Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide: Bellflowers, Warner vie for mayor of Hope Mills

Incumbent Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner faces a challenge from Jessie Bellflowers, a former Hope Mills commissioner, in the Nov. 7 election. Bellflowers last challenged Warner in 2022.

Here are their answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Fayetteville Observer. The answers have been edited for style and grammar.

Jessie Bellflowers

Age: 67

Immediate family: Spouse, Bambi Bellflowers; child, Jessica Bellflowers Morgan

Occupation: FTCC General Business Administration department chair; United States Army retired

Elected office held: Town of Hope Mills commissioner two terms (2017-2021)

Contact information: jbellflowers@nc.rr.com; 910-964-8103; Facebook

For incumbents: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement or achievements in office? For challengers: What issue or issues compelled you to seek office? 

I served on the town board for two terms (2017-2021) and since stepping off the board, the lack of transparency, accountability, responsibility and public input are a few of the issues that compelled me to seek office. Openness and accountability go together with transparency!

Citizens want public officials to be honest, have integrity and work tirelessly for the best interests of the community. For example, a main point of contention in our community today is a proposed hotel location at the former golf course on Golfview Road. The rezoning request is not harmonious with adjacent parcels in the surrounding area, does not protect the integrity of the adjoining neighborhoods and the location should be in a more commercial area, such as at the I-295 interchange on the west side of Hope Mills.

Another issue is the future of the 92-acre greenway property. The town did not hold a public hearing before making the decision to turn the passive, open recreational site into a major sports complex that will cost about $12 million dollars. Dollars the town does not have!

As the town of Hope Mills continues to be a fast-growing community, issues like residential and economic development growth, recreational opportunities and traffic congestion are issues that compelled me to seek office. To effectively address these issues, we must have the courage to be smart about planning our future and managing growth with a sustainable, visionary long-term strategic economic development plan. For example, future residential and economic development growth regarding I-95, Exit 41 and Future I-295 bypass gateway areas.

What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the town of Hope Mills?

Hope Mills is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in North Carolina with over 18,000 residents. Like many small towns, the Hope Mills community has several main challenges, like residential and economic development growth, community parks and limited recreational opportunities, and major traffic congestion.

Managing residential and economic development growth, while maintaining the sense of small-town charm is one of the town's biggest challenges as we continue to build a family-oriented community all of us are proud of today and for years to come!

A huge challenge coming to Hope Mills is the sales tax revenue loss of about $1.9 million dollars in another year. The town does not have a strategic plan to address this huge loss of revenue.

A challenge that has been discussed for years, without resolution, is a Public Transportation Plan providing bus route service in and around Hope Mills to surrounding points of interest or need in Cumberland County. This can be accomplished by seeking available grant funding and community partnering, but the Town needs a feasibility study.

To address these challenges, I propose our town needs a sustainable Comprehensive Strategic Plan that establishes a vision for the town, provides policy guidance for economic growth and development, and helps make the town more workable, livable, and prosperous. Currently, the town does not have a strategic plan.

Further, I propose establishing a Town Economic Development Committee. The purpose of this committee is to oversee and make recommendations regarding the activities of the town’s long-range vision and comprehensive planning goals and economic development initiatives that fit within the approved Southwest Cumberland Land Use Plan. This plan focuses on the southwestern portion of the county, which includes the town of Hope Mills.

There are many challenges that face our community that require results-driven leadership, creative thinking, building cooperation and consensus, and a tremendous amount of teamwork.

What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the town, especially young families? 

Without question, families and businesses today are looking to live and work in towns that provide high-quality living environments for families, for example, excellent schools, low crime rates, and family-friendly, and a diverse range of recreational activities that families can enjoy.Research has shown that recreation is an important factor in quality of life for everyone, for example, a very diverse and growing population in Hope Mills. One of Hope Mills’ most valuable resources is its network of parks and the main recreational facility.

For example, Hope Mills Lake Park is the centerpiece of our downtown where people from all over our community gather to enjoy recreational opportunities and the natural beauty of the lake. Another example is the Golfview Greenway Park where open green space is a premium in any community as a quality-of-life amenity.

Parks are places to meet and celebrate with family and friends and enjoy numerous community events. They are inclusive, accessible and venues for community events and sports activities. On any given weekday and especially on weekends, you will find plenty of young families, millennials, senior citizens, military families, and disabled veterans with service dogs all enjoying the Golfview Greenway Park.

We must be smart about growth and development while keeping a stable tax rate base along with high levels of service to residents. We must guard these valuable community assets that have served generations past and those generations to come. This is called vision and if elected as mayor, I pledge to protect our limited recreational space and the historical culture of our town.

What does Hope Mills need that it doesn't have? This could be people, resources, organizations, business or infrastructure.

Public safety has always been my number one priority. Currently, the new police and fire department complex, named the John W. Hodges Public Safety Center, is open for service. However, even with completion of this project, we must still find a workable, affordable solution to build at least one or two new satellite facilities over the next three to five years to meet the increasing residential and commercial growth in the Jack Britt and Gray's Creek areas.

Another top priority is community recreational programs. The Town must invest in improvements to existing facilities, and programs, and the development of new recreational opportunities to maintain and enhance community quality of life.

Hope Mills Lake Park is the centerpiece of our downtown and another testament to the power of vision, planning and results-driven leadership that will be required to address future residential and economic development growth in our community, for example, Heritage Park and a Town Museum (both are historical priorities) and Golfview Greenway projects. The biggest challenge with managing these priorities going forward will be to locate sustainable funding resources without raising property taxes. Our community parks and recreational facilities can be just as important as fire and police services to the quality of life in our community!

