Meet the candidates for Cramerton's Board of Commissioners
The following people are running for seats on Cramerton's Board of Commissioners. The Gazette asked each candidate a series of questions. Jennifer G. Ramsey
Age: 55
Political Party affiliation: Republican
What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
My priority will be taxes and spending. The new property evaluation in Gaston County has caused the taxes on homeowners in some municipalities to soar to an astronomical amount. Due to these higher taxes and current inflation rates, many families are struggling to make ends meet. The last Cramerton tax evaluation saw an increase of over a million dollars. Cramerton needs take a closer look at our fiscal spending and cut where necessary to allow a reduction of taxes for our citizens. The Board of Commissioners budgetary items especially pet projects should be transparent to the citizens. Money should not be taken out of their pockets for these projects unless they are informed and in favor of the decisions.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
I graduated from Appalachian State University with a teaching degree, just recently retiring, after serving Gaston County students and families for thirty-three years. Many of these families continue to reside in this unique beautiful town. As Town Commissioner it would allow me the honor to serve my community in a different way. In my profession we listen, evaluate, research, and create solutions for the success and prosperity of our stakeholders. I feel that these are invaluable qualities to serve the citizens of Cramerton.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No, I have not.
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
Cramerton is a hidden jewel in Gaston County. It has always been a wonderful place to live, work, and raise children. We need to protect the land that we still govern until roads, sidewalk connectivity’s to downtown, and overall traffic flow can be addressed. We need to ensure that all streets, sidewalks, lighting, and trails are repaired, clean, and well maintained. It is important to continue applying for grant money to fund these projects. This will provide the capability of all neighborhoods to bike, golf cart, and walk over bridges into town and enjoy our business districts, including Goat Island and our many trails.
Why did you decide to run for election? I decided to run for Cramerton Town Commission because the citizens should know where their tax dollars are being allocated. They should be afforded the opportunity to voice their concerns and needs as to where this money should be spent. Cramerton is a growing community. We need to work on our infrastructure, making sure we keep all areas of Cramerton clean and safe for our residents. We have wonderful police and fire protection, but we need to expand down the New Hope Road corridor to ensure the safety of our residents.
Richard E. Atkinson
Age: 80
Political Party affiliation: Republication
1. What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
On the campaign trail, I often ask citizens “what are your biggest concerns”? I can put most answers in four categories: traffic, street maintenance, safety, and taxes. We need to work with law enforcement and NCDOT to explore creative solutions, including enforcement, traffic calming measures and other creative solutions. We need a pro-active solution for street maintenance. We should reduce our tax rate for the benefit of our citizens, and especially for our senior citizens on fixed income. My priorities are to take our citizens concerns seriously.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
I have a business and a professional background. I am an architect and co- founder of ADW Architects, which is still one of the largest architectural firms in Charlotte. I was also a General Contractor and co-founder of Edifice Inc. where I served as Vice President. I am proud to say that both companies are still going strong today. I bring management and technical skills to the Cramerton Board of Commissioners. I also served on the Planning and Zoning Board for 5 years and I am currently completing my first term as a commissioner. I represent Cramerton by sitting on several committees including Metropolitan Planning Organization, South Fork River Committee, Streetscape & Beautification and Chair the Cramerton Economic Development Advisory Committee. Currently working on a committee to update the land use code.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No. I have not.
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
I have a deep love for Cramerton. Historically Cramerton was a “Model Mill Village." I will strive to keep that charm in our town. Serving on the committee to update our land use code is a primary way to control our growth and to set our quality standards. I have and will continue to seek grants to improve our infrastructure and beautification projects.
Why did you decide to run for election?
Mayor Nelson Wills has a great vision for this town. We have established a project list which I have on display at all my campaign events. One of the projects is for public safety and connectivity. I have been working with Mayor Wills and NC Rep. Donnie Loftis to secure a grant for sidewalks and pedestrian bridges to connect all communities to town center and to the high school. I would like to have more time to continue my work.
Kelly Newman
Age: 40
Political Party affiliation: N/A
What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
I’m sure all candidates will say this, safety for our citizens. Beyond that, I would say we need to improve the overall communication from Town Hall to its citizens. There has been a lot of misinformation spread throughout the area and we can do a better job of informing our citizens as to what is going on in our town directly instead of the citizens hearing it second hand. Providing our citizens proper information as well as empowering citizens to share their feedback allow us all to make informed decisions as to what needs to be done versus just what a small subset of people think needs to be done.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
I have served on the Cramerton Parks and Recreation Advisory board for the past 6 years and have been the Chair of that board for 3 of those past years. Beyond that I’m somebody that is a doer and not somebody looking for the spotlight. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves to do the work of the people and am not looking for notoriety in return.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
Strengthen partnerships with the town's existing partnerships and local non-profits that operate in our town, as well as build stronger relationships with our neighboring municipalities. As eastern Gaston County grows we all need to be prepared together and not individually. By strengthening these partnerships and relationships our town can help grow the burgeoning eco-tourism opportunities and help all eastern Gaston municipalities flourish together. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Why did you decide to run for election?
I decided to run because of the love and care I have for this town. I am not originally from Cramerton, but in the time I have lived here, Cramerton has become my home and a place I plan on growing old. Cramerton is not some place you go to live for a short period of time and leave. Cramerton is a place where regardless of who you are, you should feel as welcome and as at home as I do. That is why I am running, to help ensure no matter who you are you will have a place and a voice in Cramerton.
