Meet the Candidates — Stokes County Board of Commissioners

The following questions were presented to all the candidates for the two open seats on the Stokes County Board of Commissioners. The order of the answers is printed in the order in which the responses were received. Responses were limited to 250 words per question. Repeated attempts through various media to contact candidate Wayne Barneycastle to participate were unsuccessful.

Please provide some background information. Why are you running for office?

Timpy Ellis: I am a Stokes County native, raised in Pine Hall, and lived in the county my whole life. I’m married with two daughters and have spent the last 18 years as a housewife and stay-at-home mom. I have been a member of West Side Baptist Church in Mayodan for almost 19 years; it is an essential aspect of my life. In 2020, I began my career working for Stokes County schools as a substitute teacher. Working as a substitute is a job I thoroughly enjoy as I can go into different schools and meet new teachers, administrators, and students. Currently, I am enrolled at UNCG in my last semester of graduate school. I’m running for County Commissioner because the citizens of Stokes County deserve equal representation. I want to work with the current commissioners to represent all of our citizens and try to make Stokes County a better place for everyone to live, from the youngest to the oldest. This county has always held a special place in my heart, and when I think of our county, the first word that comes to mind is home. I want each citizen to have that same feeling. I want them to know that no matter what part of the county they live in, their thoughts and concerns are valid to the members of our county government.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: My family moved to King from Rural Hall when I was 18 years old. After working multiple jobs, I decided to enlist in the Navy. After 20 years of service, I retired as a Chief Petty Officer, senior enlisted, having served over 20 years for our Country, and moved back to the area. My wife and I live in King, we attend Olive Grove Baptist Church in Pinnacle and we both love our county.

The reason I am running for County Commissioner is to try and unite our county and work for the people of Stokes County. I am running for the empty seat and not against anyone else. I want to be a leader that will collaborate with all factions of our government to make things work for the people. I am a lifelong conservative republican.

Sonya Cox: My name is Sonya Moorefield Cox, daughter of the late Clyde Moorefield and Donna Moorefield. I am married to Thad, a retired art teacher and I have four children and five grandchildren. I am the fourth generation of my family to be born and raised here in Stokes County and I am a lifelong registered Republican. I have been a barber for 39 years and have worked and helped to manage King‘s Cabin Salon and Day Spa for 37 years. I attend First Christian Church in King. I am a born-again Christian, my faith is everything to me.

I want to serve this county because I think I can be continue to move our county forward in a positive direction. I care about our communities and our natural resources. I’m running to protect our religious liberties and constitutional freedoms. I am a huge proponent of the First and Second amendment and consider myself a constitutional conservative. I believe that America is the greatest nation, and we should do everything to secure our borders and get back to traditional American values. I have a desire to help shape the direction and future of our county and be a good steward of the public trust. We have several projects underway, the new animal shelter, courthouse expansion, broadband expansion, water and sewer connectivity projects and economic development opportunities that I would like to see completed or at least on solid ground before I retire from public service. I ask for one more opportunity to serve the people to be your voice and represent you with integrity and transparency.

Mike Fulp: Growing up in the 70s & 80s things have changed. My parents both worked a public job and farmed. I never knew much of anything but work. I started my business back in 1984 (Tireshop) and raised tobacco also up to 2004. I also ran a Country Store, Racetrack & Tubing Business from 2010 to 2021. I have lived in Stokes County my entire life.

First & foremost is that I love Stokes County. I would like to be a servant of the People. For our County to survive we must have more Infrastructure and employment opportunities.

David Hudson: I moved to this area in 1972 when my father relocated with Piedmont Airlines. I attended Forsyth County Schools and Wingate University. My wife, Laura, and I met while she was living in Stokes County. We were married in 1989 and have relocated numerous times with my career. We moved back to North Carolina and built our forever home. We love our community and now that I am retired, I want to give back to the community and use the experiences gained in my career to benefit Stokes County.

If elected as a Stokes County Commissioner, I will partner with the state, county and city leadership to improve our infrastructure and our services with a focus on funding and cost containment. Why am I running? – Who doesn’t get excited when there is potential for their team to win?

Help Me, Help Stokes County Win – Vote Hudson for County Commissioner on March 5.

What kind of experience do you have such as budgeting or leadership that qualifies you for the post?

