Officials sworn in as commissioners
reflect on 2016 and look toward new year
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
County Commissioners
reflected on 2016 and the
challenges ahead as county
officials where swom in on
Monday, Dec. 5.
Commissioners who
won re-election this year -
Dave Plyler, Richard
Linville and Gloria
Whisenhunt - once again
took the oath of office.
Lynne Johnson, the
new register of deeds, and
Timothy Disher, a new soil
and water supervisor, were
also sworn-in. The com
missioners unanimously
re-elected Plyler as their
chair and Don Martin as
their vice-chair.
Plyler used the meeting
to reflect on the past year.
He considered the county
bonds, which voters rati
fied in November, a major
accomplishment. The three
bonds supply $350 million
in capital funds for
Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County School, $65 mil
lion for Forsyth Technical
Community College, and
$15 million for county
parks.
"This is an eight-year
strategy to invest in our
greatest assets that I
believe will serve all our
citizens into the future,"
said Plyler.
Plyler also said the
county has worked to pro
mote job growth. The
county has begun develop
ing a new Idols Road busi
ness park near Tanglewood
Park, which already has
companies that want to
locate there. He said that
the county's incentives
have created jobs by
attracting furniture manu
facturer Beaufum to relo
cate to Forsyth and
Corning Optical
Communications, which
makes fiber optic cables, to
expand.
Plyler said the ban on
unsupervised teetering is
the most progressive thing
the county has done for
dogs. The ordinance,
which was long debated by
commissioners and passed
with a split vote, will take a
year to go into effect.
He also said the new
Stepping Up program will
have a positive impact on
those in the Law
Enforcement Detention
Center. The pilot program.
which will serve female
inmates, uses case manage
ment and intervention to
reduce recidivism among
the mentally ill and sub
stance abusers in jail.
Looking to 2017, the
county will be re-opening
the Central Library, which
has been closed for renova
tions since October 2014.
Ground will also be broken
on a new library in
Kernersville. Plyler
expects the reappraisal of
property values to show
that home values have
risen in Forsyth County.
The biggest piece of
unfinished business for the
commissioners is the reno
vation or replacement of
the aging Hall of Justice
courthouse. The project is
estimated to cost between
$112 million and $145 mil
lion and is sorely needed,
according to many lawyers
and judges who use the
building regularly.
Originally it was presented
as a possible bond referen
dum, but many feared vot
ers wouldn't support it on
the ballot. Commissioners
instead decided to take it
up separately in
September, using limited
obligation bonds that
wouldn't require voter
approval, but never got
past a presentation on pos
sible options for the proj
ect.
Some commissioners
have expressed concerns
that the county would have
to take on too much debt
for the project.
During the commis
sioners' individual
remarks, Walter Marshall
said that he also felt envi
ronmental concerns and
increasing the require
ments for minority contrac
tors on county projects
should also be a priority.
Commissioner Everette
Witherspoon said that
infant mortality dropping
to the lowest rate in county
history is something else
they can take pride in this
year. Witherspoon said
he'd like to see early and
middle college at Winston
Salem State University for
high school students, and
would like to see local
businesses fund pre-k edu
cation for children in
Forsyth County.
Photo by Todd Luck
Register of Deeds Lynne Johnson is sworn in by Clerk of Court Susan Frye as
her husband, Tommy, holds the Bible.
Photos by Todd Luck
Molly Leight
is now retired
from the City
Council after
a decade of
representing
the South
Ward.
New South Ward City Council Member John Larson is sworn in by Judge Lisa
Menefee as outgoing Council Member Molly Leight holds the Bible during the
Dec. 5 City Council meeting.
City Council says
farewell to Molly 1
Leight as John Larson
takes the oath of office
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
After a decade repre
senting the South Ward,
Molly Leight held the
Bible for her successor,
John Larson, as he took the
oath to become the newest
member of the Winston
Salem City Council on
Monday, Dec. 5.
Larson, who is retiring
as vice president of restora
tion at Old Salem, was
asked by Leight to run for
the South Ward seat when
she decided not to seek re
election. Larson faced
Carolyn Highsmith in the
Democratic primary and
narrowly lost by six votes.
He challenged the election,
due to the wrong ballots
being given to voters, and
the State BOE had the
South Ward primary held
again in June, which he
decisively won.
He also defeated his
Republican opponent in the
general election to finally
claim the seat he took for
the first time on Monday.
"It's an honor for me to
be here sitting in Molly
Leight's seat," said Larson.
"I'll try to fill it."
Larson said the City
Council works best when it
works together. He said
that Leight's election in
2005 turned the council
from a "form of contention
to a collaborative series of
colleagues."
"She created a new
respect for the office and
for the council, as well as
for herself, through quiet
competence and through
her cheerful disposition
both on the board and off
the board," said Larson.
Leight defeated conser
vative City Council
Member Vernon Robinson,
whose vitriolic style and
views made him a source
of conflict. The members
of the council echoed
Larson's comments that
Leight had been a good
colleague during her
tenure. Derwin
Montgomery said he
learned from Leight when
to ask the right questions.
Jeff Macintosh praised her
passion and integrity.
"I thank you for being
the type of lady who loves
everybody," said Mayor
Pro Tempore Vivian Burke,
"who appreciates and
understands diversity and
respecting the culture of all
people."
Leight is a Winston
Salem native, who grew up
in Izmir, Turkey, where she
resided through high
school. After that she
returned to Winston-Salem
to attend Salem College
and ultimately earned a
master's degree from
Emory University in
Atlanta, Georgia. She had
retired from being a
research assistant when
members of the City
Council encouraged her to
run.
Leight said that she's
tried to keep inappropriate
business development out
of South Ward neighbor
hoods, especially, those
around Peters Creek
Parkway. She said she's
proud of ordinances she's
passed that have helped
improve the quality of life
in the city, like one that
requires developers to keep
a percentage of mature
trees on land they use,
Leight has served on
many boards over the years
and currently chairs the
Gateway YWCA board.
She's a master gardner and
a frequent traveler with the
N.C. Zoological Society on
African safaris and other
exotic trips.
Leight hopes she can
maintain her friendships
with council members. She
said she plans to let them
know how they're doing in
the monthly public com
ment sessions during coun
cil meetings.
"It's not goodbye, it's
so long," said Leight.
The rest of the incum
bents on the City Council
and Mayor Allen Joines
also took their oaths during
the meeting. The council
re-elected Burke as mayor
pro tempore. They also
approved committee
appointments. Larson will
serve on the public safety
and public works commit
tees. Joines said the city
will address numerous
challenges in the new year,
including poverty. In 2014,
more than 24 percent of
city residents lived in
poverty. The mayor's
Poverty Thought Force is
finalizing its suggestions
on how to significantly
decrease local poverty.
"Achingly beautiful..."
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