On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voting booths will open across Ashe County to allow citizens to vote on their municipal leaders. Although the Town of Lansing has had issues finding people interested in serving on their Board of Aldermen – a scheduled monthly meeting on June 8, for example, was postponed due to lack of attendance.

But the election ballot tells a different story, with six candidates running for three four-year terms (Israel Church, Bill Cline, Jeff Key, George Rembert III, Mauvine Shepherd and Dennis Trainor, Jr.) and current Alderman Brenda Reeves running uncontested for the remainder of the two-year term she is currently serving (as a replacement).

Ashe Mountain Times asked each candidate several questions regarding the upcoming election. Here are their answers.

Note: Incumbent Israel Church chose not submit a response to the questions.

Why do you want to represent the town on the Town Board of Aldermen?

Cline: I want to see the town grow. We have a number of things that need to be done.

Key: I want to work with the people of Lansing for change and growth.

Reeves: I was born and raised here in Lansing. I have seen the town go through many changes, not all of them for the better. My father, Howard Reeves, with his business partner, Walter Osborne, owned and operated Lansing Grocery and Milling Company until they retired. My father served the town as an Alderman and then as the town Mayor. During this time the water and sewer system was installed. He was instrumental in improving the community. Observing my father, I learned that as a resident of the town I need to be concerned and active in my community to help bring about improvements for the residents, businesses and the community.

Rembert: In my years at both Lansing Elementary and Northwest High School, we would spend time after football and baseball practice in Lansing. The town was good to me then and I would like to give something back now. Since relocating back to the Lansing area in 2004, I have been actively involved with local volunteer organizations whose goals were and are improving the economic situation in the area and returning Lansing to its historical status as a town providing needed services and products to those in the surrounding areas. I believe I can better address these issues as a member of the Town Board of Aldermen. I would consider it an honor and a privilege to serve the town in this capacity.

Shepherd: Lansing is a very small town and it is not easy for people to say “I want to be a town alderman.” I really like living in Lansing and its been such a good thing the way people in the community have come together and worked and accomplished all these things that we did not have before. I guess I just want to continue being a part of this.

Trainor: I like to be an active part of the town.

As an alderman, what do you think you can bring to the town board?

Trainor: A local voice that has been here for 30 years.

Shepherd: Hopefully, a positive outlook, to be there as a board member when needed and work and learn along with other board members as to what is best for the town of Lansing.

Rembert: I hope that I can be a communicator for the town, expressing our needs to a broader audience. I would like to be a force that brings greater community involvement in the town government by promoting actions to better inform the residents of Lansing as to what is going on within their government. I will be fair and act in the best interest of the town, not of myself.

Reeves: I think that I can help to bring positive changes and I am interested in the well being of our little town. I would like to assist in setting achievable goals to move our town forward.

Key: A bright, new opinion for the community and people.

Cline: I think I can work with the rest of the aldermen to help solve the town problems.

What do you see as the most important issues facing the town currently, and how do you think these problems should be addressed?

Cline: The most important thing facing the town is water, which we are working on.

Key: The roof on the town hall, getting the new well in [and] better communication.

Reeves: An additional well is required to keep up with the water needs of the growing town. We have drilled a new well and it is still in the testing process. Hopefully, this will provide enough water to fulfill our needs. Lansing needs fire hydrants installed. We still have some vacant buildings that we are seeking to have filled. Another issue is we need to provide more things to do in Lansing so that our area residents don’t have to travel so far for entertainment.

Rembert: There are several important issues facing the town of Lansing. A) Increasing the capacity of the water system to allow for new water meter connections within the town. The recent rate increase for the users of the water system underscores the need to add users to the system to spread those costs over a larger group, thereby minimizing the need for future increases. The Town has recently dug a well, which holds great promise. We need to expedite the completion of the project. B) Promote actions which will make the town more attractive to business location within the city limits. These include improving the access to and availability of parking, encouraging property owners to take pride in the appearance of their property, completing the historic district application process, andmarketing Lansing as a destination. C) Promote Lansing as a tourist destination, bringing much needed dollars into the area. D) Encourage residents to be involved in the government of Lansing by making them welcome at monthly meetings and listening to their needs, desires and concerns. E) Do all of these things while maintaining the culture of Lansing that makes it such a great place to live, namely the fiery independence of the residents, and at the same time an unwavering willingness to help others in times of need.

Shepherd: Our water and sewer systems. This will be addressed and talked about as we go along as to what we can do and when we can do it.

Trainor: Rising cost with utilities. [I want to] be a voice to help stop jobs from leaving, locally and in the United States.

What do you like about the town as it is right now?

Trainor: Quiet, friendly. We still have neighbors.

Shepherd: The park, walking trail, sidewalks and the [formerly] empty buildings with someone in them.

Rembert: Lansing is a great place to live, residents care about each other and are always ready to come together to benefit an individual or family in need. There is a lot of history in Lansing and the surrounding areas, and it is fun to hear the stories of how things were in the old days. In recent years there has been positive change within the town and its government, which has brought more businesses and people to Lansing. It is also amazing to live in the town that serves Northwest Ashe, the most beautiful and peaceful section of Ashe County.

Reeves: I like the small town atmosphere. The people of Lansing all know and care about each other. We all try to work together on different needs and projects. There are several new businesses that have opened up in town this year. We have had many successful and popular community events. It is an exciting time of changes for Lansing.

Key: It’s growing and there are more businesses in town.

Cline: The town has added a town park and a walking trail. [More] people want to be supportive toward the town than in the past.

(For incumbents) What do you think you have accomplished in your previous terms?

Reeves: I have only been on the board for a short time filling out the term of Mike Powers who unfortunately had to resign due to health reasons. We have voted to lower the speed limits on the town streets to increase safety. That was one of my goals when I joined the board. I had spoke with the N.C. Highway Patrol about enforcing the speed limits that were already in place. We appreciate their help in making our town a little safer. The town also has limited parking space and we have voted to stripe off parking areas to make more efficient use of the parking space we do have. I have helped with projects to beautify the town. We have flower boxes adorning the town, and we have plans to add benches to be placed strategically about town.

Closing statements.

Cline: No statement.

Key: I’m ready and willing to put my best efforts forward for a better future for the town of Lansing.

Reeves: I will continue to work diligently towards further improving the town and enriching the lives of our community members. I will strive to preserve the unity of our residents, and to overcome the hurdles our town faces. We need to keep our momentum up and keep working towards making Lansing the place I know it once was and can be again

Rembert: Lansing is a town on the move. There have been occurrences in the last few decades which have had a negative impact on Lansing. When I lived here in the 1970’s Lansing was hopping. All of the stores were occupied and doing a brisk business. Times have changed, we cannot bring back the railroad, or the school, but we can bring business back to Lansing and make it a fun place to visit. At the same time we can offer services and products to permanent area residents as well as tourists and part time residents. There is opportunity here, we just need to tap into the resources available to us, and working together with volunteer groups and government programs we can make Lansing an even better place to live.

Shepherd: No comment.

Trainor: Being an optometric voice, keeping friends, friends.