Timpy Ellis: Let me begin by stating that I am not a politician and have never been a politician. I have always been political but have never run for public office. That being said, my experience is limited in the area of both leadership and budgeting. As I stated earlier, I am currently enrolled in my last semester of Graduate School at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro in the Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies program. The program has included coursework that focuses on leadership and program administration. Within that program, we have studied community leadership, leadership in policy and with policymakers, and leadership in advocacy within our communities. As for budgeting, my experience is related to planning and maintaining a household budget. When I work on our household budget, I have to ensure that our expenses are not more than our income. I have to put money into savings for those just in case things (like the morning I woke up with water dripping in my face from a leak in the roof), but I also know that we cannot dip into that money except in extreme cases. If things get tight, we must look for ways to cut our expenses. Our budget keeps us on track, and each dollar has to be accounted for.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: While serving in the Navy, I was assigned as the Atlantic Fleets Engineering representative for a 1-billion-dollar project to extend the life of the Navy Hovercraft beyond 30 years (SLEP, Service Life Extension Plan). While serving as the Representative I was constantly traveling between Little Creek VA and other cities meeting with contractors, Senior Navy Officers and others who were in the budgeting and planning process. This process lasted over 2 years and the maintenance plan we agreed on is still in use today. As a leader, I was in charge of detachments that were in size from 35-50+ sailors, at the Command and also while deployed to the Persian Gulf and other hot spots in the world. The process of being a leader in the Navy is just like that of a government entity. When you have a ship that is a floating city, capable of maintaining and providing for itself, you must work with the many Divisions onboard, for example Combat, Engineering, Supply, and Food Service to achieve the goal of your missions. If you had a disagreement with how things were being done, you had to sit down and put your differences aside to make a decision that was best for the overall mission. We did not have time to get mad or pitch a fit because we did not get what we wanted. Stokes county leadership must stop looking at the past and figure out a way to move into the future. If we continue to dwell in the past, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

Sonya Cox: I served 15 1/2 years on the Stokes County Board of Education, I was chairman of the BOE several times during my tenure. I have served as chairman and vice chairman of the Commissioners. As a BOE member, we sent 15 budgets to the county commissioners, we crafted those budgets, worked with the BOCC to find creative ways to fund education. I have been involved in three budgets as a BOCC member, It is quite different to figure out how to fund all areas of county government. I have served in leadership positions with MADIK, fundraised and led a community build playground project called Everybody’s Playground, a place where kids with disabilities can play with all children. I have served on the Stokes Family YMCA Board. Currently I serve on the Department of Social Services Board and the Board of Health. I serve on Vaya’s regional board and with Vayas help started the substance use and treatment committee, a group of stakeholders, community members and our faith based community brought together to come up with solutions, and make recommendations to the BOCC regarding the opioid epidemic that is ravishing our communities.

I believe in servant leadership, and will lead by example, encouraging collaboration and engagement within our county government, I believe this motivates our team of employees to know they are valued and the jobs they do are important. We have a great team of employees that work hard and have a high level of dedication to our county.

Mike Fulp: I went into business in 1984 at 19 years of age. My first budgeting skills came at a cost. Really I don’t know any other kind of work but working for the people. Within a couple of years I started hiring employees. Then came the leadership role. I was using the STAR method before it was even known of. But our Government and I suggest everyone to use it. As a leader you must have the ability to influence, communicate, inspire and motivate for success.

David Hudson: I am a retired Senior Financial Leader with 40 years of experience in numerous industries. The most beneficial experience for Stokes County is my seventeen years of leadership in commercial construction and service with Trane Commercial Air Conditioning and Siemens Industry. I worked with various teams to develop contract review, subcontractor qualification and project review processes focused on safety and expense management.

Infrastructure (facilities, roads, water, wastewater treatment, internet access) is a key focus point for Stokes County and its residents. One of my passions is working with a team to complete projects on time and at or below budget. This requires effective communication and project management to accomplish both. While some projects will fall under the responsibility of the various city management teams within the county, we should encourage teamwork to help all organizations within the county to achieve project success.

As a Financial Leader in manufacturing, industry and service I have been responsible for driving the annual budgeting and forecasting processes. My budgetary responsibility during my career peaked at $280M with an organization spanning four states and an employee base of 731 team members.

In my last neighborhood of 129 homes, I served as HOA Treasurer for six years. Working with other board members we maintained our monthly dues at an allowable rate and retained our reserves at the required dollar amounts while performing all maintenance and infrastructure improvements. This was accomplished through our contract bid and selection process.

What is your position on the Stokes County Schools long range plan and associated funding?

