Voters To Choose Between
Approaches To Growth
Long Beach voters go to the polls Tuesday to choose
among candidates with distinctly different ideas about
the role town government should take in relation to the
growth and direction of the community: pro-active or re
active. hands-on or laissez-faire.
The decks were cleared in an Oct. 5 primary, leaving
two candidates for mayor and six for the three seats
available on the board.
First term Mayor Joan P. Altman faces a challenge
from Rupert Riley, who has no previous experience in
public office.
Seeking seats on the town board are Frances Allen,
Helen Cashwell, Jeffrie Fnsminger, Danny Leonard,
Kevin Bell and David Drummond. Bell and Drummond
did not return the Beacon's candidate questionnaire.
Altman was elected to the office in 1991 after serv
ing a two-year stint on the town planning board.
Like several other candidates, Riley is affiliated with
a local government watchdog group. Concerned Citizens
of Long Beach, formed more than a year ago to fight
and successfully defeat a March 1992 sewer bond refer
endum. Sewer is still one of the reasons Riley filed for
the mayor's race.
"Residents of l~ong Beach clearly told the elected
officials that they do not want a sewer system," he
wrote. "We should respect their decisions and put this
subject to bed."
While Altman intends to abide by the voters' man
date in the sewer bond vote, she doesn't think sewer is a
dead issue, but rather an inevitable issue because of
small lots on the island and the prospect of continued
growth regardless of whether the town has a sewer sys
tem or not.
Views on the she sewer issue relate to other concerns
regarding if and how the town should plan for continued
growth and whether it should spend tax dollars now to
improve infrastructure and services.
MAYOR
Riley
Rupert Riley said he is running for mayor because
he would like to restore representa
tive government to Long Beach, es
tablish fiscal responsibility and re
store public confidence in the
town's elected officials.
Riley said he wants to eliminate
js ^ . use of town funds to pay medical in
/s ' J surance premiums for elected offi
cials and/or their families, and he
said a study should be made with
?BB the goal of eliminating executive
RILEY "secret" sessions by the council.
He cites his integrity and management and budget
experiences as factors that make him most qualified can
didate for mayor.
Self-employed 10 years as president of a sales com
pany, Riley is a 1942 graduate of N.C. State University
with a bachelor of science in textile management. He
has 20-plus years of experience in sales engineering,
sales management and management in the textile indus
try.
Altman
Joan Altman sees responsible leadership, managing
growth and addressing taxes and fees as top issues for
the mayor during the coming term.
"The mayor must help towrr council members work
together effectively to represent all citizens of the town
and be willing to face difficult and controversial issues
as they arise," she wrote. She thinks the mayor needs to
approach each issue with a thorough understanding
based on knowledge and research.
She is seeking a second term because she wants to
continue providing both "responsible, representative
LONG BEACH
leadership," and positive representation for Long Beach
in dealing with other governments and public officials.
A self-employed building contractor, Altman holds a
bachelor's degree in biology from
the University of Virginia. She is a
tutor trainer and past secretary of
the Brunswick County Literacy
Council, and is serving her third
year on its advisory board. She is
vice-regent of the Brunswick Town
Chapter of the National Society,
Daughters of the American
Revolution.
She said l-ong Beach must pre- f
pare to accommodate inevitable ALTMAN
growth by planning for increased pressures on infra
structure such as streets, water system and recreation ar
eas.
However, she advocates protecting the town's sin
gle-family residential beach atmosphere, would not sup
port efforts to change town zoning to allow higher densi
ty development, and believes protection of natural re
sources should be a priority in decisions relating to
growth.
Taxes and fees must be adequate to cover the cost of
services required by the town, she said, and attempts to
set an unrealistic tax rate by balancing the budget with
the fund balance reserves can jeopardize the town's fi
nancial strength.
She advocates looking for innovative means of using
tax dollars more effectively, such as consolidating ser
vices with other Brunswick County municipalities.
Altman said she has demonstrated her willingness to
devote the time and energy necessary "to be an effec
tive, positive mayor" for Long Beach, fully supports the
town manager form of government and is dedicated to
providing representative government.
