T. J. ROYAL
Only two more candidates filed Wednesday at the Edgecombe County Board of Elections for November's municipal elections, one incumbent and one challenger.
The challenger filed for her second election, as Gerrelene M. Walker of Tarboro looks to take on Buck Price for his Ward 1 seat on Tarboro Town Council. Macclesfield Commissioner Dennis Sanderson looks to keep his seat for a full term in November, after taking over for former town Commissioner Harold Stallings back in January 2008.
Walker, 62, of 311 Cambridge Drive, is a certified public accountant who moved to Tarboro in 1974, and is originally from Asheboro. She was defeated by Buck Price in the municipal election back in 2005.
Walker said this time around, she is running for town council because she feels "we need some fresh ideas in there, fresh blood."
She feels she has "a lot to give to this town" through her volunteer efforts at the Edgecombe County Veterans Museum, and through her experience auditing other municipalities financial records. Walker said in Edgecombe, she audits Conetoe's and the Board of Education's records, and also does the financial records for other state municipalities Spring Hope, Red Cross and Oakboro.
"I think I have a lot more expertise than those on the board" navigating the financial operations of townships, Walker added.
Walker said she feels Town Manager Sam Noble has done "quite well" in his position. But, she added that the town's tax rate not having gone up in 16 years is due to limited growth during that time.
"The town has had little growth, so you don't need additional employees" when that happens, she added. Also, the town has been able to raise additional revenues it has needed through two property reappraisals processes during that time, Walker said.
Down in Macclesfield, Sanderson said he replaced a "nice guy" in Harold Stallings on the town Board of Commissioners back in early 2008.
Sanderson, 60, of 308 E. Green St. in Macclesfield, said that now that he's running for his first full term, "things are running smoothly (in town), and I'd just like to see it continue like that."
An Edgecombe County native, and one-time Daily Southerner paperboy in 1961-62, Sanderson said he moved back to Macclesfield after a career as a large aircraft mechanic had him living in large cities such as Miami, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
"It's always good to come back" like he did in 2003, to a town with a "a lot different atmosphere" than the metropolitan areas he grew accustomed to.
If re-elected, Sanderson said he wants the town to apply for grant money, to try to renovate one of the older, empty buildings on West Edgecombe Street and maybe turn it into an Internet cafe.
An Internet enthusiast, Sanderson said there "fiber optics all over" Macclesfield with DSL phone line connections. He feels there would be demand for such an Internet cafe among the town's residents.
Filing ends on July 17 at noon. All municipal elections except for Rocky Mount's will be held Nov. 3. Rocky Mount's municipal election is Oct. 6.
