As the Nov. 4 Alamance County municipal elections inch closer, candidates for the two open seats on the Elon Town Council answered residents’ questions, talked about their stances on key issues and discussed their backgrounds during a candidate forum hosted by Town of Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe on Oct. 21 at The Oak House.
Sharpe, who is running for reelection for mayor unopposed, hosted the forum and facilitated questions. The candidates for town council are current town council member and pastor at Elon Community Church Randy Orwig, Steve Exum and Michael Ratigan. Sharpe began the forum by asking each candidate to tell the crowd of about 30 residents about their background.
Sharpe also asked how they are involved in the community. Ratigan, the president of Burlington-based specialized rope and edge protection company Fjord Inc., said that he and his family support the local restaurants on a weekly basis and that his children attend Elon Elementary School.
During the forum, Exum commended the council’s efforts to improve the walkability of the town.
“I'm excited about removing the parking along one side of Williamson. I know it's part of a plan that is in the works,” Exum said. “The whole concept of making more room for pedestrians and outdoor dining and street life is something that would only make this community more cohesive and more fun to come out.”
A major topic of discussion was the town’s lack of funds due to more than 40% of the town being property tax exempt. Nonprofits such as Elon University and Twin Lakes Community are not taxable and take away key blocks of land that could be taxed and fund town projects. Orwig said that working on town projects can take a long time because of this and that it’s hard to navigate through these limited funds.
“We have a town that is limited by being over 40% tax exempt, it really keeps us and limits us, humbles us,” Orwig said. “That's one of the things I learned right away being on council. It humbles what we're able to do and what we can accomplish.”
Local residents listen to town council candidates discuss policies and issues during a candidate forum for the election for two open seats on town council Oct 21 at The Oak House.
Ratigan and Exum both emphasized the need for communication with nonprofits like Elon University in order to persuade them to contribute more funding.
“We have to learn to find a way that the town can thrive and that that private entity can thrive. You can't just continue to reap the benefits of not paying in while 60% of the constituents have to cover 100% of the bill,” Ratigan said. “It's about building that partnership to see what we can do. There's no guarantee, but if you try to find a way to come together as a town council, to work with those who aren't paying, maybe there's something we can do.”
Twin Lakes currently contributes about $60,000 a year, according to Sharpe. Sharpe also said that Elon University has an ongoing contribution and that they covered $450,000 of the town’s $2.1 million ladder truck for the fire department.
Sharpe said there needs to be more funding to the fire department. According to Sharpe, there are currently six firefighters on duty each day but if a house catches fire, 14 firefighters are needed.
Orwig had a different perspective on the issue, bringing up the university’s contributions to the town.
“Even though they don't pay property tax, they are an entity that brings thousands of people here to this area, and they're buying things, they're doing things, and we reap sales tax,” Orwig said. “We have to remember that there's a balancing act here.”
During the forum, Exum said that he hopes to improve the walkability of the town and increase the use of solar energy in Elon. Exum also expressed excitement about the potential that the GreenHawk developments will bring. Orwig said that one of his main budgetary priorities is maintaining competitive wages to keep staff.
When asked what he would do on day one, Ratigan said that he would meet with officials such as the police chief and fire chief to learn what’s working and what’s not. Ratigan also said that he wants to improve resident engagement.
“This is our home. I want to build on that spirit, creating more ways for residents to connect with their local government, to ask questions, share ideas and see that their input matters,” Ratigan said. “Engagement does not start with policy. It starts with people, presence and purpose.”
Exum suggested grabbing coffee with residents or an activity where a resident can take a walk with a council member.
Orwig disagreed, saying that engagement at things like downtown concerts and 5K runs is present. He also said that people are busy and should trust the council members to act in their best interest.
“They have children, they have work, they're doing a lot of different things, and what they want to do is trust that the leaders and the people that they have chosen to be there will show up for them,” Orwig said.
Exum said in an interview with Elon News Network after the forum that he enjoyed the event and getting the chance to interact with residents.
“It was just, ‘Hey, what do we want for Elon and how can we make it better?’ Simple stuff. We all want the same stuff,” Exum said. “I feel good about it. I think each one of us cares. I think we'd all be good choices.”
Sharpe said that she was impressed by all three candidates in an interview with Elon News Network after the forum.
“Our voters have a very hard decision to make,” Sharpe said. “All three spoke really highly about the town. I think they all have ideas for how to continue to grow the town in a responsible manner, and also what the town could be doing better.”