Now we have five candidates who have filed

As of noon on Tuesday, July 19, there are five candidates who have filed for three seats on the Wake Forest Town Board – Joe Kimray filed on the first possible day, July 7; Faith Cross followed on July 12; both Thomas Ballman and Jim Thompson filed on July 13; and current Commissioner Adam Wright made it five by filing on July 14.
However, most town board elections have had candidates who wait until the last possible minute – noon on Friday, July 21 – to sign on the dotted line.
Two other current commissioners, Jim Dyer and Chad Sary, had not made any public statements. Current gossip has it that both have wives who are urging them not to run for a second term. Dyer’s wife is urging no, it is said, because she wants to travel; Sary’s wife because the demands of his job take him away from home enough without the burdens of a political post.
Thomas Ballman is largely unknown in town until now. He did serve one term on the Wake Forest Planning Board, and this week provided the following information about himself and why he is running for a commissioner seat. Next week, after we have the full slate if there are any more candidates, the Gazette will have a few short questions for all the candidates.
My name is Tom Ballman. I am seeking election to an at-large seat as Town of Wake Forest (ToWF) Commissioner on November 7, 2023. You can reach me and find more about my background at www.thatistom.com.
My family & I relocated from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the Wake Forest area in 2012. We are composed of my wife, Catherine a VA Nursing supervisor, and our four children (ages 15,13,11,9). We relocated in a similar manner to most here, and I need to express that the decision to leave Pennsylvania did not come easy. Leaving our home base, careers, and support network has been challenging at times. Fortunately, due to our busy lives, Catherine’s parents now reside with us and have been doing so for the past eight years. We are a multi-generational household.
I wish to continue to serve our community in a larger capacity than I have in the past. My background as a Land Planner (AICP) serves as the foundation for which I am seeking office. My past involvement with the Town began with volunteering as a youth sports coach for many of the ToWF Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources (PRCR) youth leagues. Among them, baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball. Additionally, I was appointed to the advisory Planning Board by the ToWF Board of Commissioners for one three-year term (2020 through 2022). That time on the Planning Board was a fast and furious experience, where well over 4,500 dwelling units across close to 40 different residential development projects were up for vote seeking discretionary rezoning approval. Additionally, I was also involved with the Town’s Community Plan, initially adopted 2022, a multifaceted vision for the future of the Town. All this and more occurred amidst the Coronavirus, obviously, a very unsettling time for everyone.
Below are three important topics that I feel uniquely qualified to focus on as your next Commissioner:
1. Provide a balanced and pragmatic view towards discretionary rezoning cases proposed by the development community. This discerning eye towards the legislative process will strive towards creating an expectation that what may be proposed in the future integrates within and adds value to the existing community. A litmus test for the development community to prove as these cases are essentially asking lands to be re-zoned to suit their vision and oftentimes, may overlook the impacts to the existing community in the here and now.
2. Investigate, identify, and implement safe non-vehicular (pedestrian) travel options to destinations consisting of goods/services, educational facilities, and recreational opportunities. This is in the form of connecting sidewalk gaps throughout the Town, additional greenways, and re-evaluating/implementing soft paths that at one time informally existed. Additional focus on road crossings will go a long way towards inviting residents & visitors alike towards a safe, efficient, and alternative means to and from important destinations in the Town. I believe this is crucial to the long-term success of the Town and reinforces an aspect of quality of living for future generations, just not in the here and now.
3. Promote and increase awareness of Town sponsored services, recreation, and social events. They perform these so very well and I believe the residents of the Town greatly appreciate the sense of community they represent in action. The coordination and leadership in partnering with the non-profit sector is a tremendous asset to the fabric of the Town. I would hope to envision, as your next commissioner, an expansion of these services, including a reintroduction to one important seasonal event that had been eliminated in recent years, the Christmas parade.
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