Norris, Worley in two way race for District V By NICOLE CARTRETTE Like two other commissioner races the District V race for the Columbus County Board of Commissioners will be decided in the May 6 primary. Incumbent Commissioner Lynwood Norris, one of the longest serving commissioners, faces opposition from newcomer Barry Worley. Both are from Tabor City and attended Tabor City High School and own their own businesses. Norris, 73, is owner of Lynwood Norris Land Clearing and Drainage. Worley, 42, is owner of Worley’s Auto Body Shop. All commissioner candidates were asked to participate in an interview. Both Worley and Norris’ short biography and interview is published below. Norris Background: Norris started out as a farmer and began running heavy equipment. He bought out the man he worked with. His land clearing and drainage business is slowly being taken over by his son. He is married to wife Genice and has three children and six grandchildren. Worley Background: Worley said when he was growing up he cropped tobacco, worked for an auto parts store and began his career in auto body by working for dealerships. In 1995 he started his own auto business. “We work for local money and local money is running out,” Worley said. He is a member of the Tabor City Rescue Squad, volunteers with the Tabor City Police Department and Governor’s Safety Program. He also volunteers with Heart Day Donor Services founded by his father, which hosts a picnic for donor recipients and their families throughout the state in Tabor City annually. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Norris: no Worley: no Penalized for not paying taxes? Norris: no Worley: no Why are you running for this office? Norris: I have the stuff going on with water and sewer. It is just getting on the way and something that has never happened before. I want to help complete that. The people are wanting me to run again. We had the Guideway school that had to have bottle water and so I went and got a grant for the water and for Old Dock. The Nakina school needed a sewer system and I dealt with Grand Strand Water and Sewer in Conway to bring sewer. Worley: Because I am tired of sitting back though county government is not making headway. District V is not moving ahead. We need industry. We need education. I feel strongly about education. We need a good educational system. It seems like county government is at a standstill. New Hope and back this way has nothing other than the prison. We don’t have a lot and we can’t see that anythings been done. You’ve got to start moving forward. What is your vision for Columbus County? Norris: I’d like to see something come along to give us more jobs. More beds added to the prison will put more people to work. I’d like to see water and sewer expanded. So many people cant get a place perked for a house. Worley: I would like to see a better education system. We have a good one but it needs improvement. I’m for the people of Columbus County. It’s not about me getting rich I’m not about personal gain. If you don’t have the trust and backing of people they won’t even go vote. I’m a stand-up person. I’m not one to sit back and shut up. I won’t hide behind a rock but I can’t promise I’ll make a miracle happen. What positive things are ongoing in the county and in county government? Accomplishments? Norris: The biggest thing right now is for prison to be added on to and getting water and sewer completed and our roads improved. Worley: I’ve heard too many complaints about the water and sewer. It has been a benefit to some and a burden to some. It should not be pushed on anybody. Our children know when they leave school they have to go somewhere else to make a living. What areas of county government, in your opinion need improvement and how do you propose to improve it? Worley: I see the whole county government needing improvement. We need to start worrying about these poor people and get more industries and jobs instead of worrying about running the prices of land up in the county. Drugs are a major issue in the county and law enforcement needs support in cracking down on the drug situation. Economic development is at the forefront of discussions. What is your assessment of the county’s effort for economic development? In your opinion are any improvements needed? Norris: I think our new county manager can be a big improvement. I think he will do us a good job and I think he is doing a good job for us, working together with the board to improve our government. Worley: All of their efforts are related to one part of the county. I can’t go to Tabor City and buy a dress shirt. We need to address the weaker areas of the county and bring industry to the county. We beg them to come not run them away. People can leave and come back to Columbus County. My father-in-law left and came back. This is one of the best places you could ever live but you have to move away to make money in order to come back. Do you approve of the way the board is handling the redistricting of commissioner districts? Norris: I think that any time there is a chance to save money of the county saving money for taxpayers. I voted to hold out on figures. Worley: If it’s wrong it should be changed and we should not be sued over something as simple as changing a boundary after a census. People do it all the time. We need to go ahead and do what we have to do about it. Norris: That’s the way it is. Less money and more needs. That is about the way everything is now. I believe in checking into all angles. I’m not in favor of having to raise taxes on property owners. They have taken about as much as they can take. Still we have to do what we have to do to operate our county. Sometimes we have to make decisions that are not very pleasant. Worley: We need to buckle down on spending. The county has money but we need to be careful. We can’t raise property taxes to a point people can’t stand it. How do you propose the county balances growth, preserve farmland and address planning in areas of the county that are outside municipalities? Norris: We’re out of tobacco. All we have left is corn, beans and wheat. We need to find anything to take the place of tobacco to make rural areas grow. We need to try to develop some of our land. We need some kind of subdivision ordinance. In the subdivisions we just don’t need something out there to ruin the looks of the county and be profitable in the future. Worley: We need development don’t get me wrong but we need to be careful when we put it in. We need rules and regulations for people bringing development to the county. Property values are increasing but raising farm property values is not the answer. As far as growing anything farming is probably at the lowest level I’ve ever seen. When tobacco fields have turned to cotton fields farming can’t be too good. Our seniors are struggling to survive – a lot who farmed have folded up and quit. When you look up at the greeter at Wal-Mart and it is someone who once farmed and you worked for growing up you know that. I want to see a county that can prosper and people who are smiling because they are not burdened down with taxes. Under what circumstances if any would you vote to increase taxes? Norris: I wouldn’t. It would be the last resort. I’m just proud of what growth we got coming to the county and we need to keep on with it and put more in the tax base and not have to raise taxes. Worley: It would have to be the last resort really. People cannot stand much more. Lower income people can’t survive no tax increases. If elected what will you do to ensure that the business of the county is conducted in the public’s view and what would you do to ensure that closed sessions are only held for specific purposes allowable by law? Norris: I believe in following the law in what we have to do with closed sessions and I think that’s the way it should be handled. We do not just have a closed session for anything. There’s some issues and items we have to have a closed session on by law. Worley: The county should know what’s going on. If people pay their tax dollars they should know where those tax dollars are going. That’s one thing that’s wrong now there’s too much secrecy. I will stand up for my county. We’re tired of standing still. Vote for me and I’ll be a voice for the county—I mean a lot of people – it’s not about 10 people, it’s about the whole county.
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