Long Beach Voters To Trim Long Candidate List In Primary
BY IHHUi Kl I I ? K
l ong Beach voters will irim the
long list of candidates for mayor
and commissioner when they go to
the polls Tuesday in the county's
only primary election.
Seven of the 13 candidates re
turned questionnaires to I he Hruns
wick Beacon that were mailed to all
municipal candidates in early Aug
ust.
Candidates pinpointed f iscal re
sponsihilits and a second bridge to
O.ik Island as two ol the top priori
ties town officials will have to ad
dress over the next lew years.
Voters in the Oct. S primary will
eliminate from the running one of
three mayoral candidates and lour
ol the 10 candidates seeking elec
tion to three available commission
ers' seals.
Polls at the Long Beach Recrea
tion t enter will be open from 6:30
a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The primary will
set up a Nov. 5 general election w ith
two candidates for mayor and six
candidates for commissioner.
In the mayor's race, incumbent
johnnv Vcreen laces opposition
liom Mike Oxford and Joan Altaian
;i> he seeks a fourth straight two
sear term as mayor
Commissioners Jean Gray and
David Drummond arc seeking re
election to their second four-year
terms. Challengers lor town board
;ire William Easlcy. Bobbie Larri
son. James Soincrs, Carlton "Gene"
Fra/ier. Horace Collier. Gregg
Poller. David l>urr and William
"Holv" Millard.
Mayoral candidate Joan P.
Altaian believes
taxes and quali
ty ol life are the
most important
issues long
Beach officials
will have to
lace over the
next two years.
"The mayor
should address
the need to bal- vl 1 N1 AN
ancc town expenses with town in
come and eliminate raiding the lund
balance to fund recurring town e.x
] lenses," she said.
Mrs. Altnian. who made an un
successful run for town board two
years ago. also says the mayor
should support maintenance ol
property values by promoting a resi
dential beach atmosphere and pro
tecting the environment.
This includes a commitment to
long-term planning for improved
town facilities and a sanitary sewer
system," she said.
I"he self-employed building
contractor received a bachelor's de
gree in biology from the University
of Virginia and currently serves on
the Long Beach Planning Board.
Mrs. Altnian said she is seeking
the mayor's office "because Long
Beach needs positive, effective
leadership and representation as the
town faces the challenges of growth
and increased development."
She thinks she is the most quali
fied candidate because she is dedi
cated to fiscal responsibility and
long-tcnn planning. "1 have attend
ed nearly every town meeting for
the past seven years and I am well
aware ol the issues afleclinu Long
Beach."
Mrs. Altnian was secretary of
the Brunswick County Literacy
Council for 1989-90 and secretary
of the Cape Fear River Rowing
Club from 1989 to I9l>l
The other two mayoral candi
dates did not return their question
naires.
COI. I. IKK
Vercen was first clectcd to the
Long Beach Board of
Commissioners in 19X1 and was
elecied mayor lour years later. He
was re-elected in 1 VST and 19X9.
Oxford lost to Verecn by 10
votes in the 19X7 mayor's race.
Horace Collier, a self-employed
general contrac
tor, said finan
cial stability is
one of the most
im(xjrtant issues
the town board
will face over
the next loui
years
"The town
may be laced
with the ques
lions of large capital expenditures in
the Ititurc such as sewer and bcach
rcnourishmcnt," he said
"I feel there is the need lor thor
ough investigation and planning to
determine whether such large obli
gallons could easily be met by the
town and its citizens while main
taming adequate reserves ol town
funds."
Collier said development and
implementation ol the town's thor
oughfare plan is another top issue
"1 feel this has been a low priority
item and needs to be addressed to
ensure public safely in out town."
The candidate said he supports
controlled grow th with an emphasis
on single-family development in oi
der to protect die environment anil
prevent the possibility ol ovcr-dc
tcloplllClll.
Collier graduated from
South|x>rt High School 111 1971 and
.ii tended the University of North
Carolina at Wilmington.
He is seeking election because
ho feels the town is facing major de
v isions that will affect it now and in
the future.
"1 want to represent all the citi
zens ol l ong Beach to help ensure
that the town makes the proper de
cisions to protect the lifestyle and
quality of life of the citizens, as
well as prepare for our future.** he
said.
Collier, who has lived at Long
Beach more than 25 years, said he's
seen it develop from a population ol
less than 100 to 3.800.
"I've lived with the choices the
town has made, both gixnl and had.
over the years. Therefore. I fully
understand the impact and long
reaching effects of any choices the
tow n may make now and in the fu
ture."
Collier serves on the Long
Beach Emergency Preparedness
Damage Assessment Team, was a
member ot the town's erosion con
trol committee in 1988 and served
on the town planning board Irum
1983 to 1985.
He was honorably discharged
trom the U.S. Coast Guard and has
been active w ith the Boy Scouts of
America as a Cub Scout pack com
mittee chairman and Boy Scout
troop committee secretary.
Collier, who has three children,
has coached youth baseball for four
years and managed his own busi
ness lor 19 years.
Incumbent Commissioner David
Drummond said
a proposed sew
er system, a
second bridge ?
to the island and j ~ ff
taxes will be the
three most im
portant issues
he would face
over the next
lour vcars it re
elected. DRUMMOND
Drummond said he thinks the
sewer proposal should go to a refer
endum. "1 have seen no data that in
dicates that a town-wide system is
needed at this point," he said.
He added that the federal gov
ernment discourages sewer systems
on barrier islands and the small
number of septic tank failures are
being corrected on an individual ba
sis.
