Polk County Commissioner candidates Lee Mink (D), Bill Ingham (D) and Ted Owens (R) greet each other immediately following a forum for candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 28. About 85 residents attended the forum, sponsored by the Tryon Daily Bulletin and Millard & Company. (photo by Leah Justice)
by Leah Justice
leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

Candidates for Polk County Commissioner shared their views this week on issues including current negotiations with the Inman-Campobello Water District (ICWD), bickering at commissioner meetings, the county paying off its former county manager and campaign signs.

There were four candidates for Polk County Commissioner who answered questions during a forum held Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Polk County High School. The Tryon Daily Bulletin and Millard & Company sponsored the event, which was moderated by Andy Millard. About 85 people attended.

Candidates Keith Holbert (R), an incumbent, and Shane Bradley (R) were not present at the forum. The forum was attended by incumbents Ray Gasperson (D), Ted Owens (R) and challengers Bill Ingham (D) and Lee Mink (D).

Candidates began with introductions of themselves then were immediately asked about a proposed contract with ICWD for water services.

Water negotiations with ICWD

“Let’s get right into it with an issue that is currently front and center in a lot of people’s minds, and that is water,” said Millard. “As I understand it, the county bought Lake Adger a few years ago with the idea that it would secure our water supply into the future. But the dam is in need of expensive repairs, and the county has no water plant. The commission is now in negotiations with ICWD to share water with other communities.

“The proposed agreement would help cover the needed infrastructure costs but would also require Polk County to give up exclusive rights to our water supply. Is that description accurate, and what is your opinion regarding the county’s water supply?”

Mink said he loves this question and has been preaching water for a long time. He said our quality of life is going to be dependent on water and water will be the biggest issue of the 21^st century. Mink mentioned Atlanta’s recent issues when a drought occurred, saying the city got down to 30 days of water supply.

“What was their solution?” asked Mink. “They started exercising eminent domain.”

Mink said Atlanta went all the way to Tennessee for water. Mink said water should be the right of every citizen in Polk County.

“You own the water,” said Mink. “It’s yours. Let’s protect our water resources for the citizens of Polk County.”

Owens said he’s probably more concerned about water than anyone else sitting up there. He said he was the mayor in Columbus when there was a drought in the late 1970s, early 1980s and the town had a hospital to supply with water. Owens said the town held an emergency meeting to get water into the town.

“So every since then it’s been my priority to get water,” Owens said.

During a drought in 2006, 2007 and 2008, Owens said the county was trying to find out how to get water. He said he was the one who called Northbrook, who at the time owned Lake Adger. Northbrook told Owens they had someone interested in buying the lake, so the county started talking about it. The county ended up purchasing Lake Adger for a future water source.

“I don’t plan to ever give that up,” said Owens.

Ingham said the Lake Adger dam does need repair but that’s not urgent. He said the county was putting away $200,000 a year for dam repairs, but that savings has been reduced to $50,000. The savings probably needs to be more than $200,000, Ingham said, because the county needs to take care of dredging the lake as well. Ingham also said the county does have a water plant, located in Tryon, that would take care of all the county’s water needs.

“My issue with the contract with ICWD is that we’re rushing it,” said Ingham. “I’m afraid we’re going to give away the rights to one of the most valuable resources we have.”

Ingham said he doesn’t think there should be any big rush to approve the contract and the contract should take longer than two months to work out.

Gasperson said Lake Adger is very important to him. He said he wasn’t on the board of commissioners that put it under contract but was on the board that voted for the budget amendment to purchase the lake. Gasperson said the current proposal causes him great concerns mainly because of the financial impacts in future years.

He said ICWD talks about coming in and building infrastructure, but that’s not free money and may result in a big payment in the future if Polk ever decides it wants to go in a different direction.

“Secondly, this whole contract only makes it possible for ICWD to make all the revenue and Polk County none,” Gasperson said. “I think we need to take our time and have a county-wide discussion of what the future should be.”

A couple of questions for the forum were submitted by residents and one follow-up question on the water came from Frank Giordano who asked if the county has considered working with the public company such as Aqua America and do candidates favor selling county water to others as a source of revenue.

Owens said yes, the county has checked into a private company, but the only way a private company would come in is to either purchase or lease Lake Adger and, “I’m not selling our water.”

Owens also said the current agreement is not done, that commissioners are still working on it and they are not rushing it.

“The next process is to have a public hearing,” Owens said. “We’re not rushing through it like it’s been indicated.”

Mink said the biggest mistake communities have made is privatizing their water.

“You lose control,” said Mink.

Mink said it may work out if the county can work out an agreement with ICWD but the county has a long way to go.

“Let’s not give it away,” Mink said. “Let’s get water right so that it withstands the test of time for this county.”

Gasperson said one of his main priorities if he’s re-elected will be to start having county-wide discussions on water for the county. He mentioned the time it took the county to create an economic development plan and strategy and said the county should take that much time if not more on a water contract.

Gasperson said the county has been taking money out of fund balance every time it runs a water line.

“We need to start thinking about the county as a whole, and how do we include the towns as a whole,” said Gasperson.

Ingham said the county hasn’t looked at all its options and that’s been the problem he has with the contract. He said people think the process has been rushed because it was only introduced a couple of months ago and it was introduced without the towns’ involvement.

