Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony highlights praise from NC treasurer Folwell on town finances

Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony said the town recently got a surprise visit — from N.C. Treasurer Dale Folwell.

"The state treasurer showed up in Spring Lake out of the blue to tell us, 'Thank you! Great job! We are doing what they wanted us to do," said Anthony.

More: Spring Lake mayor nets second term in race against former alderwoman

She said Folwell congratulated her and the board members for being in compliance with the state's financial goals for the town.

The state through the Local Government Commission took control of town finances in Oct. 21 due to financial mismanagement and fraud that occurred before Anthony and other current board members were elected.

More: ‘The movement:’ An election night to remember in Fayetteville

Anthony was re-elected last Tuesday, defeating former Alderman Fredricka Sutherland.

The Local Government Commission (LGC) had said it would take at least seven years for Spring Lake to fix its budget deficiency, according to Anthony. Her administration exceeded those expectations, completing the task in 17 months, she said.

"Going from 1.6 million to almost 11 million in our budget is unheard of," she said.

Spring Lake nearly lost its charter

The town had faced negative publicity with the loss of its police department and financial corruption.

"With the embezzlement, mismanagement, misappropriation, neglect, oversight and no segregation of duties of its finances, we almost lost our charter to the point where Spring Lake would've been non-existent," Anthony said.

Anthony, who had been known for orchestrating the Juneteenth festival and food drives, filed for candidacy amid the LGC's investigation. She won in November of 2021 and was sworn in the next month.

More: Ex-Spring Lake finance director gets four years in federal prison for embezzling $567K

After taking office, she was shocked by the state's findings.

"It was discovered that the finance director had (allegedly) embezzled over $500,000, several hundred thousand dollars of erroneous credit card charges, $35,000 in missing cash, missing vehicles, and money that was never recouped from some employees that were overpaid.

"It was just a litany of discoveries. We had no idea what we were walking into."

Mayor, town administration listened to LGC, ‘learn from scratch’

The storm had arrived in Spring Lake. But the newly elected mayor and her administration were determined to work cohesively to clean up the storm's residue.

The administration listened closely to the guidance of the LGC and was eager to learn directly from the experts.

"We learn from scratch," Anthony said. "That required a lot of reading, studying, networking, attending conferences and constant training on how local government budgets operate, how to spend money appropriately, and how to maintain records to make sure we stay on top of Spring Lake's purse."

The town administration, whom Anthony describes as supportive, implemented the new "Spring Lake Way" to prevent further collapse, by tearing down the foundation and starting fresh. Anthony said that she and the town administrators share the same heart and goal: to improve Spring Lake.

Staff started from scratch with the town's finances, created an oversite of the budget, updated all policies and conducted strategic planning sessions that helped the team map the town's plans for the next 10 to 15 years. The administration also reestablished its committees, such as the Military and Veterans Affairs committee; Appearance and Sustainability; and the newly formed Special Event Advisory Committee.

Anthony praises staff; wants to keep them happy

Anthony also credits her staff for their perseverance and diligence.

She used as an example Jason Williams, the town's interim town manager and fire chief, as an example of remarkable leadership. She said he cross-trained employees, and Spring Lake is now one of the few municipalities in North Carolina that has an ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating of 2; lower ratings lead to lower homeowner insurance costs for residents.

Anthony said she is grateful that she hears from employees who express their genuine happiness to come to work. She said repairing the town's reputation and balancing the budget are only part of the story; it is also about helping employees be happy to work for the town.

A focus on infrastructure; a push for natural gas

Anthony said before her reelection that she is eager to continue where she started, focusing on economic development; community revitalization; recreational activities; a youth program development; job training programs; and strengthening the business community.

Infrastructure is another big focus, as the town's wastewater facility has been under water twice since Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

"Now that we are far more stable than when I took office, I can give the residents tangible assets," Anthony states.

Spring Lake is working with Piedmont Natural Gas and several stakeholders in Fort Liberty, the state and the federal level to bring natural gas to the city.

"Natural gas will entirely change the game for Spring Lake, becoming a huge cost savings for residents and business owners," she said. "It allows momentum growth to bring different industries, such as a hospital, to Spring Lake."

Starbucks, and building business relationships

The town has several new housing developments and businesses, including a Starbucks, coming to Spring Lake. Anthony believes Starbucks will encourage other major companies to invest in Spring Lake. The administration received an endorsement from the LGC for grants the town is pursuing and rebuilding relationships with stakeholders.

When asked how she overcame the storm, Anthony said that she leads with love first, which gives her more compassion, understanding and tolerance to hear and see through the citizen's concerns and emotions.

Those moving factors motivated Anthony to create a new chapter for Spring Lake. "We must look like these amazing people who live in our community and represent them well," Anthony states.

She believes forward movement has measurable results based on strategic planning, cohesive decision-making and community engagement. She believes the administration demonstrated those qualities.

The town's motto, "Unity for Prosperity," is, in Anthony's words, a direct reflection of leadership.

"Our administration and employees have reunited for the betterment of the citizens of Spring Lake," she said.

Tracey Morrison writes for Greater Diversity News. She’s a community advocate with 15 years experience in the Social Work/Human Services field.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Spring Lake Mayor Anthony: Town fixing finances, working well with NC