Congratulations Valdese council-elects

TO THE EDITOR:

Congratulations to Mayor-elect Keith Huffman and councilwomen-elect Rexanna Lowman, Shannon Radabaugh, and Melinda Zimmerman. “Timing is everything,” and they are hitting the Valdese Town Council at an ideal time.

By contrast, the new majority elected in the 2023 municipal election faced challenges that no longer exist.

• Many citizens remarked that the best outcome of the 2023 election was the departure of the town manager before the “elects” were sworn in. Now, many believe Valdese has the best town manager in Todd Herms. As all citizens surely know, Valdese also has an outstanding Assistant Manager and CFO in Bo Weichel.
• The 2023 election turned on the highest tax rate of any town in Burke County. The 67% average increase even doubled the tax bill for some. The tax rate was lowered to the 2022 Revenue Neutral Rate in 2024 and 2025, with no reduction in services.
• The most significant threat facing Valdese taxpayers was a building project that was indefinitely delayed. Its rising estimates and pending costs would have led to the highest debt of any comparable NC town. It was terminated in December 2023.
• Citizens were alarmed at the loss of year-round swimming in January 2024, which had been available for twenty-two years. Year-round swimming is now scheduled to resume next month.

The stage has been set for the two significant near-term council decisions.

Public safety facilities: By December, four construction option estimates, combined with the staff’s new, advanced financial analysis and modeling tool, can enable a quick and sound decision. Meanwhile:

• Two of the in-town real estate options were unavailable two years ago.
• The general fund reserves of over $7.5 million and the public safety building account provide a $8.5 million base for affordable financing.
• The 20 public safety employees, who were left in a workspace declared unsafe by structural engineers in 2018, were moved to safe areas until the new facilities are ready.

Street resurfacing: A unique agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation to resurface 7.4 miles of Valdese Streets was ready when Hurricane Helene hit. Now that DOT and asphalt supplies are returning to normal, that project is ready to move forward.

I hope the four new council members will find public service as rewarding as I did. I know they are committed to doing their best to serve the citizens of Valdese, who deserve the best.

GLENN HARVEY

Valdese Town Council,

2023-2025