Saluda recently had a candidate forum and it was very refreshing to see residents participating in the process to elect their next City Commissioners.

Once again water, sewer and repaving city streets were at the forefront of everyone concerns. The three new candidates stated, if elected, they would contact the state representatives and apply for grants to help towards fixing Saluda’s infrastructure problems and would create a long term plan to fix water and sewer.

Sounds good, they mean well but are uninformed as to what the current board has already achieved.

 The current board has created a long term plan called a “Capital Improvement Plan” which attacks the Water and Sewer problems and eventually will replace all water and sewer lines in Saluda.

 The current board has been in contact and had meetings at city hall with US Representative Patrick McHenry and also a staff member of NC Senator Ralph Hise to discuss options for the city. Several current boardmembers have also travelled to Raleigh to try to get Saluda considered for grants. I personally have met with a staff member of US Representative Thom Tillis to discuss Saluda problems.

The City Manager has been travelled to Raleigh one day a month over a period of nine months for educational requirements, but also to meet with state officials and discuss the City of Saluda’s infrastructure problems, networking and to finding potential grants. 

 Unfortunately, Saluda’s “median household income”, which is included in the formula that the state uses when considering which towns receive grants, is higher than Hendersonville, Columbus, Tryon and Asheville making it extremely hard to qualify for a grant. 

 During all these discussions with state officials it was suggested to the board that the city look at applying for a USDA loan, the board applied and was approved for this loan in the summer of 2017 but with the an additional requirement of 7 – 8 months engineering before the monies would be released. 

The engineering requirement will be completed shortly and the project will be put out to bid with an anticipated start date of around March – April, 2018.

 I was elected on a mandate to fix water and sewer and feel that we have made a major step forward with this USDA loan and would ask the residents to allow myself another term to continue this work, don’t be misled by the hopes and promises of my opponents. 

Sincerely, Mark Oxtoby, Saluda, N.C.