Meet the candidates: Burgaw Board of Commissioners
Six candidates are running for three seats on the Burgaw Board of Commissioners.
Incumbents William George III and Vernon Harrell are joined by challengers John Johnson, Michael Pearsall, William Rivenbark and Rochelle Whiteside in the race.
Voters in Burgaw have three options to cast a vote in the 2023 election. Residents can vote before Election Day by mailing in an absentee ballot. Or they can cast their vote during the "one-stop" or early voting period, which begins Oct. 19 and ends Nov. 3. Same-day registration is available at early-voting sites.
Voters can also cast their ballots on Election Day, which is Nov. 7.
Candidate responses to questions are below. They have been edited for style, grammar and length.
William George III
Age: 79
Occupation: Funeral service; owner/operator of George’s Welding & Body Shop; fire administrator of Burgaw Fire Department (retired)
Family: Wife, Mary Anne (deceased); three sons, Charlie (and wife Sami), William IV and Sam and one granddaughter, Blair
Education: Burgaw High School, Miller-Motte Business College, Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Political affiliation: Democrat
Vernon Harrell
Age: 69
Occupation: Film production
Family: Wife, Michelle Pare’, two sons, Robin Sanders, Casey Harrell
Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Political affiliation: Democrat
John Johnson
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired, AT&T
Family: Divorced; two daughters, Lauren, Elise; and one grandson, Wally (Lauren)
Education: Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina Wilmington; MBA from The Citadel
Political affiliation: Democrat
Michael Pearsall
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired from manufacturing management, now self-employed
Family: Wife, Gloria; two sons, Recco, 37, Keith, 33; one daughter, Mesha, 35, and five grandchildren
Education: East Hampton High School NY 1980, study at Oswego State (State University of New York System) 1982 and North Carolina A&T State University 1984
Political affiliation: Democrat
William Rivenbark
Age: 68
Occupation: Retired educator from Pender County Schools
Family: Married to Janet Slate Rivenbark, three sons and daughters-in-law; Scott (Sarah), Grant (Angela), Zachary (Caroline) and four grandchildren; Taylor, Charleigh, Cody and Slate.
Education: Atlantic Christian College (now Barton) and North Carolina A&T to complete my teaching certification with Pender County Schools
Political affiliation: Republican
Rochelle Whiteside
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired public school teacher
Family: Four generations in Burgaw ― Grandparents, parents, myself and my two sons
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Education from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Political affiliation: Unaffiliated
As growth continues in Burgaw, what should the town do to meet housing demands?
George: In the past several years we have had several new homes and apartment complexes built in our jurisdiction requiring the change of zoning requirements. Zoning keeps growth in compliance with how we want to expand our services (water/sewage, fire/rescue, police, sanitation/drainage and other requested services.
Harrell: Housing is a huge issue in our area because of the influx of people hoping to enjoy the lifestyle we take for granted. As a small town with easy access to the amenities of a coastal metro area, Burgaw has the luxury of builders ready to invest in housing. Plans are under way to expand our water and sewer to accommodate growth on our eastern side with potential for expansion also on the west side of town. My concern is ensuring a supply of affordable housing for the people who work in our businesses and industries here in Burgaw.
Johnson: Housing has been an issue in Burgaw for quite a while. Some people who want to live in Burgaw cannot because there are few existing housing options. This affects the success of Town operations, our school system, health care options, and all local and potential businesses. It is because if families cannot find housing, they, their talents and money will locate elsewhere. Our projected growth will be the fuel that propels Burgaw’s local economy and improved livability if properly managed. Therefore, we must carefully plan and budget for development. This includes water/sewer infrastructure. This includes providing additional support to our Planning, Zoning, and Building Inspections personnel who answer questions and assist developers work through the labyrinth of their project. Equally important is communicating with the public and insuring they have a voice as well and their input is valued.
Pearsall: Allow the growth, however, control the types of homes or apartments that are built…this includes the continue use and suggestions of the planning board and its town commissioners. Keep on keeping that “home type country feels” that we here enjoy so much.
Rivenbark: Currently there are some smaller homes being built in the town limits. One of the problems is not enough land space in the city limits. The town may have to look into other properties to expand for more affordable housing, if the current sewer and water system can handle it and if we can make it work in our current infrastructure. Of course, this will not happen overnight, but have a ten-to-twenty-year plan in place for additional expansion.
Whiteside: I believe a careful study of our zoning codes and support of the aspects which serve to make our town a desirable place to live, while planning for growth within the reaches of a manageable infrastructure, will provide the means by which the town of Burgaw can help meet our growing housing demands.
What are the biggest issues facing the town right now?
George: Making sure we have space and services available for housing, industry, business, and recreation.
