Schools, taxes issues in Davie

MOCKSVILLE

The rapid growth of Davie County has not come without challenges, but the candidates for three seats on the Davie County Board of Commissioners say they are up to the task of dealing with those issues.

Davie is one of the fastest-growing counties in North Carolina, though the population is not increasing as quickly as it once did.

Last year, school officials lobbied for a $37 million bond issue that would have paid for a second high school. Residents overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.

County officials have been lobbying the state to approve a new hospital to be built by Baptist Hospital. And the Davie County Board of Education is now considering a plan that would require a new elementary school.

Four candidates are running for three seats on the board of commissioners. The top three vote-getters are the winners.

Three of the candidates -- Mark Jones, Ken White and Richard Poindexter -- are Republican, and one -- Jeff Adamonis -- is a Democrat.

Poindexter is the only incumbent commissioner in the race. Commissioner Johnny Frye lost during the Republican primary in May, and Commissioner Tom Fleming, who is the board's chairman and whose term is expiring, did not run for re-election.

Jones and White said that commissioners and school-board members have to come together to figure out a solution to the crowding in the school system.

"There are a number of opportunities and ways that we can solve this problem," Jones said. "I'm open to listening to all of these issues."

The financial crisis will make solving the school issue harder, he said. It might be more difficult to sell bonds that would pay for a new school, Jones said.

White said that residents are concerned about their taxes going up.

"I want our school board and our county commissioners to sit down and formulate not a short-term plan, not a Band-Aid solution, but a longer-term solution," he said.

Adamonis said he is also worried about higher taxes if a new school is built. He said that the county should buy a large piece of land and build one big high school.

His biggest priority if elected, however, would be immigration, Adamonis said.

The county commissioners should pass a resolution fining businesses that hire illegal immigrants, Adamonis said. The county would fine businesses $2,000 for every illegal immigrant. On the second offense, the fine would double, he said.

"It would show businesses that we're not joking around," he said.

Adamonis did not know how the county would enforce such a policy. Immigration is primarily a federal issue, and local governments have little authority in enforcing immigration laws.

White said he wants to make sure that the county is in good financial order.

"I think our county is at a crossroads," he said. "In some aspects, I think the events over the last month have put a lot of governments at a crossroads."

The county has to make economic development a priority, he said. If the county can attract more commercial and industrial businesses, that lessens the burden of property taxes on homeowners, White said.

"I want to capitalize on our proximity to major transportation arteries," he said. "There are lots of things we can amplify to grow our economic development."

Poindexter, who has been on the board since 1996, said he brings his business experience as a building contractor to his role as a commissioner. He also has a business restoring antique vehicles.

He said he is running again because he loves the county and wants to continue serving as a commissioner.

Schools, he said, remain a big issue. Though residents have voted against bonds twice in the past several years, Poindexter said that a bond request could be successful under the right circumstances.

"The people in Davie County pretty much know what they need," he said.

Poindexter said that as a commissioner, he has always been fiscally conservative and that is especially important during a time of financial crisis.

Jones said that keeping spending under control is critical. He said he supports a budget in which county departments would have to justify their spending every fiscal year.

"I come in with an open mind," he said. "I don't have any departments that I think we have to look at. I think we have to look across the board."

Before commissioners can tackle the financial issues, they have to restore trust, Jones said.

"I think we need to work toward a transparent government in Davie County, that the people don't perceive a small group of people are running the county," he said.

■ Michael Hewlett can be reached at 727-7326 or at mhewlett@wsjournal.com.