wake-Forest-Commissioner-103715032045088/
- The only $0 candidate – no interests groups control this candidate
- No party endorsement- just a pure passion and burning desire to serve you the citizens of Wake Forest!
- Responsible growth- grow in the areas where we need to grow and act as a circuit breaker/lead blocker against mass residential development. We have to get rid of the express lane for mass residential zoning approvals and make the process the toughest it can be by law.
- Pro small business candidate- as an employee of a small business I speak you’re language and want to prioritize space allocation for small businesses and startups that don’t require a ton of space!
- I will not vote to increase taxes! As one of the few North Carolina natives running for Town Commissioner I hear the stories all the time of folks moving to North Carolina to escape their previous states where taxation was out of control. As a lifelong NC native and resident who has enjoyed low taxes my entire life the last thing I want is to see taxes get out of control. I promise you I will not vote for any increases of taxes period!
- I will go to Brooks Street to represent you the citizens not the town or the developers. I will not be a lap dog. I have a track record of fighting for my constituents as an HOA Board member and I will continue to serve and represent you the citizens!
- Excellence in customer service- The company I work for has a 5.0 out of 76 reviews with a lot of those reviews mentioning how I took excellent care of the customer. If elected you’ll get the same 5 star service from your Town Commissioner Patrick Griffin!
I’d really appreciate your vote on November 2nd, 2021 and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me as a candidate. It would be an absolute honor to gain your trust and support and be granted the duty to serve you for the next 4 years!
Patrick Griffin
Nick Sliwinski:
I will be a voice for our residents. I will ask the tough questions and evaluate decisions from a baseline of our Unified Development Ordinance and Community Plan. As Wake Forest’s population increases, we need to establish a firm foundation that allows the town to grow in a controlled and sustainable way without sacrificing the characteristics that make Wake Forest a highly desirable town to live in.
I have made it a priority to attend as many BOC work sessions and meetings, Planning Board meetings, and joint hearings, as possible, missing only two since running for Commissioner. It was important for me to be present and observe the intricacies of our town meetings while watching first hand our local government at work.
Over the past several months I have spoken with many residents including those from Wellington Park and Del Webb at Traditions about their thoughts and experiences with rezoning. These were two of the most controversial proposals to come before the Board in the past few years. Having these conversations has allowed me to better understand the issues our residents are facing. I will ensure that their concerns are represented when meeting with developers and making decisions on the future of our town.
How Wake Forest grows has been a central theme throughout this election cycle. My stance has always been that we need to control our growth by taking a balanced and thoughtful approach to planning, rezoning, and infrastructure management. Residential zoning decisions should be made to ensure that new developments are in harmony with the surrounding neighborhoods. An emphasis needs to be placed on preserving open spaces and protecting our finite resources. Commercial zones need to be left in place to create opportunities for new businesses in Wake Forest. If we reduce the space available for new commercial projects, we limit the number of jobs we can help create. Improving infrastructure does not mean just roads, we also need to look at walking trails, bike paths, and other issues such as storm water drainage. Taking a proactive approach to these areas will allow us to grow in a smart and sustainable way.
If elected, I will be an advocate for a well rounded approach to our community as we grow beyond 50,000 residents. I am passionate about serving the residents of Wake Forest and doing what I can to help our town thrive today and for many years to come. Addressing these issues will not be an easy task, but I am willing and able to tackle them head on. Working with colleagues and other officials, we can make sure that Wake Forest will remain a place we are proud to call home.
Thank you for your support, I hope I have earned your vote on November 2nd. Serving as Commissioner is a responsibility I take seriously; it would be an honor to serve this town and its residents for the next four years.
www.nickforwakeforest.com
www.facebook.com/nickforwakeforest
* * * *
Wake Forest voters will elect a mayor and two commissioners on Nov. 2 because the town follows a staggered schedule. Two years from now, in 2023, voters will elect three commissioners.
There are no voting districts in Wake Forest so the top two candidates for commissioner seats will be elected.
Officials are paid; the mayor’s salary is $10,000 and the commissioners are paid $8,000 each.
The town operates under a council-manager form of government with the town’s residents electing a mayor and five commissioners as the governing body with the town manager selected by the board acting as the chief operating officer administering all the municipal affairs.
Town Manager Kip Padgett prepares a budget each year with input from all the town’s departments and Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples. The town board – the mayor and the five commissioners – examine it, hold a public hearing about it, make any changes they feel necessary and then approve it. The fiscal year begins on July 1. State law requires the budget to be balanced.
The Gazette was wrong in stating that there is no early voting for this election. There is early voting but not in Wake Forest. Instead, on or after Thursday, Oct. 14, voters can go to the Wake County Board of Elections Office at 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh, NC 27610 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. any weekday. The telephone is 919-404-4040. Early voting ends on Oct. 30, so act fast if that is how you want to vote.
Go to Wakegov.com, click on Departments and then on Board of Elections for full information about the election.
#