Developing and managing these priorities starts with the process of developing a Comprehensive Strategic Plan that articulates the vision and values to address this question: How do we grow and prosper as a town while maintaining a strong sense of community that celebrates its unique heritage and small-town character?

How have you or how will you engage with your constituents? 

I am always available to constituents and most have my email address and cellphone number. I have a social media page and attend community events to listen to issues, concerns, and suggestions on how to improve our community.

I strongly believe and support public input on how we — as a collective community — can enrich the lives of citizens who choose the town of Hope Mills to live, work and raise their families. For example, involved citizens are the hallmark of an exceptional community today, while shaping the future of tomorrow.

If elected mayor, I would like to establish quarterly Town Hall Community Forums for public input. Not all citizens read the town board agenda and/or can attend town board meetings. So, a community forum would provide citizens the opportunity to not only share issues and concerns but get involved with the town senior leadership by sharing suggestions and recommendations. For example, citizens working together with town commissioners and manager to develop a sustainable strategic plan to address both short- and long-term vision for our town; provides policy guidance for economic growth and development; and helps make the Town a more workable, livable, and prosperous community.

I am committed every day on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional community in which to work and live while providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper while leading our community as one we are proud to call home. … This is my compass!

Jackie Warner

Age: 73

Immediate family: Spouse, Alex Warner; son, Teddy Warner (Tiffany); daughter, Dr. Molly W. Capps (Nick); five grandchildren

Occupation: Retired educator; small-business owner — Carleen's Baby Boutique & Gifts, Countryside Furniture Store

Elected office held: 2007-2009 Hope Mills commissioner; 2011-present Hope Mills mayor

Contact information: carleensofhopemills@gmail.com; 910-309-7779; facebook.com/JackieWarnerforMayorjackieforhopemillsmayor.com

For incumbents: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement or achievements in office? For challengers: What issue or issues compelled you to seek office? 

As the representative voice of the Hope Mills board, I have received credit for our current growth and quality of life improvements; however, our team is responsible for all the achievements. The restoration of our iconic lake through a long court settlement and overseeing the design-build construction of our award-winning dam is the top achievement. Our development of capital improvement, multimodal congestion, comprehensive parks and recreational plans have given our board the means to apply for and receive grant funding along with funding through our legislative delegation. Our new state of the art $17 million Public Safety Building, our municipal parking lot, our new all-inclusive playground and splash pad, improved basketball court, restoration of the Thomas Oakman Chapel, the start of our fully funded Heritage Park, our updated town web page along with our presence on social media and new marquees to better communicate with our citizens, our partnerships with FTCC and Cumberland County Schools to provide educational opportunities for our young adults, our Ministerial Association made up of all church denominations meets regularly and schedules events such as sunrise services and National Day of Prayer, our special events for our veterans with a plan for improvements to Veterans Memorial Park and increased parking, our new committees — Prime Movers and Mayor’s Youth Leadership provide opportunities for our millennials and high school students to be involved in our town — my list could continue to include all the economic development taking place, new homes being built, increased police presence with Walk with a Cop as one initiative — all with a balanced budget and no tax increases for our citizens in many years. Our staff and board are to be commended for the work they do because I so often get credit for my leadership in our growing town when it is a “Hope Mills Team” moving our town forward!

What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the town of Hope Mills?

1. Infrastructure needs including traffic congestion, stormwater issues and additional sidewalks and bike lanes. 2. Acquiring funding to complete Comprehensive Parks and Recreational Plan.3. Investing in our youth to include recreational opportunities, job skills training and support for ways to stop gun violence and suicide. Continuing our partnership with FTCC and Cumberland County Schools. 4. Public transportation system5. Support for our most vulnerable populations — senior citizens, veterans and individuals with special needs

What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the town, especially young families? 

Currently, our town is experiencing extreme growth — economically and increasing population numbers. We are growing because of our recreational opportunities, good schools, family-oriented youth programs, churches, and our small-town attitude. One of our biggest assets is Hope Mills Lake and this coupled with year-round activities at the lake and the municipal parks, offers the community many reasons to love Hope Mills. We have seen an age shift recently with young families moving to Hope Mills due to the reasons above and the proximity to Fort Liberty with the I-295 Outer Loop near completion. The development taking place at Exit 41 off I-95 is bringing new investment and more residential opportunities along with the rising popularity of events at Dirt Bag Ales. Recently our board approved the plan for a Sports Complex to be built at the once-golf course on Golfview Road — this stadium and tournament-type ball fields will attract state tournaments and be a site for special events. Partnerships have proven to benefit our town and that will be a continued focus for the future.

What does Hope Mills need that it doesn't have? This could be people, resources, organizations, business or infrastructure.

Infrastructure needs are increasing due to our rapid growth along with a need for more personnel. We need an additional gym to meet the needs of our youth and senior citizen programs. We need more sidewalks for connectivity and to provide safe access to our recreation areas such as the lake. Stormwater needs require additional funding — our current needs in all areas may require a bond referendum. We have been very successful in acquiring grant funds and money through our local State delegation which we will continue to seek along with partnerships.

How have you or how will you engage with your constituents? 

I consider myself a full-time mayor accessible by my personal cellphone, social media and by appointments at my town office and my office phone. I respond to inquiries as quickly as possible, make myself available by daily interactions throughout the town, and by attending town and community events.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Hope Mills mayoral race: Jessie Bellflowers challenges Jackie Warner