Doug Dearth: Key Challenges

Key Challenges for the Weaverville Community: 2009 – 2013

Maintaining Sound Town Finances

For the past several years, Weaverville has enjoyed a very sound financial situation. This has been the result of: 1) a generally buoyant national and state economy; 2) a robust local real estate market; 3) a healthy local business environment; and 4) prudent and highly conservative stewardship of Town finances.

The first of these advantages no longer holds true. The second and third historical advantages are in doubt, given state-wide and national trends. The saving grace for us is the fourth advantage we have enjoyed for some years.

The next few years potentially will be ones of uncertainty and challenge. Because of our traditionally conservative approach to Town finances, we enjoy a robust reserve. We have a great deal of money in the bank, safely invested. This means we have some buffer against potentially reduced state and county remittances, lower local sales tax receipts and stagnant property valuations.

We will, however, need to be even more prudent in balancing our collective needs and wants against our existing and anticipated budget resources. I will work closely with other Council members and Town staff to monitor and manage our stewardship of public finances. Over the next two to three years, this might require trimming our expectations.

Maintaining High-QualityTown Staff & Public Services

We enjoy unparalleled public servants and public services. I will work with Town leaders to preserve these assets. Despite current and anticipated financial hardships, we must maintain the quality and dedication of those who serve our common interests.

This means preserving high standards of performance, which in turn means paying public staffs fair, equitable and regionally competitive wages and benefits. It also means continuing our robust and innovative training and professional development programs for our Police, Fire and Public Works personnel. While such programs can be expensive and time-consuming, they constitute the “seed corn” for future capabilities and our collective well-being.

Our Police, Fire and Public Works staffs are amongst the most professionally qualified in the region. This must continue, and I will work to see that it does.

Encouraging Economic Revitalization of Commercial Areas

Economic disruption is a normal process in American life. There are those who remember when factories came to Weaverville. While controversial at the time, it is now considered to be the expected norm. Our diversified, low-impact and often high-tech industrial facilities are the core of our financial and economic base. If any one of the top six plants in and around the Town were to fail or to relocate, the financial impact for all of us would be very serious.

Therefore, we must strive to maintain these economic assets; but we must also encourage additional and diverse business opportunities as a hedge against failure or relocation of existing ventures, and future job opportunities for our neighbors.

The heart of our community is our Main Street businesses. Main Street today is more vibrant and robust that at any time in Weaverville’s history. In difficult economic times, however, this pleasant situation is fragile and could change drastically.

Hence, Town government must plan and advocate for downtown economic revitalization. A key element of this effort will be disposition of the old Fire Hall, a key piece of Town real estate with great potential for contributing to the economic vitality of Main Street.

I will work with all stakeholders to ensure the future economic viability of our Main Street district, including our application to the North Carolina Department of Commerce for a Small Town Main Street Program, in cooperation with the Weaverville Business Association.

As for our other general business districts, we could see considerable changes in the coming years. North Ridge Commons will to some degree change the economic face of the Town and north Buncombe County. Whatever the past controversies over this development, in the future these big and small boxes will, in a very real sense, become “local”. Therefore, the success of North Ridge Commons becomes our collective concern.

Likewise, future development and re-development along Weaver Boulevard will become a key policy challenge over the next five-to-ten years. If such comes to pass during my term, I will work to insure better results than what past “hands-off” policies produced.

Insuring Balanced Development in the Town & the ETJ

Robust – some would say rampant – development has occurred in and around Weaverville for the past thirty years. In some respects the results have not been optimal. Once the current economic downturn is reversed, development pressures will resume. Our current respite could be relatively short-lived.

That is why it will be imperative that we vigorously apply our existing – and recently revised – zoning and subdivision code regulations. We must maintain or put in place strong buffers between commercial and residential districts. We must ensure that future high-impact development applications receive full and critical vetting by Town staff, the two zoning boards, Town Council and the general public.

I will apply my experience on the Planning and Zoning Board towards these ends. I will also press to have all significant residential and commercial development in our Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction apply for voluntary annexation to the Town. This will help ensure a per capita reduction in the tax burden on existing Town residents and businesses.

I will also work to ensure to the maximum extent possible application of our Conditional Zoning District ordinance to any significant development and re-development along our principal traffic corridors in order to ensure beneficial outcomes for the general welfare and attractiveness of the Town.