Joshua Julian
Age: 41
Political Party affiliation: Unaffiliated
What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
As your next town commissioner, my only priority is focusing on the only special interest group that matters to me, the people of Cramerton. The town budget keeps going up, but the current direction isn’t accounting for the basics that benefit all residents. Building new infrastructure is wonderful, but not at the cost of allowing our existing roads and pipes to suffer. I want to make sure that we are being good stewards with the tax money paid by our residents, many of which are already suffering from bad policy at higher levels of government.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
My business background, work ethic, and love for Cramerton are the qualities that I bring that will make me a good town commissioner. As a regular citizen who is outside of the political establishment, I can ensure the board has a voice that works exclusively for the residents in all neighborhoods. I’ll work hard to make sure our taxes are not being wasted and that pet projects aren’t being placed ahead of the basics.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
Cramerton is already a wonderful place to live, but making sure the local government is focused on the existing residents and infrastructure will make it even better. I’ll work to make sure that residents are better informed and seek input from people in all neighborhoods when it comes to issues that impact all of us in Cramerton. While there is no stopping development, I’ll make sure that we only allow smart growth that considers the impact to residents and doesn’t favor special interests over them.
Why did you decide to run for election?
I decided to run for office because I’m fed up with the status quo. At the federal and state level, we see endless bad policy making things harder on citizens across the country. Seeing little things like potholes go unrepaired when we are spending millions on other new projects at the local level made me feel obligated to run. Nobody in Raleigh or DC is going to care about our neighborhoods, but our local government should. Your neighborhood matters!
Dixie Abernathy
Age: 59Political party affiliation: Republican
What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
My first priority will be the budget and spending decisions. Our last proposed budget saw an increased $1,400,000 given by the taxpayers of Cramerton, and, in my opinion, this was an appropriate time to make even deeper cuts to our town’s tax rate for the benefit of citizens who are living under tremendous inflationary pressures. Economists predict that the average American will spend at least $2,200 more this year on food and energy, so, in my opinion, this is a critical time to be careful with spending and cognizant of the challenges facing our town’s citizens.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
I come from a professional background in leadership, having served thirty years here in the Gaston County School System as a teacher, a principal, and an assistant superintendent. During my time in the district office of the school system, I enjoyed my work involving human resource leadership, financial leadership, strategic and managerial leadership. Currently, I am a tenured associate professor of education at Queens University of Charlotte, teaching graduate students in the areas of human resource management, financial leadership, and continuous process improvement. Also, I have served a full term before on the Cramerton Board of Commissioners (2017-2021).
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No, I have not.
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
Cramerton is already a great place to live, but there are shifts in our approach that could only add in a positive manner to our wonderful town. Improved fiscal responsibility will affect every taxpayer, as will neighborhood road improvements and smart growth. If elected, my philosophy will be that I will spend taxpayer dollars more carefully than I spend my own personal money, and with a mindset that citizens’ interests always come first. I will rely on the citizens’ voices, not special interest groups, and will advocate for proactive communication of decisions made by the Board.
Why did you decide to run for election?
I have served as a Town Commissioner in Cramerton before (2017-2021). I did not seek re-election at the time my term expired, but am seeking election now as I see challenges that have developed in the last two years that are critical to the future of our town. As a town, I believe we can do better, and I trust we can get back on track fairly quickly. In addition, Mayor Nelson Wills has productive and positive ideas, and I would welcome the opportunity to explore many of these and to be a part of helping several come to fruition.
Houston Helms
Age: 56
Political Party affiliation: Republican
What will your priorities be for your municipality if you are elected?
Public Safety is ALWAYS No. 1. Additionally… citizens’ top priority is managing and tempering the explosive growth of the eastern side of our county. It’s obviously a regional topic, requiring mutual goals, planning and execution across Cramerton and its neighbors. I will address this priority by working with my peers to establish an EconDev and Transportation planning org much like has been done in Western Union County, NC: WUMA. The objective of this alliance would be to study, advocate for, and promote regional solutions to the issues affecting the municipalities in Eastern Gaston.
What qualifications or qualities do you bring to your town or city council?
Civically, I currently serve as Cramerton Commissioner, previously holding offices of Mayor Pro-Tem and Commissioner over sporadic terms since 2009 (elected twice; Board-appointed twice). Professionally, I spent 30+ years in the Banking industry (Bank of America; Wells Fargo). I’m a member of the UNC Charlotte Athletic Foundation Board, having graduated twice with a BSBA and MBA from UNC Charlotte.
I believe. I listen. I work. I donate. I volunteer. I believe I’m authentic, genuine, passionate and optimistic about Cramerton. And I believe we should all ‘give back’ to our communities. Representing the citizens of Cramerton… is my way.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or any other serious criminal offense? If so, what was the charge and the date of your conviction? No.
What will you do to make your town a better place to live?
Approximately, 98% of Cramertonians work outside Cramerton. About 60% of those, travel to Charlotte for their jobs. Widening of I-85, portions of Wilkinson Blvd., and South New Hope Road aren’t enough. Collectively, I’ll unite my peers and neighboring municipalities to lobby for the Catawba Crossing bridge from Gaston to Mecklenburg County; relieving congestion in the southeastern portion of our County.
I’ll continue to support investment in Cramerton first responders, streets, parks and trails. I’ll lobby Two River Utilities (Gastonia) and the State to upfit supply/sewer lines… particularly those in the 100+ year old villages of our town. And I’ll continue to watch each budget line item… like a hawk.
Why did you decide to run for election?
My heart. Followed by citizens and neighbors who nudged me to seek another term. Cramerton is just so easy to love… and I do. So when you LOVE something, and people you respect ask you to GIVE back to that something.… you do it. And I’m HAPPY to.
Then there’s TEAM CRAMERTON… three candidates running together on similar platforms, accompanied by uniform signage, political collateral and website. And if all three win… will be Cramerton’s Board majority. I’m running to provide citizens an alternative voice to a pack that runs together… and will likely vote together.That’s why I’m here.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Meet the candidates for Cramerton's Board of Commissioners
