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Where are candidates for November elections?
by Debra A. Golden, Wake Weekly Staff Writer
Just one day before the deadline for this year's municipal election, only one candidate had filed in Rolesville.
Commissioner Frank Hodge stopped by town hall July 31 on his way out of town to file for his open seat on the board. The situation wasn't much better in nearby Wake Forest, where only four candidates had announced they were running for office. Town Clerk Lynn House, who has worked for Rolesville for 13 years, said while town candidates are usually slow to file, they almost always show up before the last day. Three seats were coming open in December -- two on the town board and the mayor's term was expiring. By noon the next day, the official deadline to file, just three candidates had filed to run for three open seats -- Hodge, Jacky Wilson and Nancy Kelly. Wilson is a planning board member who tossed his hat in the town commissioner's ring, and Kelly, the current mayor, decided to run again. "I was a little surprised" that more candidates did not file, said outgoing Rolesville Commissioner Pat Wharton. Wharton is completing her first term, and decided not to run again because of her schedule. The first-time commissioner who works at home for IBM said her job is demanding more of her time. "Plus, I've got grandchildren," she said. Wharton hesitated to venture a guess as to why more candidates did not come forward in Rolesville this year. Heart and soul "For me, if I'm interested in it or have a passion, I will go for it." Wharton, who worked closely with the town board before she ran for office four years ago, said the decision to not run this time was a difficult one. Since the 1999 election, Wharton has been an active member of the board, serving as parks and recreation liaison and working on town and county subcommittees. "I don't easily give up what I'm doing with the town, but I can't do everything. When I've put my heart into (something), I want to do my very, very best," she said. Hodge, who has been both a Rolesville commissioner and mayor, said historically it has been difficult to find Rolesville candidates over the years "unless there is a problem with a particular issue." Part of the reason, too, he said, is apathy. "I'm not sure people understand all the decisions made in the town are significant for their future." Ignorance is bliss? And while the town is growing -- around 1,400 homes now exist on paper inside the town limits -- many Rolesville residents may just be comfortable with the status quo, Hodge said. Folks who have "lived here for years and years" -- like Mayor Kelly and Commissioners Betty Whitaker, Frank Eagles and Hodge himself -- have been "looking out for the best interests" of the residents, and voters could just be comfortable with that, he said. But Hodge added, "I'm very much a believer that we need some new blood. Jacky is going to give us that." Wake Forest has had a shortage of municipal candidates this year, too. Four residents are running for three open spots on the town board, but Commissioner David Camacho, who is running for his second term, said that is the fewest number of candidates he can remember. Camacho, who has lived in Wake Forest for 10 years, said "in every case I can remember there were at least 8, 10, 12" people running for local office. Although he was surprised to find that the town of more than 15,500 had produced just four municipal candidates, Camacho has a few theories as to why. Time is a "big limiting factor for a lot of folks," he said. Candidates first have to carve out time to campaign, and if they win, they need to be available for planning and town board meetings, called meetings, and special retreats. Camacho, like Hodge, thinks that the political climate may have discouraged a few candidates this year. In contrast to previous years, Wake Forest's town's elected officials are getting along. And, "from a political point of view, it's a lot easier to go in and take an incumbent's seat if there are personal problems or . . . (there have been) bad decisions during the tenure," Camacho said. Others might not agree with all the decisions commissioners make, but think the town board is on the right track, Camacho said. It's more difficult to capture votes when "there isn't a big gap or wedge" in the decision-making process." Time constraints Finally, the fact that many Wake Forest residents do not work in town or have inflexible schedules may make it difficult for some to find the time to serve. "I had been interested in community service and maybe (running for) the town board much, much earlier," Camacho said, but his previous job as vice president of operations for an RTP company frequently took him out of town. "I was constantly traveling. I couldn't do a good job at both," he said. It wasn't until Camacho, now a home builder, went into business for himself that he was able to devote time to serving on the planning and the town board. Of Wake Forest's five commissioners, only two are not self-employed. "When we schedule things outside the regular board meeting, it's much more difficult" for those officials to attend, Camacho said. In Wake Forest, many commissioners first begin their political careers as appointed planning board members. Camacho is one of those. He served first as a planning board member before running for office. It's a good way to get experience and can also be an advantage at the polls, he said. Planning board members quickly become familiar with town staff members, the planning director, the town manager, and "who does what in town hall." They also learn how to make the tough decisions, Camacho said. Although the planning board plays an advisory role and any decision members make is not final, "I assure you it's as gut-wrenching as the final decision," Camacho said. Whatever the reasons for the lack of candidates this year, Hodge thinks the situation in Rolesville, at least, will eventually improve. While the numbers of new Rolesville residents are rising, it may take just a few more years for them to become active and interested in town matters, Hodge said. Homeowners in the newer subdivisions like Wall Creek and Olde Towne might not have had quite enough time to become acclimated or passionate about town issues, he added. And while many Wake Forest commissioners start out as planning board members, in Rolesville, a good number of commissioners get their start volunteering with the parks and recreation program. Commissioners Wharton and Eagles started out that way, and "I came from recreation and (the) planning board," Hodge said. Lately, the parks and recreation advisory board has seen a lot of turnover within its ranks. Once that stabilizes, Hodge expects more residents will take on leadership roles and learn more about the town. A new crop of candidates could start that way, he said. Annexations should mean more options, too. "One issue is that town limits are so small currently," Hodge said. As Rolesville grows, it will "open up a new pool of people." The soon-to-be-built U.S. 401 bypass on Rolesville's south side will also bring in a number of new residents and potential candidates, he said. (Editor's note: Franklinton and Youngsville also have a shortage of candidates this year. Look for a related story on those towns in this issue of The Wake Weekly.)
Last Updated On: August 7, 2003
Copyright 2003 The Wake Weekly