Glen Alpine Alderman to seek second term

TO THE EDITOR:

This letter is directed to the residents of Glen Alpine:

When I first ran for Alderman, I did so with a deep belief in what this community could accomplish through collaboration, honesty, and hard work. I never imagined I would consider a second term. In fact, I publicly stated I wouldn’t run again. I truly believed that one term was enough, and that new leadership might bring fresh energy to the table.

But over the past year, I’ve watched with concern — as many of you have — how our board has become increasingly dysfunctional. We’ve allowed personal conflicts and political infighting to stand in the way of real progress. I’ve grown frustrated, and I know many of you have too.

That frustration boiled over at one point when I made public comments suggesting I was open to the idea of dissolving the town. That statement understandably upset some people, and I want to address it directly: At the time, I was genuinely questioning whether our structure was even capable of serving residents effectively. I was frustrated, and I meant what I said — but it wasn’t the whole picture.

Since then, I’ve had many thoughtful conversations with residents — people who challenged me, reminded me why I ran in the first place, and helped me see that abandoning our town isn’t the answer. Fixing what’s broken is.

I also want to be candid about my first term. While I’m proud of the work I did, I wasn’t always happy with how I handled every situation. I was learning. I wasn’t as vocal as I should have been when things needed to be questioned. I regret that. But I’ve grown from it, and if given the chance to serve again, I’ll be more direct, more engaged, and more willing to call out what isn’t right.

Despite the challenges on the board, I’ve stayed focused on what I promised you from the beginning: fiscal responsibility. I pledged to keep taxes low, and I fought — and won — that battle for all four years. Year after year, I stood firm for tax relief because I know how hard our families and small businesses work, and how important it is that local government respects every dollar it collects.

Now, I’m increasingly concerned by outside influences who are trying to shape our town’s future for their own agenda — often with no real connection to our residents, values, or needs.

Some of these forces have gone as far as planting candidates to advance their own interests. I will fight against any effort to turn our town into someone else’s political experiment. We belong to the people who live here — not to outsiders with an agenda.

So, I’ve made the decision to run for a second term — not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. I’m running to bring back focus, to lower the temperature, and to protect the independence and integrity of our local government. I still believe in this town. I still believe in our potential. And I’m ready to fight for a more productive and united path forward.

JASON MILLER

Glen Alpine Alderman