The 5-member Board sets the policy for the county, determining the strategic vision for the county, appoints a county manager, attorney and others to serve the county, adopts ordinances, including zoning, and establishes an annual budget, which includes setting the tax rate and calling bond referendums. Commissioners are elected at large in partisan races in even-numbered years and serve staggered 4-year terms.
Position/philosophy statement
Experienced Leadership for Alamance County. Sam believes in duty, integrity, hard work, and respect for every citizen.
Current Occupation
self employed bookkeeper
Age (optional)
74
Campaign Phone
336-684-2943
I have served 16 years in local elected office including Burlington City Council for 3 terms 1985-1997 of 4 years each, and one 4-year term as Alamance County Commissioner 1998-2002. I have also served on the Board of Alamance Community College 2002-2009, and the State Board of Community Colleges in Raleigh 2009-2021. I am active on a variety of local activities in the community and have the citizens of Alamance County at heart.
Countywide zoning is on the table for a decision in the next few months as we deal with continued growth concerns. North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states and Alamance County is one of the fastest growing of the 100 counties in N.C. and 80 of those counties have zoning. It is now time for Alamance County to adopt zoning as a way to control growth.
The commissioners work with the school board members to fund school construction and maintenance. This is a huge expense and planning needs to be done to anticipate that need. The current thinking is that 3 new schools are needed and we are in the planning stage for when those will need to be added and how to fund their construction. This will involve bonds that will need to be sold. The commissioners working with the shool board to plan this and other capital improvement needs.
Residential, industrial and commercial growth needs to be balanced. In order for that growth to occur in a desirable way, we need to provide the infrastructure to support it. So, I am working with our other commissioners to make sure we have a Unified Development Ordinance that provides policies that work for water, sewer and traffic considerations. Good schools are also important to business growth and I am working to support school funding as well.
Department of Social Services has had issues in the past few years attracting and keeping employees. This year, the commissioners improved funding to make Alamance County more competitive with other counties. We also supported the free dental clinic and a new Veterans services center. Mental health services continue to be one of our biggest needs and we are making improvements as we can.
A concern of mine is that we are not planning for a southern bypass road for the future growth of Alamance County. This needs to be put on the plan with the Department of Transportation as a top priority. I am pushing to get attention to this need.
Position/philosophy statement
I am running for county commissioner as a true voice of the people. Alamance County needs strong leaders who act with honor and integrity. I believe in citizen‑centric governance and will keep the people at the forefront of every decision.
Current Occupation
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Specialist
Campaign Phone
8648941583
Beyond genuinely caring for all the citizens of Alamance County, I bring a wealth of experience across several industries. I hold and have held leadership roles at various levels within community organizations, consistently contributing to successful outcomes. I am creative by nature and enjoy thinking beyond the box to accomplish the goal.
Within the next two years, our most significant challenges will center on our budget, specifically how we fund essential programming and the methods we use to generate the revenue needed to sustain it.
In improving our schools, the County Commissioners need to be active partners. There should be regular communication with the School Board, district leaders, and ABAE to better understand concerns and anticipate needs so the county can be prepared to offer support as challenges arise. I would also like to increase funding in areas that directly support students, such as school‑level salaries and building maintenance.
improving our economy requires investing directly in the people who keep our community running. I would explore expanding these investments within our existing budget and support responsible economic development that ensures new businesses strengthen our local workforce and contribute positively to residents. I also see real potential in strategically building partnerships that benefit the people of Alamance County.
In speaking with those who do the work, it’s clear that what’s most needed is funding for staff and programming. I would like to explore ways to expand that within our budget.
Candidate has not yet responded.