Timpy Ellis: According to the Stokes County Schools website, the goal, so to speak, of the long-range plan is to ensure that every student in the county has access to safe schools and highly qualified teachers. These words are what any parent, grandparent, and family member wants to hear: that their children will be safe at school, have the best and newest resources, and have teachers who are trained and highly qualified. My position starts with a question: how does the county intend to accomplish this goal? Will the burden of paying for this fall onto taxpayers? At this time, two elementary schools are closing, not due to poor conditions but because of redistricting and taking students away. We have schools that are already full of students but will have additional students added to their rolls when these two schools close. How does this accomplish the long-range plan of our school system? Is putting more students into each classroom providing the education that these students deserve? These are all valid questions we should be asking.

Regarding the associated fund, I am not as informed as I would like, but research is essential to know the exact ends and outs. When you are in an authority position, making rash decisions without being informed leads to mistakes and problems that take time to recover from. Our county needs to be extra careful with monetary choices; you can’t live for today without saving and securing for tomorrow.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: The Long-range plan is not a school consolidation plan, but a plan that leaves us with more questions than answers and is completely unaffordable. I would like to know what the School Boards Plan B is. I assume the tactic was to start high then begin negotiations with the Commissioners, but this set us back a year on receiving a grant for a new school facility. The bigger question regarding education has been about the grant to rebuild King Elementary. Those students need to be in a better facility. As a citizen of King, I would prefer that a new school be built in a different location, especially if closing Pinnacle Elementary is part of qualifying for the grant. With the commercial development going on right down the street, we are maxing out our infrastructure and at times navigating the area is tough.

Sonya Cox: I am committed to keeping as many schools open as possible. I’m in favor of keeping all three high schools open. I do believe that some semblance of consolidation will need to take place at the elementary level. This could be done in the northeast and south district by the construction of a new elementary school then it would be a true consolidation, a new name and mascot. I’m not in favor of combining Southeastern and South Stokes as suggested in the Masonboro study. I’m not in favor of closing KES and moving those students to crowded schools using mobile units as Masonboro suggested. I do think the attendance lines could be looked at there’s probably some room for redistricting but not to the level of the Masonboro study. I think a 5 — 8 year plan is more reasonable than a 16 year plan. When new boards are elected, plans can change very quickly. I don’t think it’s the BOCC’s job to micromanage the BOE by telling them how or what to consolidate. I believe the 44 million grant that was voted down was the best way to start replacing aging buildings, I supported the grant because it was funded with lottery money something that Stokes County has not gotten its fair share of. I am open to doing a bond referendum if requested by the BOE, to renovate or replace aging schools. Our facility study three years ago recommended $90 million in renovations, I’m sure those construction costs have gone up.

Mike Fulp: Even though I have very little information on this issue I understand how frustrating this must have on the communities. Our Schools haven’t been maintained like they should have I know for a fact. The School Board & Commissioners must sit down and come up a resolution that works for all involved. I would feel the same as these people in these areas.

David Hudson: Stokes County is challenged with older facilities and the distance between schools. Home schooling has impacted classroom attendance in Stokes County by 878 students according to the “2022 North Carolina HOME SCHOOL Statistical Summary” for the 2021-2022 school year. Home schooling coupled with a general reduction in citizens less than nineteen years of age in the county has resulted in a reduction in the classroom population. These factors have helped to drive the planned consolidation and closure of schools as announced by the Stokes County School Board.

Our facilities continue to age and will become a greater burden on the county to maintain. We are a small county with approximately 46,000 residents. Funding is a challenge. The decision not to apply for the $44M grant to replace King Elementary is unfortunate. The grant is funded with $42M from the NC Lottery Fund and only requires a $2M investment by the county. The only capital expenditure in the 2023-2024 Budget is the renovation of the courthouse for $9.5M with $2M from capital reserves and $7.5M coming from financing which will impact our future cash flows until the debt is paid.

Our long-range plan should carefully incorporate consolidation and other facility upgrades or replacements based on analysis performed with each budget cycle. The annual budget cycle should include forecasts for the next four years to better anticipate future funding requirements.

We must continue to expand our focus on government funding with the help of our state and national legislators. We must remain fiscally responsible while leveraging all funding opportunities.

What is your position on balancing the county budget? (i.e. raise the tax rate, use the fund balance, cut services...)