Drummond said he supports a
second bridge to Oak Island. He
said it would improve traffic How if
the island was evacuated due to a
hurricane or nuclear plant incident.
The candidate also said he
would continue to work on the bud
get and keep taxes low through fis
cal responsibility.
. -< Y
K
Drummond said the tax rate has
only risen 4 1/2 cents in the last
four year;. During that period, the
town enlarged the town hall, pur
chased eight lots at Middlcton Park,
paved or resurfaced more than 100
streets, bought 2X new vehicles in
cluding S 200,000 ladder fire truck
and built a bike path.
Drummond said he is seeking
re-election so he can continue his
plans for the last four year ? primar
ily to represent all residents and
property owners of Long Beach.
The co-lounder and past presi
dent of the Long Beach Civic
Association said he is the most
qualified candidate because he
makes decisions that arc in the best
interest of the majority.
"I make myself available to the
residents and property owners and
successfully represent their inter
ests," he said.
A railroad working leader at
Sunny Point Military Ocean
Terminal, Drummond graduated
from Quincy High School in
Quincy, Maine. He also completed
various courses at Brunswick
Community College between 19X4
and 1990.
Sound financial practices and a
second bridge to Oak Island are two
of the top priorities for commission
er candidate William D. "Bill"
Has ley.
The self-employed contractor
said the town's lund balance was
more than SI million two years ago
and will be down to S200,(XM) by
November
Easlcy said a second bridge
would improve access to the island
and allow for a smoother evacuation
in the event of a hurricane or other
emergency. He said he wants to
keep Long Beach a family beach.
Easley is seeking the office be
cause "we desperately need sound
financial planning lor the tuiure and
responsible current spending."
"I own two successful small
businesses and feel that a town run
as a business will remain sound and
strong for the future," he said.
Easlcy presently serves on the
Long Beach Board ol Adjustment
and Long Beach Planning Board, as
well as on the Brunswick County
Home Builders Association Board
i)l Directors.
The husband ami father of five
children served in the U.S. Army
Officers C\>q> from ll?77 to ll>82.
He received a bachelor's degree
in agriculture economics from N.C.
State University and attended U.S.
Army Officer School.
Easley has a North Carolina real
estate license and contractor's li
cense. He also has an F.A.A. air
frame and power plain mechanic li
cense and a private pilot's license.
Incumbent Commissioner Jean
Gray said a re
sponsible bud
get and second
bridge to Oak
Island are
. * .
among the top
issues facing
the Long Beach
tow n board over
the next four
years.
She said the
town board must be responsible lor
all the money that is spent and
guard against unnecessary expens
es.
A second bridge would help re
lieve traffic problems and help in
the event of evacuation. She also
supports a referendum on expansion
of the recreation center.
A retired supervisor with the
New York Slate Thruway Authority,
4 k
Mrs. Gray said she is seeking re
election because of her concern for
all the people of Long Beach.
She said her four years of expe
rience on the town hoard, knowl
edge >4! the budgeting process ami
the desire to make sure everyone is
heard makes her the most qualified
candidate lor the post.
'Hie candidate attended Cornell
University at Russell Sage and
Albany. N.Y., anil tixik a two-year
course in labor relations.
William "Hobe" Millard says
establishing a lair method of
garbage collection is one of the
most important issues the town
board should address in the coming
term.
He said trash collection should
be the same for residents and busi
nesses, and business owners who
need dumpsters because of extra
volume should have to pay for
them.
The retiree, who served as a
town commissioner from 1985 to
1989. said he is seeking election be
cause he didn't like the choice of
candidates.
Millard said the town should get
back to working within the budget
and stop spending the fund balance.
The former commissioner sup
[K)its a "reasonable and sensible" ex
clusion ol the recreation center be
cause it is needed for everyday use.
Millard, who graduated from
high school in l'M7, said the tact
that he is retired helps make him the
nu?st qualified candidate.
"I am retired and have lots of
time to put into
the job," he
said. "Also. I
have no person
al gain in the
job, but for the
welfare of the
town. I want
only that which
is right and lair
lor everyone."
F o r ni c r
mayor James Soniers said sewage
treat-ment, building a fund balance
and planning are the top issues the
board of commissioners w ill face in
the next four years.
Somcrs said the town needs to
address the issue of sewage imme
diately, not five or 10 years down
the road
He also would like to sec Long
Beach build up a fund balance that
would "carry" the town in the event
of a major hurricane like Hugo.
The self-employed general con
tractor served as mayor of Long
Beach in the early 1980s. Somers
said he is seeking election so the
town will develop a budget and live
within it.
/A ? ? ?
v \
i A
Mil. I AKI)
"Bonn hi business myself, I
know you need U? operate within
the monies that you have," he said.
"You can't go out and spend all ol
the funds without selling one short "
Somcrs, who has been a resident
lor 19 years, said the lime has come
for commissioners to lake a positive
attitude and make a commitment. "I
can and will do this." ho said.
Me graduated from high school
and has 2 1/2
years ol college
c .\ peri c n c c .
Somcrs was lire
duel Irom 1976
to 19X0 and has
held various ol
I'ices with the
B runswick
County Home
Builders Asso
ciation, South
Chamber of Com
as the Brunswick
Toastmastcrs, the Lions Club and
Moose Lodge.
Other Candidates
The lour other candidates for
town commissioner did not respond
to the newspaper's questionnaire.
Frazicr and Potter presently
serve on the town planning board.
Earlier this year. Mrs. Larrison de
feated Verecn in the election of the
Oak Island II Republican precinct
chairman.
SOMKKS
|x>rt-Oak Island
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