Pikeville candidates on growth - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

1 November 2007 — The race for council seats in Pikeville has an array of candidates vying for the seats. The ballot includes two incumbent candidates, a past board member, a citizen who has run for office several times, and two newcomers. The News Leader asked the candidates to address issues relevant to the town of Pikeville, including current growth. We also asked them to tell us why they should be elected.

Todd Anderson, who is relatively new to the area as well as to Pikeville politics, is seeking election to the board.

In an earlier interview, Mr. Anderson said that he really hopes to help Pikeville to grow, especially economically. He said that he is concerned because so many small towns are disappearing, and he doesn't want that to be the fate of Pikeville.

"I would like to see a rebirth for Pikeville," he said. "Maybe turn it into a small town that people will make a stop in when they are traveling on 117. There's a lot of potential here."

Dennis Lewis has run for a seat before, but has not yet been elected to the board. He said he would like to hold a seat simply to serve his town.

Mr. Lewis feels that the town really can't do too much to allow for growth. He said the town is landlocked, and that most growth in the area would have to be outside of the city limits because there isn't much available land inside the limits.

However, he said that continuing to work on utilities and expanding utilities would do a lot to help the town see some growth.

"But we will need to look for block grants or federal assistance for that, because there's no way the citizens can foot the bill," he added.

Mr. Lewis feels the biggest issue facing the town of Pikeville is a lack of action on town issues.

"The town is basically the same that it was 25 years ago," he said. "And the board has been talking about the same issues for the past 15 years. Very little has been done, except spending taxpayer's money to half-do projects."

He said he would bring that forward-moving attitude to the board if elected. Mr. Lewis said he is willing to take a stand for what he believes in, and that he's usually successful in accomplishing what he sets out to do.

"I am someone willing to look for an option, not just say 'we don't have a choice,'" he said. "You always have a choice."

Vance Greeson has served on the board in the past, and chose this year to try and get back on the Pikeville Town Board.

Mr. Greeson said the key to growth for the town lies in bringing more people to the area. He feels that a good way to bring those people would be by reducing utility rates for citizens. Lower rates would encourage growth, which would help to keep the rates low.

He adds that annexation could do a lot to help the town of Pikeville grow and flourish, bringing more homes and potentially businesses into the city limits.

The biggest thing the town could do, he said, is to be more forward-thinking when doing improvements to the town.

"It seems like every time ther eis improvement, we just get to the bare minimum," he said. "We don't do anything extra to allow for growth."

He thinks the town needs to have the infrastructure for growth, as well as getting town finances back in line.

As a candidate, Mr. Greeson said he brings a lot of experience. In addition to the time he has served on the Pikeville board, he has served with a number of other service organizations. He said he has the research and development mindset to research and make decisions based on the facts.

He worries that the biggest obstacle for himself and all of the candidates in this election is a lack of voter participation in this election, and he encourages citizens to go out and vote next week.

Talmage "Thigie" Thigpen is a newcomer to the election this year.

The Pikeville native said that he thinks the best way for Pikeville to manage growth is to focus on making the town as it is now the best it can be. If the area inside the city limits reaches its full potential, he feels it will draw more people to the area, it will build the town as well as surrounding areas.

"As long as we concentrate on getting it up to date, making it a great place to live, the town will grow, and we can possibly look at annexation in the future," he said.

He points to improvements started by the current board, including the current electric upgrade, as evidence of projects the town needs. He said that while the board has taken some heat for spending money on the project, he feels that it is money that must be spent to improve the town.

Mr. Thigpen feels that the town has taken a positive turn in the last few years, focusing on improvements and growth, and he wants to be a part of that change as a member of the board.

He said he would bring over twenty years of business experience, as well as experience on boards and committees.

"I look at everything and make up my own mind," he said. "Everyone might not agree with me, but I go with what my heart tells me to do. I have the best interest of the town at heart."

Al Greene will be seeking re-election for a third term on the town board.

Mr. Greene said that the town has gotten a good start on preparing for growth during his time as a councilman. He points out the upgraded sewer system as well as the electrical upgrade, and said that he really feels these upgrades will attract more residential growth in the area. He feels that the growth potential in Pikeville currently lies more in increasing residential potential than in adding businesses.

"It's hard to say what we should be doing when we don't know if we're going to grow," he said. "Right now I think the focus should be on getting more homes."

He said the biggest issue facing the town of Pikeville now is the problem facing many small towns - money. He notes that it is a constant struggle between town needs and being fair to the citizens.

"We haven't had a tax increase for a couple of years, and we're growing as we can," he said.

He feels he should be elected to another term because of his experience on the board and in the town. He served as the Chief of Police in Pikeville for 11 years, and said he is familiar with town and where it wants to go.

"I know most of the people here, and most of the people know me," he added.

Bruce Thomas is also seeking re-election. In an earlier interview, he said that with the growth in this area, he would like to stay on the board to continue to see through the projects that have begun in the town. He noted the electrical upgrade, and said there is a lot more work to be done as the area grows.

Mr. Thomas is seeking election for a fourth term.

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