Timpy Ellis: When it comes to the issue of balancing the county budget, I first have to admit that I have always considered myself a fiscal conservative. Even though Stokes County is small as far as population goes, we still have a significant budget and many services that are provided through that budget. That being said, the last thing I want to see is taxes raised on our citizens. The current state of our economy has put families in tight positions when it comes to providing the necessities of life. Everything has increased in price, and this new Duke Energy rider, which recently appeared on electric bills, has doubled, and even tripled the cost for some. The county needs to take a good, hard look at where the money is going. This would need to be done in every department to which our citizens provide taxes. Who knows what might be uncovered with a good look and some transparency! I do not want to see any program in this county cut completely. I understand that some depend on specific services, but there may be areas where minor cuts could be made, putting money back into the county budget.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: With a budget of almost $55 million dollars, we should be able to run this county without having to raise taxes. The problem we have is that the issues at hand were here long before the current boards took office. We continue to put them on the back burner instead of coming together and agreeing on a long-range plan. When we do agree on the long-range plan, we cannot wait another 10+ years to discuss another 10-year plan. Every year, the board needs to come together to discuss, make changes if needed and then implement a plan that works for all parts of the County. The budget of the County should be discussed and approved in a way that is best for the people and taxpayers of the county. I am against raising taxes.

Sonya Cox: The budget planning process is an arduous one. Last year we met with each department head to discuss their needs and budget goals and where cuts could be made. I believe in trying to stretch every dollar as much as possible and keep our tax rate as low as we possibly can. That being said, we have to identify new sources of revenue other than property tax and focus on economic development opportunities to alleviate the tax burden on the property owners. The 1/4 cent sales tax should be considered on the next general election. We recently opted to do an occupancy tax, six cents which is charged to the tourists and visitors who are staying overnight in our county. We are also seeking advice on budgets and capital expenditures from a consultant who is advised on school capital projects in the past. We need to maintain a balanced budget without relying so heavily on our fund balance. We have repeatedly used fund balance to balance our budget and we need to build it back to a respectable level as we may need to borrow money for future Capital projects. Our board will probably be forced to look at a small tax increase in the future out of necessity, we have been able to maintain the same tax rate for the last 10 years but I will continue to look for cuts and ways to save the county money if I am reelected.

Mike Fulp: I’d say work it before ever getting to any of this. Balance the Budget is the best way to fix it. Infrastructure & employment will bring in more businesses & homes being built. More revenue and permits gives our County more funds to allocate, Don’t ever believe that a Trickle- Down Economy is bad.

David Hudson: North Carolina general statutes require county governments to adopt a balanced budget by June 30 of each year for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). The annual operating budget is an estimate of all costs to run the county. The textbook definition of a balanced budget is one where the total of all revenues including carryover fund balances equals the total estimated expenditures for the year.

Overspending may lead to a reduction in the next year’s carry over fund balance, potentially driving the need to increase taxes or to reduce expenses.

Our goal should be to actively promote responsible growth policies to ultimately reduce taxes.

The most recent passage of the occupancy tax creates another revenue stream for Stokes County and potentially for its cities. It is a tax on temporary lodging (Airbnb, Hotels etc.). It is a responsible growth strategy. In 2021, over 900,000 people visited Hanging Rock State Park. We need to understand how many of these visitors are paying for lodging outside of Stokes County. This will help us promote a plan to attract hotels to offer acceptable lodging to tourists and in turn create more recurring revenue for Stokes County. This will create the need for additional restaurants, other services and opportunities for local businesses and new businesses focused on tourism. Responsible growth strategies benefit the community and grow our revenues without increasing taxes.

What are other issues impacting citizens and how will you address those?

Timpy Ellis: As I have spoken with citizens, two issues have been mentioned most. First is the drug problem that exists here in our county, which results in overdoses, deaths, and family separations. No longer are meth and fentanyl the only concerns, but now horse tranquilizers have become a part of the drug problem. How do we stop the drug problem? I honestly don’t know if there is an easy answer. What I do believe is that the drug problem in our county is going to take more than government officials to make an impact. Everyone in our county must come together to find a possible solution.

Secondly, there is the current condition of our foster system, which has been labeled resource-poor. Simply put, there are not enough foster families and group homes to provide safe placements for children. The children of our county are driven hours away, and siblings are being separated due to a lack of placement resources. How do we work on this issue? One way is to share the need with the citizens of our county and listen to the ideas they have. Recently, a conversation with someone brought up the point of the empty buildings in the county, sitting and not being used, and that these facilities could be utilized to create foster resources for the children within our county. It may not be the correct answer, but at least people are trying to find a solution.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: The issue of keeping open the Danbury hospital and its satellite facilities in King and Pine Hall is critically important to the residents of Stokes County, especially our aging population. I am in favor of taking all reasonable steps necessary to keep these facilities open and thriving. It is my understanding that the eight town halls that were held on the hospital reflected the same position as mine that the hospital is strongly supported across the county by Stokes County residents. I also specifically support the hospital plan to build a 24/7 emergency room in King.