Harrell: We are on the cusp of a period of growth and change. Part of the challenge will be to ensure that people who have lived here for generations have access to improvements in our utilities, such as water and sewer, which are up to the standards of new construction. Expansion of services and amenities for west side residents are especially needed. The other issue involved with change is assuring that our way of life is protected. It will be very easy to lose our small-town charm, convenience and sense of security. We must ensure that our new neighborhoods are designed emphasizing safety, greenspace, community and connectivity with bike and pedestrian trails.
Johnson: Both the biggest positive issues and biggest negative issues facing the town ultimately orbit around capitalizing upon our natural advantages. One example is our local hospital. On Aug. 3, Martin General Hospital in Williamston was closed. According to UNC, North Carolina lost 13 hospitals to either closure or conversion since 2005. The federal government offers a lifeline to the states through Medicaid expansion, but so far, our General Assembly have rejected it. We are proud of our hospital in Burgaw. It provides a natural advantage over communities without a hospital. It provides security to all residents and businesses. Unfortunately, even with the recent agreement with Novant, the long-term picture is unclear. It is vital we prioritize keeping our hospital open. Lives depend upon it.
Pearsall: Parking downtown seems to be one of the biggest issues of Burgaw. Burgaw offers so many community events, like the Blueberry Festival, October Fest, and local parades...however parking in limited.
Rivenbark: One of the main things that I recognize is not enough parking spaces in the town limits for our current businesses. We encourage visitors to come see us and we also have other programs during the year that we have to close some of the streets around the Courthouse area, which makes a hardship for our current businesses. There has been some discussion on a by-pass, but to the best of my knowledge nothing has been finalized in this matter. We need to look into repairing and replacing aging infrastructure and add additional utilities as needed.
Whiteside: Making sure our town remains solvent: To keep our town affordable for the people who live here while maintaining our quality of life, we must assure our assets remain in excess of our liabilities by guaranteeing that growth is in line with the building and maintaining of our infrastructure. Supporting businesses and services, which keep our town viable and capable of providing the essentials for a high quality of life. Creating and implementing plans to support our schools: Insuring students, teachers and families have quality institutions which then make our schools an attractive resource for our town.
Why are you the best person to serve as town commissioner?
George: I have lived in Burgaw all my life except when I went off to Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. When I got back home, I started my career in the funeral service. I still was on the Fire Department as a volunteer, so I was still interested in what was going on in Burgaw. I have served as Mayor and Commissioner. I love Burgaw and want to see us continue to grow and prosper as a good town year-round.
Harrell: I have lived in Burgaw for most of my life. My wife and I raised two children here who attended public school and walked to their grandparents’ home after school. I understand the goodness and challenges of small-town life and want to ensure we do not lose the blessings we have been given. Our town will grow. The challenge is to ensure that growth is not like that of a mushroom that sprouts quickly and goes to rot. Rather, we need to grow as the oak tree with solid roots, a sturdy trunk and a large and healthy canopy to provide for the needs of our people. I have been fortunate to serve the residents of Burgaw for almost eight years as a town commissioner and, with your support, will be very happy to continue in my service.
Johnson: I live here. I have a deep love of the town and its people. I am a native, born here, attended school here and graduated here. My parents owned small business here, as I do now, and managed to keep them open. I participate in local government, serving on the Planning Board. Other candidates may share similar experiences. Unless I am mistaken, I am the only candidate possessing a Master of Business Administration (The Citadel). I am the only candidate who enjoyed a long career with a Fortune 10 company (AT&T) managing large merger/acquisition/divestiture projects, and PMI certified. I am the only candidate who after retirement returned home and, rather than putting a down payment on a beach house, renovated two needful commercial buildings downtown – investing in Burgaw instead. I believe Burgaw is indeed a “Good Town – Year-Round.”
Pearsall: I know that I would be one of the best to serve as one of Burgaw’s Town Commissioners because of my national and international travel as a military vet. I have had the opportunity to see how things work in the different types of municipalities while living in those locations. Also, I have lived here for the last 30 years, worked in upper management for 22 years in Burgaw, coached Pop Warner Football for 10 years where I several as president for the Pender league for two of those years, and now, currently own my own business. I know the people.
Rivenbark: I have lived in Burgaw for 36 years and have been involved in many of our town's festivals, programs and activities. I understand what it takes to make this town operate under the current budget. I also want to continue to share our town's charm and charisma without being a burden on our current resources and taxpayers. I would look for additional grant opportunities to help us, and I would use the commonsense approach to protecting our tax dollars, currently .52 on the $100 valuation, while continuing to supply needed resources to the fire department, public works, police department and recreation department.
Whiteside: Four generations of my family have helped make Burgaw a friendly, safe, vibrant place to live.For three decades, in the public schools and as a member of the school board, I worked to enrich the lives of our young people. My efforts in building community through SpringFest, Community Theater, and the Arts Council were celebrated as I received the Community Service and Volunteer of the Year Awards.As a town commissioner, I will bring my skills of observation, assessment and communication to retain the aspects rendering small town living desirable, while creating new policies and plans to enrich the lives of our Burgaw residents.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Candidates for Burgaw Board of Commissioners election 2023
