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Incumbent Oliver, town board member Allen face off in Sylva
By Lynn Hotaling
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Oliver
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Allen
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Like Jackson County’s three smaller towns, the county seat has a contested mayor’s race this year.
Veteran Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver, who has been mayor for more than a dozen years, faces a challenge from town board member Danny Allen, who was first elected four years ago. The two are vying for the post of top official in Jackson County’s largest city.
Chartered in 1889, Sylva boomed with the coming of the railroad and rapidly developed into Jackson County’s commercial hub. The town takes its name from an itinerant handyman who happened to be working for Col E.R. Hampton at the time he applied for a post office. When Col. Hampton asked his daughter, Mae, what the name of the post office should be, the young girl suggested Sylva after her father’s Danish hired hand, William D. Sylva.
Local entrepreneur C.J. Harris spearheaded the early 20th-Century effort that moved county government to Sylva, promising to build the town a courthouse if a “removal” referendum passed.
Incumbent Oliver, 64, moved to Sylva 41 years ago. She was appointed mayor in 1991 while serving on the town board and has been elected to that post three times – in 1993, 1997 and 2001; she was first elected to Sylva’s board in 1981. Oliver is retired from Harris Regional Hospital, where she was head surgical nurse and director of surgical services.
Allen, 49, has lived in Sylva all his life and manages Quin Theaters. He was elected to a two-year term on Sylva’s board in 2001 and re-elected to a four-year term two years later. His present term will expire in 2007.
Both candidates for mayor provided written answers to questions concerning issues facing Sylva.
Those questions and their answers follow:
What measures would you like to see taken to improve traffic flow on Sylva’s portion of N.C. 107?
Allen: This has been a concern of the town ever since I have been on the board. I think that there should be a committee formed with a member from the town of Sylva, the town of Webster, Jackson County, Southwestern Commmunity College, Western Carolina University and, of course, N.C. Department of Transportation to come together and attend to the matter. The bottom line is this is a state road, and this matter would be best handled by the NCDOT engineers.
Oliver: I am concerned about the number of traffic accidents we have on 107. In order to help with that I would like to see right-hand turns only, with turn areas only at traffic lights. The major portion of the road could be realigned to the original width of the normal four-lane road or plantings in a median strip to divide the lanes better. Developing alternative road loops on either side of 107 would alleviate some of the traffic. I am in favor of professionals who know transportation issues to come up with a plan to bring before our citizenry for the long-term solution.
Would you be in favor of any measures to control future growth in Sylva, including annexation and/or extra-territorial jurisdiction? If so, for what outlying areas?
Allen: Yes, to some extent. It is our future that growth/change is upon us. We, as the elected officials of Sylva, need to listen to the people and make the right decisions that will help us prepare for that growth/change. Areas of consideration would be N.C. 107 out to S.R. 1002 (Old Cullowhee Road), Business 23/U.S. 74 and Grindstaff Cove areas.
Oliver: I am in favor of planned growth. I think we need to do a better job of education with the citizens about growth patterns and how to make the expansions meet the quality-of-life standards we all want to preserve. I am in favor of adopting an annexation policy which would outline requirements for annexations. Annexation is the preferable method of growth, and there are sometimes benefits from extra-territorial jurisdictions. The corridors along 107 and Business 23/74 are the areas that are being considered at this time.
Would you favor a referendum on mixed drinks in Sylva? Why or why not?
Allen: Yes, very much so. It would be added revenue to the town. It will also provide jobs and more restaurants. Also, mixed beverages would be better controlled. I brought the matter up for discussion during the town’s Oct. 20 board meeting.
Oliver: I have had many people speak to me about the issue of serving mixed drinks in the town. I have listened to the arguments against it and for it. I think that it’s an issue that should be decided by the voters of Sylva. A referendum would allow the majority vote to decide the issue.
Sylva residents are now paying a higher property tax rate than Jackson County’s. Do you see any way to provide tax relief, and do you feel Sylva’s residents get adequate services to justify this rate?
Allen: Yes, we are paying higher taxes than the county. One way is to work with the city board members and the city manager to come up with measures and ideas such as having more business, grants, etc., to keep from having to raise taxes. I have mixed feelings about whether Sylva residents are getting adequate services to justify this tax rate. All I will say is that in some aspects the citizens are getting good service and in other aspects they are not. I will say this: I will work hard, with the city board members and city manager to provide better services to justify this rate.
Oliver: The town and county should not be compared. Each entity tries desperately to provide services at the lowest possible rate to our citizens, yet the cost to provide those services keeps going up. The county budget is $55,452,369, and the town budget is $2,200,000. We have cut expenses every way possible with the exception of cutting jobs. We did not raise the taxes last year, and our revenues were pretty flat. We stressed with all our town manager candidates that we wanted to raise the revenue stream by looking for innovative ways to find more monies. I want to search for grants, matching monies and any other way possible to increase our revenues. Increasing taxes will be the last resort. I feel Sylva’s residents are getting good services. We are looking for ways to improve in every department, and we welcome suggestions.
Why should Sylva voters choose you?
Allen: Because I will work hard, and I will be fair, honest and work for all the people equally. I will listen to the people. I think that the mayor and the board need to get in tune with what the people’s wants and needs are and not what (officials’) personal interests are.
Oliver: I want to be Sylva’s mayor for the next four years because I want to help direct growth within the town to benefit all residents. Sylva and the surrounding communities have several issues that must be addressed. We have major congestion on 107, and we are near capacity in our wastewater treatment plant.
We must work closely with our municipal neighbors to collectively solve these issues. We have opportunities with growth now that we never would have imagined a few years ago. I want to be part of the solution for these problems. I have made contacts with officials in state government to lobby for Sylva’s needs. I have been involved with the National League of Cities, and I visit our representative and senators to lobby for laws that benefit cities and against laws that will hurt us.
I want Sylva to be an inclusive community where we embrace diversity and erase barriers for the physically challenged. It is truly an exciting time to be an elected official.
(Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment in a series on Jackson County’s upcoming municipal elections.)
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