Sonya Cox: The issues impacting our county are numerous, some of the top priorities would be broadband expansion, we have had state grants to bring broadband to our unserved and underserved areas of our county. High speed Internet is a key component of our infrastructure and businesses rely on it as do students and those who work from home. The use of wireless towers could reach areas previously unreachable . We need to look for additional grants to accelerate the expansion of broadband. Access to Rural healthcare is very important and we need to keep our critical access hospital open to provide the needed healthcare to our county. Mental health and substance use disorders have been devastating to many in our county I will continue to work with Vaya to look for additional resources to address the mental health crisis in our county. We have been able to use our opioid settlement money to tackle the opioid problem, our committee and BOH has made recommendations to the board to hire a opioid substance use coordinator, 2 peer support specialists, expand the community paramedic program, expand MAT services as well as hire a mental health clinician for the health department. The aging population in our county and the access to affordable housing is a problem, eldercare and adult daycares are needed. We need to look at our volunteer fire departments to see what they may need as the number of volunteer fireman is shrinking. Public safety and our first responders will always be a priority of mine.

Mike Fulp: We have theft problems & drug addictions throughout our County. Work harder at getting the right help and talking to the right people can fix this problem.

David Hudson: Rural health care is a concern. We should seek funding for upgrades and renovation to the current hospital in Danbury. While it is not a new hospital, it is centrally located in county and with the required upgrades it could continue to serve the county well.

What sets you apart from other candidates?

Timpy Ellis: I am unfamiliar with all of the candidates running for County Commissioner, so I can’t honestly state what sets me apart from them, but I can state what I believe are things to know about me. First, as I noted earlier, I am not a politician. I would come into this position as a first timer in the political ring. I am just a citizen of our county who is concerned about the direction that we are heading and who wants to work alongside others to help all the citizens of our county be treated the same no matter what township they live in. That being said, I will not make promises to fix all of the issues in our county because I do not believe in making promises without full knowledge that I can keep them. As a citizen, it always frustrates me to see a politician talk about everything they are going to do only to get into office and do nothing. In addition, because of my age, I can bring a different perspective to the Commissioner’s office. I don’t know the ages of all the candidates, but the ones I am familiar with are older, which is not bad by any means. However, having a younger viewpoint on the issues can be vital.

Robert (Bobby) Adams: What sets me apart from the other candidates is that I have been in a leadership position for most of my career. Being in the Navy taught me personal skills and people skills that allow me to work with all types of people and personalities. The leadership that was instilled in me from a young sailor to a senior enlisted sailor has allowed me to be a strong leader in my last job as the Laboratory Manager for Nanotech Labs in Yadkinville where I stayed for the last 15 years before leaving the workforce completely in February of 2023. While there I oversaw operations, maintenance, schedules, payroll, and the quality of the products we manufactured. This was a small company that relied on my leadership to make sure we always delivered quality materials to our customers. If elected as a County Commissioner I would like to always provide the people of Stokes county a quality government that will provide for all of them.

Sonya Cox: What sets me apart from the other candidates is my years of experience in serving the county, I am the only incumbent running and one of two women. I believe adaptability and flexibility are important when working with an elected board. Board members can change , the last three years I’ve worked with two different elected boards, as new people are elected with different ideas and personalities you have to be able to work together to move the county forward and accomplish the goals set forth by the board. I use a common sense approach to problem-solving. I am a visionary that sees the big picture and believes in planning strategically for the future. I have the most experience of any board member or anyone running regarding the schools budget, the problems they face and how that interfaces with the county. I won’t back down from tough issues, I possess a strong work ethic, and excellent communication skills. I’m very passionate about Stokes County because I love it and believe it is the best county in the state of North Carolina. Lastly, I believe the job of the government is to protect individual rights and basic freedoms of our citizens and not restrict the inalienable rights given to us by our all mighty Creator and our Constitution. I will defend these rights and continue to back our Sheriff as he defends these freedoms.I appreciate your continued support and your vote.

Mike Fulp: I don’t want to offend anyone but I’d say my Work Ethic & Experience but often I find that there is always something new to learn.

David Hudson: My financial management experience in multiple companies.

My passion is customer service. When I accept a position, I accept the challenges and the opportunities that come with it. My focus is to do my level best to improve the experience for the customers, in this case, the taxpaying citizens of Stokes County.