Candidates discuss issues and priorities in Drexel forum

In the newly renovated Cranford Room at the R.O. Huffman Center in Drexel, community members filled the seats recently to hear how four candidates plan to improve the future of the small town should they be elected to one of the two seats open on the board of aldermen.

The forum, which was hosted by Grow With Drexel, was set up to ask four questions to candidates Victoria Taylor, David Harmon, and Brad Ritch, who are all newcomers, as well as incumbent Scott Coe.

With the forum moderated by life-long Drexel resident, The Paper’s Editor Emeritus Bill Poteat, each candidate was given three minutes to respond to each question. At the end, Jennifer Yount, sitting board member, and Mayor Dennis Anthony, who are both unopposed, had the chance to present their goals for the town.

Throughout the responses, there were several themes, with the most prominent being the urgency of bringing industry back to Drexel on the former Drexel Furniture Company site, which boasts 100 acres as a possible industrial site.

SCOTT COE

Coe, who is running to keep his seat on the board, has been involved in the Town of Drexel since 2001 and has a background in the textile industry. He heavily emphasized community involvement and potential grants for downtown revitalization and said the best way to market the town to young families is by emphasizing the town’s safety, including a low crime rate, and the friendliness of the community.

When it comes to the challenges that Drexel faces with aging infrastructure, Coe said the best way to navigate those challenges includes making sure that the Drexel Business Park is developed, thus providing the money for improving infrastructure without raising taxes.

Since he joined the board in 2022, Coe said the board has paid $600,000 for a new fire truck, given town employees raises, installed electric water meters, which can be read and turned on from town hall, and done recent renovations to the community center, and grading of the Drexel Business Park property.

“We completed all of that without raising taxes,” Coe said. “Not many towns, not many boards, not many councils can say they’ve accomplished those things without raising taxes.”

DAVID HARMON

Harmon, who was born and raised in Drexel, came back to the area after pursuing higher education in Charlotte and working in the Queen City for some three decades.

He is an experienced architect who emphasized creating a merchants’ association to improve downtown. Other ideas to improve downtown and attract young families, he said, include exploring more opportunities to make the town more walkable, as well as working on amenities like coworking centers for those who typically work from home and more community spaces in general.

When it comes to challenges that Drexel is facing, Harmon suggested being more progressive and exploring more opportunities for technology and younger thinking. One example he gave was the dated way that town employees were going to collect water and meter readings with pen and paper. Now, they have electronic meter readers.

“What do we do that is so ancient that it has put us behind? How can we take advantage of technology, younger thinking people, more productive type people, and build on the areas that we feel need to be built on, whether it’s infrastructure, whether it’s the 100-acre piece of property, whether it’s this building,” Harmon said.

One of Harmon’s most recent professional projects was the renovation of the Cranford room, or banquet hall, in the community center. The bathrooms are still being finished.

BRAD RITCH

Ritch, who grew up in Caldwell County, moved to Drexel with his family in 2016. He emphasized the need to apply for grants to support the beautification of Drexel’s downtown buildings.

Staying involved through community events, he said, is important to get people to Drexel. One of those events, he said he is hoping to bring to Drexel is a farmer’s market.

“I know the importance of this community to the people who were born and raised here,” Ritch said, adding that his family members also worked in the furniture industry.

With the clearing of the former Drexel Furniture site, he said now is the perfect time for a Drexel renaissance. When it comes to attracting young families, Ritch said the town must market its proximity to trails and outdoor recreation nearby, including the Burke River Trail, and being so close to the mountains.

Restoring the local economy through the development of the Drexel Business Park, he said, is paramount to seeing Drexel thrive again. “This town was built on foot traffic,” Ritch said, adding that furniture factory workers would walk to and from work and to the bank and grocery store.

VICTORIA TAYLOR

Taylor was born and raised in Drexel and emphasized her desire to bring a fresh perspective to Drexel’s leadership, while focusing on economic, cultural, and community growth. When it comes to making Drexel attractive to younger families, Taylor said there are many things that Drexel has to offer.

The town’s quick access to Interstate 40, affordable property, and a hard-working community that takes pride in where they live, she said, are all marketable assets that would play a role in bringing people into the town.

For bringing businesses into the town, Taylor said that instead of upfront tax breaks, the town could offer incentives only after the company delivers on its promises. The town could offer incentives for economic development, type of job creation, and investment.

“Growth should work for all of us, not just whoever buys the property,” Taylor said. “If a company wants to be a part of our town, they should be a part of our town, and my goal is to make sure that any business that comes into Drexel becomes a true community partner.”

DENNIS ANTHONY – UNOPPOSED

Anthony, who is the current mayor, is running unopposed to keep his seat. He was elected to the board of aldermen in 2017, and at the time, he said his priority was to get the Drexel site developed and reopen the community center, which was closed at the time. Now, the community center is back open and undergoing improvements, and companies are expressing interest in the Drexel site.

“In order for us to have economic growth, downtown growth, and for all of this stuff to be going on, we need an industry with a tax base that we can bring back to town,” Anthony said.

JENNIFER YOUNT – UNOPPOSED

Yount is running to finish the term to which she was appointed after her father, Terry Yount, died in May, leaving the seat empty. She is unopposed but expressed her goals for the future of Drexel as she serves through the rest of her term, which ends in 2027.

“My father wanted the development of the former Drexel Heritage site to be a success, and that’s my main goal as well. I’m excited about the progress happening and working toward industry and jobs coming into that space, and what that would mean for our community,” Yount said.

Yount also said she wants to see new playground equipment in the future and additional recreational programs at the community center, which she said could be funded by grants.