Yadkin commissioner candidates take part in forum

The four candidates running for three open seats on the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners faced off on Tuesday evening in a forum hosted by the Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce.

All four of the candidates are longtime Yadkin County residents who have numerous years of experience in government and service-related groups in the county.

On the ballot in November for the board are incumbent David Moxley, joined by newcomers in the race, Ricky Oliver, Tim Parks and Marty Driver. Moxley, Oliver and Parks are on the Republican ticket and Driver is running as unaffiliated. Oliver is a replacement nominated by the County GOP for candidate Kevin Austin who withdrew from the race in July.

At Tuesday's forum each candidate had a chance to speak to their vision of the county's future and why they are running for election. The candidates then took turns answering a series of questions presented by host David Nance, which did include questions from audience members. The forum was also livestreamed on the Yadkin Chamber Facebook page.

Funding and staff issues at the county's volunteer fire departments and the need for competitive pay for county employees were among the topics the candidates spoke on during the forum. The candidates were asked what steps they had been taking to learn more about the various needs in the county. As the incumbent, Moxley said he was well aware of the needs. Parks, Oliver and Driver each said they had been speaking with community members, including local groups such as the fire departments to learn more about concerns and prepare themselves for a potential term on the county board.

Future development along the I-77/U.S. 421 corridor, school needs, and how to attract and keep young people in the county were other items discussed by the candidates.

Each of the candidates also expressed their support for a county sales tax referendum that will appear on the November ballot. This referendum has been attempted before and failed, but each candidate said they hoped it would be successful this time as it could bring in more than $800,000 in revenue to the county. They referred to the tax as "fair" as it alleviates some of the burden on just property owners for taxes and spreads it out among all those shopping and purchasing items in the county, including those who are traveling to the county and do not reside there.

The evening concluded with each candidate giving a brief closing statement reiterating why they are running to serve on the board.

The full forum can be viewed on the Yadkin Chamber Facebook page.

Next week, a Q&A with the candidates will be published in The Yadkin Ripple.