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you do differently?
“I’m a public servant not a politician. I’m not making promises I can’t
keep. I’m not going to accept salary or benefits. I don’t think it’s
fair. It’s something I’m passionate about. I think about the employees.
That’s something that needs to be forgone. That’s $47,000 you can put
back into services.”
Lawson said the city has serious financial problems directly linked to
the theater and likens it to a perfect storm scenario. “We have to make
tough decisions and lay it on the table where the citizens know how bad
it is.”
2. Give us your perspective of the theater and Carolina Crossroads. Did
you support the original project? What do you think went wrong? What
would you have done differently?
“I feel council had good intentions. How would I handle it differently?
There was excitement, the glitz at all the possibilities. The planning,
the facts, the contract information, the financing, were all kept in
the dark. The citizens should have had a part. They should have had a
bond referendum. The public didn’t get all the facts. I would have
handled it differently to keep us informed. The taxpayers have a right
to know.”
3. Do you approve of the city’s current solution to the theater debt
and problems — a lease-purchase agreement deal with the Gatlings. Would
you have liked to have seen a different choice or path?
“Under the circumstances we tried to make it work with (Randy) Parton,
with UNNICO. The city tried to run it and the city shouldn’t be running
a theater. Say (Calvin) Gilmore did come in, we would still be footing
the operating expenses, footing the debt service. It made sense to sell
it. I agree with the outright sale. That couldn’t materialize. It was
the most viable, most practical solution to the problem. Mr. Gatling
has a vision. We want him to succeed.”
4. Over the past few years, the city council dug deeper and deeper into
the cash reserves each year to pay for programs and raises while
balancing the budget and not raising taxes. The result was when the
theater debacle occurred the cupboard was almost bare. What do you
think of the council’s performance?
“Everyone knows how I feel. When you think about that, look where we
are today. The intentions were we were trying to help the community. I
think we learned from digging into the fund balance. The fund balance
is not to support monthly living expenses. If we have a serious weather
event, we don’t have it. We have the threat of the state coming in. If
we get so critical with the fund balance the state will come in and
adjust the tax rate. That’s where we’re at today. We have to make tough
decisions, what we can afford and what we can forgo. We have to build
the fund balance back up. It means every penny we can save has to go
back in the fund balance.”
5. What are your thoughts on open vs. closed city council meetings and
transparency in government?
Personnel issues have to be handled in closed session, he said. “When
it comes to taxpayers footing the bill we’ve got to give it back to
them. The taxpayers have the same responsibility as the people they
elected. It has to be a cooperative effort. The residents in Brandy
Creek were never informed they were going to be annexed. They were in
disbelief and they were hurt.”
6. Explain your vision of the mayor’s role? A city councilman? The city
manager?
The mayor is responsible for presiding over city council meetings and
should attend public events, which promote economic growth, “Not to get
involved with the daily operation of the city. Council should uphold
the charter and identify services needed in the community, write
policies and enact policy, most important they should be good stewards
of the city’s money. The city manager should keep us informed as far as
critical needs.”
7. What are the three biggest problems facing our city?
There are four, he said, the city’s financial crisis, the economic
downturn, mill villages and main street.
8. What can you do as a city councilman in solving these challenges?
“We need to get a hold of the financial situation. I don’t know anyone
who has a magic bullet. It will take a unified city council to pull
together. It will take putting the budget under a microscope. I want
citizens to study the budget. There’s not a lot of fat in it. It’s been
whittled and whittled for years. We’ve lost services, some we might not
get back. The most important thing is honesty, don’t sugarcoat.
Citizens need to come to meetings and the city’s Web page needs to be
more interactive with ordinances and policies on it, regular financial
updates. “We’ve got to be educated on what we are doing to save money.”
9. Do you understand how the Main Street program works? Do you support
its implementation? What do you think it will accomplish?
Lawson said he supports and understands the Main Street program but is
not in favor of a tax to fund it. “Main Street is from First to 14th
streets. One time it was the nucleus of commerce. It still needs to be
the nucleus. It’s easy for everyone to get to.”
In the past, however, there wasn’t the large volume of cars traveling
the avenue and there are parking issues. He said while he supports it,
he needs to study it more to have a better understanding of what it
will accomplish.
10. What part of the city needs the most help?
The mill villages. “We’ve got ordinances in place to address
dilapidated houses. It has been part of our community policing
initiatives.”
Not only should the property owners be held accountable, he said, but
the people who live in these houses should be as well.
Bonus question:
How many city council meetings have you attended in the last year?
Numerous meetings over the last year.
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