Sunday, Sep. 25, 2011

Town Council candidates sound off

Incumbents, challengers tackle jobs, downtown.

Five candidates vying for three Town Council seats in the November election sounded off last week on several topics, including the ConAgra Foods site, downtown revitalization and the issue that won't go away: a cafeteria-style restaurant.

Three incumbents are trying to keep their seats on the council. Jackie Johns, Buck Kennedy and Ken Marshburn face political newcomers Amaka Flynn and Becky Matthews.

They all came together on Tuesday at the Village of Aversboro. About 50 residents showed up to ask questions and hear what the candidates had to say.

Jobs, ConAgra

All the candidates said they want to spur economic development.

Matthews, a human-resources coordinator at Wake Christian Academy, said Garner needs to offer incentives to entice businesses to locate here.

"We need to be proactive," said Matthews, who is the wife of Wake County Commissioner Phil Matthews. "What's going to bring them here? What's going to keep them here?"

Kennedy, a former engineer who is seeking a third term on the council, agreed that the town needs to offer economic incentives, such as reducing a company's property-tax bill after it creates a certain number of jobs.

Flynn, a financial analyst for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said the town needs to focus on the former ConAgra Foods site on Jones Sausage Road. After a deadly explosion in 2009, the company shuttered its Garner plant, leaving hundreds without jobs.

Now the company is giving the 106-acre site to the town to redevelop. Town leaders have said they want to attract high-paying jobs to the area.

"I think it's time for out-of-the-box thinking in terms of moving Garner forward," Flynn said.

Redoing downtown

Candidates said they are in favor of breathing new life into downtown Garner, even if it means pouring tax dollars into projects there.

"We can't afford not to do it," said Marshburn, who is trying for a second term on the council. "If you have an area in town that's decaying, you've got to fix it."

Johns, who has served on the council for decades, said he would like to see a post office downtown, although he admitted that's unlikely.

Matthews applauded the town for bringing in the Broadway Voices series, which features professional performers. A restaurant and coffee shop downtown would be a great way to keep visitors in the area when they go to the Garner Historic Auditorium for those kinds of events, she said.

To get the development ball rolling, the town needs "to serve as a catalyst," Kennedy said. That way, he said, private development will hopefully follow suit.

But Flynn said she has talked to many voters who have mixed feelings about redoing downtown. Some would prefer new development in the Forest Hills neighborhood, she said.

A cafeteria, please

Garner residents have said for years that they want a cafeteria-style restaurant to come to town. Last week, candidates said they're in favor of the idea.

"Yes, of course," Matthews said. "I have not met anyone in Garner who is not interested in bringing a cafeteria to Garner."

Johns said having a cafeteria would keep tax money in town, and it would save residents from traveling to Raleigh.

Community center

As a mother of two school-age children, Flynn said she knows it's hard for families to find affordable recreation.

A community center could get kids off the streets and serve as a recreation tool, she said. "I think it's a real need for this community," she said.

As part of ConAgra's departure, the company gave Garner $2.5 million to build a community center. But the town has no immediate plans for the project, and town leaders have said they need at least $5 million to make a community center a reality.

Kennedy said the town could partner with the YMCA of the Triangle to build a center.

And Matthews said the town could work with Wake County to build a new library-community center combo.

Flynn and Matthews said they want to bring something new to the council.

Flynn said the council needs representatives from all walks of life, and she said her experience as a parent and professional would be good for the town.

"This is the time for a fresh face and a fresh voice," Matthews said.