Town of Drexel sets groundbreaking, works to secure more funding for industrial site

After honoring the life of late Drexel Alderman Terry Yount at their Tuesday night meeting, the Board of Aldermen appointed his daughter Jennifer Yount to take his seat on the dais.

The board passed a resolution of appreciation and acknowledgement of Terry Yount’s service to the Town of Drexel and placed flowers at his seat in his honor.

“He was a rock for us,” Mayor Dennis Anthony said. “… He loved his town. He loved his family.”

Dan Hoyle, an original member of the Grow With Drexel group, shared that he had the privilege of interviewing Terry Yount for an oral history project just a week and a half before he died.

“It was an honor to talk to Terry, and one of the things that he said just kind of stuck with me as we left,” Hoyle said.

When Hoyle asked Yount what the toughest part of his job as a police officer was, he said Yount replied, “Dan, the toughest part was I looked at everybody as family, and when I had to protect them, or when I had to try to give them service, you know, they were in terrible shape or passing away, it was just like taking care of family and friends.”

After sharing a moment of silence for Yount, the board pivoted to appointing a new board member. After reviewing and discussing the applications for three candidates, the board agreed to have Jennifer Yount fill her father’s seat.

Alderman Scott Coe said that Jennifer Yount had an “it factor” that set her apart and that all board members were 100% on board with appointing her to the position.

She will serve as the appointed alderman until the municipal election this fall. The seat will be on the November ballot. Coe was selected as Mayor Pro Tempore. Read more about Jennifer Yount on 1A.

MAYORAL TERM, BOARD EXPANSION

The board held a hearing to consider increasing the mayor’s term length. Drexel currently has a two-year term for mayor, but Anthony and other board members said extending it to four years would make more sense.

Anthony said it takes the first two years to get situated and that more time is needed to get projects rolling. Other board members also noted that having a four-year term would create more consistency on the board.

“Our term is four years,” Alderman Allen Reed said. “If the mayor would have to get voted out, then that breaks that group up and we start back over on something else.”

If the board approves longer mayoral terms, the current mayor’s term would still end as scheduled this fall. The change would take effect with the winner of the November election.

The board also held a hearing to consider adding another seat to the Board of Aldermen, which some say would help the board meet the quorum requirement for voting purposes. Resident David Harmon said the money used to pay another alderman would be better spent hiring contractors for projects to improve the town instead of relying on volunteers or putting more work on town employees.

The board plans to vote on both issues at its next meeting on Tuesday, June 3.

DREXEL SITE

Equipment has been sitting stagnant at the Drexel industrial site, leaving many to wonder when work to clear the site would begin. Town Manager Bill Carroll contacted the contractors for a status update and was told they had been tied up on another job.

Carroll said he’s hoping to see some action in the coming week, and if he doesn’t, he will reach back out again. He did note that the contractor has 300 days to complete the work.

Ben Willis from the Western Piedmont Council of Governments has been working to help the town secure an additional $1.6 million of federal funding, which in combination with an existing grant and other grants, would help nearly cover the cost for demolition and clearance of the site.

“This is a massive undertaking for a town of this stature, and so it takes these types of grant monies to do what I believe could be one of the most transformational projects that we have in the region,” Willis said.

The town will hold a groundbreaking for the site at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4.

NO TAX INCREASE

Carroll presented his recommended budget with property tax remaining steady. He said there has been some increase in property tax values, but he wanted to remain conservative and assume a flat budget.

The board also voted to have Burke County collect property taxes on the town’s behalf. Under the contract, residents would pay both town and county taxes through the county for at least the next five years.