COUNCIL
Allen
Frances T. Allen says developing unity, the top issue
facing the town this coming term, will require "a major
effort" by everyone in town. She
supports periodic town meetings for
the sole purpose of hearing from cit
izens.
"I want a government that seeks
input from all its citizens, evaluates
the information and works through
compromise to create a community
that reflects and protects the diversi
ty of the needs and concerns of its
citizens."
She wants the town to address
the issues of stormwater runoff and wastewater manage
ment together, not as separate issues, incorporating envi
ronmental issues with growth and development.
She wants to see the budgetary process examined to
ensure the town will be able to perform needed func
tions such as street paving and providing a new water
storage tower without unnecessary fees and taxes.
"I have attended most town meetings for several
years and understand the governing process." she said.
She mtends to accept no salary or health benefits
from the town if elected.
Allen is retired from the Richmond, Va., Department
of Recreation and Parks, where she served as recreation
supervisor from 1971 until 1985. She was graduated
from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bache
lor of science degree in 1973. She also served as city
recreation program director and Hopewell Girls' Club
Three Southport Seats Are Sought
In Southport, Mayor Norman
Holden is unopposed.
Running for two Ward I seats are
incumbents James Brown and Wil
liam Crowe and challenger Paul
Darrell Fisher. Brown and Crowe
did not respond to the Beacon ques
tionnaire.
Paul Darrell Fisher is a retired
U.S. Army colonel and a self-em
ployed consultant.
He is a graduate of Southport
High School, The Citadel, the Brit
ish Joint Service Staff College and
the U.S. Army War College.
He held command and staff posi
tions in the Army and is currently
vice president of the Southport
Lions Club.
"I have served my nation for over
30 years in various command and
staff positions, including two years
in combat," Fisher said. "During my
career, I was responsible for the wel
fare of thousands of soldiers and
millions of dollars in real property. 1
desire to continue to offer my home
town my leadership and manage
ment experience."
He lists as priorities establishing
Brunswick
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WARD I
Fisher
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sound short and long-range pro
grams to meet citizens' wants and
needs; to take a conservative ap
proach to the budget to ensure that
citizens get the best product for their
money; and to preserve Southport's
quality of life.
"I have an understanding of the
aspirations of the citizens of South
port," he said. "Moreover, 1 can
bring a solid and varied background
of experience in planning, program
ming and budgeting so essential for
progress now and in the future."
WARD II
Running for one Ward II seats are
Leonard H. Moore, John D. Gorman
II and Phil "Phil" Joyner. Moore did
not respond to the Beacon question
naire.
Gorman
John D. Gorman II is a semi-re
tired manufacturer's representative.
He holds a bachelor's degree in bus
iness administrator. He is co-chair
man of the Southport Waterfront
Development Committee and is a
FF.MA appointee, Brunswick
County Emergency Management.
Gorman says "the 'new' residents
of Southport need a voice" and lists
as priorities preservation of the
town's historic homes and water
front; proper fiscal control of city
spending; and revitalization of city
owned property such as Franklin
Square, the Community Building
and Fourth of July Building.
Joyner
Philo "Phil" Joyner is retired from
quality manage
ment at duPont.
He is a high
school graduate
and attended
Johnson C.
Smith Univer
sity.
"I am very in
terested in im
proving my
JOYNER community us
ing ideas and experiences gained in
my many travels, and my ability to
listen," Joyner said.
He lists as main issues cable tele
vision rates, recreational facilities
and tax rates.
"I have visited many towns and
cities and have learned from their
successes, and believe that some of
their ideas can work in Southport,"
he concludes. "I'm retired and now
have time to put the peoples' ideas
to work for community improve
ment."
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Bell
Kevin M. Bell served as a town council member
from 1987 to 1991 and wants to return because he be
lieves his experience and training would be "a tremen
dous asset" to town residents.
"I am a person that understands and will listen to the
needs of the people." he wrote.
He supports a second bridge from the island both to
help in case of evacuation and to relieve increasing traf
fic problems; wants to see streets, including Yacht
Drive, paved to help relieve traffic; and says new water
system storage is "a must" in case of an emergency.