“And that makes me feel like it’s being rushed,” said Ingham.

Question of bickering

“There seems to be a lot of bickering that goes on at county commission meetings,” said Millard. “Whose fault is it (if anybody’s), how should it be addressed or is there really no issue?”

Ingham said yes there’s bickering and he’s always said this is the thing that bothers him the most. Ingham told of the story where two gentlemen were neighbors and had their mailboxes together where they talked about their kids and other topics. One day they found out one was a democrat and the other was a republican and they never spoke again, said Ingham.

“There should be nothing partisan within Polk County politics,” Ingham said.

Ingham said that’s something the county has to get together and be a little more inclusive with everyone.

Gaperson said there has been a lot of bickering. Gasperson said he remembers a trip a he and Owens took to Raleigh a few years ago.

“Honestly, that’s one of the most enjoyable trips I’ve ever had with anyone,” said Gasperson.

Gasperson said they had a great stay overnight and Owens showed him around the legislative offices. It was a great experience and it really helped their relationship, Gasperson said.

“Unfortunately, I feel like our relationship has skewed over the last two years,” Gasperson said.

He suggested if he’s re-elected board members should take more of those type trips together. Owens thanked Gasperson and agreed, saying that is a good idea.

Owens said it takes two to bicker. He said when he was elected in 2010 then commissioner Renee McDermott called him and congratulated him for winning. He said on that board commissioners debated the question, voted on it and that was it.

“We moved onto the next item,” Owens said. “That has not been the case in recent years.”

Another question was about how they feel about Tryon International Equestrian Center.

All candidates agreed the equestrian center is a positive economic driver for Polk County and job creation and appreciates that the equestrian center has come in and paid their own way. Some candidates said they foresee a tax decrease in the future from the tax base the equestrian center will create.

Questions to individuals

A question from resident John D. Hill was asked of Owens and Holbert.

“You have stated in your TDB advertisement that you want people to vote for honesty and integrity,” Millard said reading Hill’s question. “He cites events over the last two years of (Hill’s words) forcing two economic development directors from office, paying off the county manager from the fund balance and hiring an interim economic development director at a salary he set. Mr. Hill concludes with the question: Do you believe your tenure as commissioner has been characterized honestly and with integrity?”

Owens responded yes he does feel he has acted with honesty and integrity.

“I have news for you,” Owens said. “Some of those he talked about we didn’t force them out. We didn’t ask them to resign.”

Owens said as far as former county manager Ryan Whitson, he appreciates his service to the country. He said the morale with county employees has improved greatly and the services to citizens are good. He also said that’s one reason the law says the county manager, county attorney and county clerk serve at the pleasure of the board.

Candidates were given the opportunity to submit questions to other candidates with only Mink and Gasperson submitting questions. Millard said it would be unfair to not ask each candidate a difficult question so he and the Bulletin came up with something for every candidate.

Mink’s question to Owens was, do you think the $178,590 used to buy out the contract of previous county manager Ryan Whitson was a wise use of taxpayer money?

Owens said obviously he does or he wouldn’t have been part of it. He said he can’t disclose personnel matters, but sometimes changes need to be made.

“I will tell you this,” Owens said. “He was not forced out. He was given a choice.”

The question to Gasperson was, “You seem to be the lone dissenting voice on many issues that come before the county commission. What makes you right and everybody else wrong?”

Gasperson said when he does not support the others he gives what he believes to be very valid reasons. For him, he said, he always tries to determine the best use of county money. Gasperson said he thought paying off Whitson was a tremendous waste of taxpayer money. Gasperson said he had a good working relationship with Whitson, and although Whitson wasn’t perfect, on the whole he thinks Whitson did a great job and he regrets what happened.

He said he always tries to follow the best fiscal approach to keep services efficient and effective.

The question to Ingham was, “There have been some campaign signs placed around the county purporting to be from you, saying some very unflattering things about you. Do you know the source of these signs, and are the accusations true?”

Ingham said he does know who put up the signs and the person is the chair of the Republican Party. Ingham said technically the sign is correct. It was business personal property taxes, basically taxes on his tables and chairs in his coffee house. He said he got notice on Oct. 9 and made an appointment the next day and paid the bill in full, which was for $180.81. He said he paid for three years of taxes and penalties and also said commissioner Holbert recently said in a meeting he got caught up in the same thing a few years ago because he didn’t know about it.

“I’d paid it in the spring if I’d known about it,” Ingham said.

The question to Mink was, “What’s the deal with the UDO (unified development ordinance)?”

Mink said, speaking of another sign with he, Gasperson and Ingham wearing Christmas hats, saying “Ho, Ho, Ho…We Like the UDO,” he sure does like his Christmas hat.

“No one’s been talking about the UDO,” said Mink. “All of a sudden it pops up as a campaign issue. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it. To me personally, the UDO is dead. It’s been killed. It’s a dead horse.”

Mink said it’s kind of strange to him we are even talking about it.

Early voting for this election ends tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 1 at three locations in the county: the Polk County Board of Elections Office in Columbus, the Mill Spring Fire Department and the Green Creek Fire Department. Voting can be done at those locations today, Friday, Oct. 31 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the board of elections and from 1-7 p.m. at both fire departments. Early voting can be done at all three locations tomorrow, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The general election is next Tuesday, Nov. 4 at Polk County’s polling places, from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.