Bell owns a heating, air conditioning and carpet out
let with state licensing and has completed the state's
damage assessment course as well as numerous continu
ing education courses related to his business. He has
served as a director of the Brunswick County Home
Builders since 1989 and is past chairman of the Long
Beach Community Watch Program. He has 16 years of
management experience in various jobs.
Cashwell
Helen C. Cashwell said she wants "to represent the
majority of citizens who have not had a voice in the
business of Long Beach."
Her pet issues for the coming term: eliminating the
$5 automobile tax and providing
stickers for residency proof when
returning to the island after evacua
tions; staying out of the dredging
business (if needed, have the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers do it) and
discontinuing group insurance for
elected town officials.
"I have the business experience.
education and knowledge to make
gixtd decisions based on all citizens'
needs and desires." she said, not CASiiWKt.t.
representing any special interest groups and listening to
issues that concern residents and visitors on a daily ba
sis. She said she has an understanding of how local gov
ernment operates in North Carolina.
Cashwell is a retired director of computer operations
with U.S. Air. She earned a bachelor of arts in business
administration from Park College in 1976 and studied
computer science periodically from 1946 to 1962 at
West Texas State College. Previously she served as di
rector of a special board to the mayor of Greater Kansas
City to develop an equal employment opportunity policy
and served three years on the advisory board for Forsyth
College.
Ensminger
Jeffrie D. Ensminger wants to help continue the con
siderable progress he said the town has made during the
four years he served on the governing board ? progress
he didn't see before.
"We have made considerable progress in re-estab
lishing a sound budget with an adequate fund balance,
and we are now able to concentrate on improving our in
frastructure. It is imperative that these programs contin
ue, that we no lose our momentum, that we not return to
the old ways of spending for today without planning for
tomorrow."
Council's responsibility includes implementing a
sound budget- that provides services, while maintaining
the lowest possible tax rate and a reasonable fund bal
ance, not sacrificing any one for the other, he saiii.
Ensminger advocates managing growth through zon
ing that encourages single family
growth not multi-family housing.
I laving a "somewhat limited" com
mercial zone for new business
should help in maintaining the
town's relaxed lifestyle, he said.
It is "almost unthinkable," he
said, that a town the size of Long
Beach should have dirt roads in
1993. On council he proposed the
plan to speed up paving by rolling
KNSMINGKR OVer property owner assessments to
the next year's paving budget rather than returning them
to the fund balance, which should allow paving of all
streets by the end of 1997 if continued, he said.
An added qualification, he said, is his experience
seeing government from all sides, as a private citizen,
public employee and elected official.
He is a former U.S. Marine and a retired Charlotte
Police Department officer with an associate degree in
criminology from Central Piedmont Community College
and advanced certification. In addition to his town coun
cil experience. Ensminger has served on the National
Board of Directors. Fraternal Order of Police since 1989
and on the Brunswick County Emergency Services
Coordinating Committee since 1990. He formerly
served on the Citizens Review Committee of the
Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Department.
Leonard
Danny C'. Leonard wants to continue on the town
council because, like Ensminger. he feels the town has
progressed over the past four years.
"I feel that in the four years I have served on this
council we have established a finan
cial stability and implemented pro
grams that, if continued, will keep
the Town of Long Beach moving
forward and will make it a cleaner,
better place for all its citizens to live
and enjoy," he said.
Paving of all town streets should
be very high on the council's priori
ty list, he said, with completion in
the next five years if the current pro
gram is continued. LEONARD
Construction is scheduled to begin in 1997 for a sec
ond bridge to Oak Island, which he considers vital for
the safety and welfare of residents. He believes the town
should pursue the project and see that it is completed on
schedule.
The need for additional water storage is an issue that
needs to be addressed and resolved during the next two
years, he said. Current storage is inadequate because of
the town's growth in population, and the need will only
become more critical as the town continues to grow, he
said.
"I feel that I have demonstrated the ability to honest
ly address the issues, accept criticism and disapproval,
but still make positive decisions in the best interests of
the town as a whole."
The self-employed building contractor cites his 15
years of business experience and his council experience
and working knowledge of town government among his
qualifications.
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