Six seek seats on county commission

Six candidates will appear on this year's ballot as options for the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners: Lee Ellis, Jan Hamilton, Bill Hoag, Harley Masters, Ron McKinney and Dale Blevins.

Additional information on where and how to vote can be found in a separate story in these pages. The Mitchell News- Journal asked each of the commissioner candidates to answer the listed questions outlining their views for the future of Mitchell County. However, voters should note that these questionnaires were distributed and answered well before the recent flooding and county-wide damage from Hurricane Helene.

Therefore, candidate answers do not address issues related to the current state of disaster.

Blevins, Ellis and Masters all had their questionnaire answers published in these pages once before, when they ran in the Republican Party primary in March. Because these candidates have already had some press exposure, MNJ is positioning the candidates who have not already been featured first - Democrats Hamilton and McKinney, and unaffiliated candidate Hoag.

Jan Hamilton Community you live in: Spruce Pine How long have you lived in Mitchell County? Born and raised in Mitchell County; daughter of Jim and Jolene Thomas Professional background: I have spent my career in social work, employed first with the elderly in nursing home care and later with the Department of Social Services as a foster care case worker and supervisor of Children's Services. My last position was as a fraud worker, in which capacity I was able to recover benefits in food stamps and Medicaid programs for the county.

Educational background: High school diploma - Bowman High School; bachelor of social work - Mars Hill College Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners? I feel that county government should consist of representatives from both parties which would add a different perspective to the decisions made. If I am elected, I plan to be an impartial commissioner, listen to all constituents, and stand up for people who might not have a voice.

What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner?

1) My priority would be finding a way to keep our foster-care children within our county. 2) I want to ensure that Blue Ridge Regional Hospital remains open, to provide quality care to our county.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? 1) Continuing to develop job opportunities in and around the county. 2) Making sure that our schools are providing a quality education. This entails assuring that teachers have competitive wages and benefits and that our children are offered a curriculum that is competitive with other counties in the state. Together with the Board of Education, we need focus groups to study and discuss progress and innovation for Mitchell County. Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

I feel that all communities should come together (a representative from each) to develop a plan that will benefit each community. This would mean commissioners meeting with each community to assess their needs and resources. We need to have ongoing communication with all. Funding and grants should be applied for by commissioners and designated community persons.

What does the term Open Government mean to you?

Open government, to me, is the towns of Spruce Pine and Bakersville working together for the growth of the entire county. All constituents should feel comfortable contacting the commissioners to ask questions or concerns. An open door policy with the Commissioners could serve that purpose.

Bill Hoag How long have you lived in Mitchell County?

We have owned our home since 2002 and have lived in Mitchell County full-time for seven years.

My wife's family has had a home in the Mitchell County area since 1982.

Professional background: I am a retired professional firefighter with the Sarasota County Fire Department with 32 years of experience. I worked in many positions in the fire department. My final position was assistant chief of logistics. As the logistics chief, I acquired the skill sets to make me an excellent county commissioner. I worked extensively with our budget, which was more than $80 million. I made all of our purchases and paid the fire department bills. I was also the fire department's project manager for constructing four fire stations.

I volunteer with the Spruce Pine Fire Department where I am the assistant chief. I also lead hikes at Grandfather Mountain for the Jason Project, which gives students a chance to be outdoors. The project includes four hikes, allowing the students to find peace and satisfaction.

Educational Background: I have an associate's degree in emergency management. I have many fire and paramedic certificates.

Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners?

I have professional experience that I can use to become a good commissioner and hit the ground running. I love our community and believe we have a lot of ongoing projects that will enhance our community. As commissioners, we must create an environment encouraging businesses to come to Mitchell County.

I would work hard to establish a master plan for Mitchell County. The plan would include a 10-year working plan and a 20-year long-term plan. We must include a firm commitment to education as this is the key to having a successful student graduate from Mitchell County.

I am a strong supporter of emergency services. I would like to start the conversation about the future of Mitchell County's fire services.

What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner?

We need to be very transparent about property tax reevaluation. The commission should hold many informational meetings throughout the county to explain the process well before it begins. Our tax evaluation has many moving pieces. As I gathered signatures for this election, I listened to numerous citizens talk about their properties' recent reevaluation. They had concerns that could have been answered through informational meetings. The County Commissioners should distribute the information and not let the grapevine control it.

My second priority is emergency services, including emergency medical services. We need to monitor Mitchell Medics' contract and set benchmarks that the commission can monitor to ensure its effectiveness. I fully support the sheriff's office and our 911 dispatch service.

My main focus is our local volunteer fire departments. These fire departments are struggling and still determining what the future will bring. Our volunteer fire departments save us millions of dollars, but as our communities have changed, they have fewer and fewer volunteers. We need to start the conversation on plans to provide fire service to the citizens of Mitchell County. The need for volunteers is a national issue that we can solve locally. We need to have a plan now to make sound fiscal decisions in the future.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? The top two challenges facing Mitchell County are median-income housing and the hospital's future.

The best way to control property taxes is to reduce the reliance on personal property taxes. At the same time, businesses are increasing their infrastructure. This will require more workers and, therefore, more affordable housing. As stated previously, I spoke to numerous contractors when I was getting signatures for this election. They all had the same concern: Mitchell County needs a full-time level three building inspector (covering all types of construction). I would also support an assessment of the county's properties and land to find ways to address the problem. After the assessment, we would perform a housing analysis and find the properties that could be developed. We also have a couple of schools that will return to the county and could be included in the assessment. These buildings are not on the tax roll and will only cost the county money due to maintenance. As a commissioner, I would encourage a meeting with the county's large employers to discuss our findings and seek solutions to our housing issue from private businesses or grants.

The Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is a crucial asset to our community. Having a hospital in our community sets Mitchell County apart from our surrounding counties. The county should fight hard to determine the hospital's and our community's future.

Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

I see several areas where the county and the two cities could collaborate more. The first area is purchasing. If the three entities came together, they could have a purchasing agreement. They could buy vehicles, general equipment, and supplies as one organization. This would give them the power to get better pricing and terms on more expensive items.

The three entities should have combined meetings every quarter. This is the best way to allow communication to flow, which solves many issues.

We should also work hard to include the entire county. I would work hard to understand the needs and solutions to help every citizen in the county or the cities.

What does the term Open Government mean to you?

Decisions should not be made where they might be concealed from the public. Our local government's job is to foster an environment where citizens thrive and have confidence in their commissioners.

This is accomplished by performing duties in person rather than by email or text. Commissioners should not discuss issues outside of meetings. Citizens deserve the right to hear each commissioner's rationale for a decision. This makes everyone comfortable and helps them understand the decision, even if they disagree. The rumor mill is full force when decisions are made behind closed doors. Letting the citizens see the process so they understand and have the truth is much better. I strongly support an open government.

Ron McKinney Community you live in: Bakersville How long have you lived in Mitchell County?

I was born in Bakersville and have lived in Mitchell County until now, except for service in the U.S. Air Force and my college years.

Professional background: I have been an educator for 30 years; primarily as a guidance counselor in the Mitchell County School System and as a director of financial aid and dean of student affairs at Mayland Community College.

I have also been a Christmas tree farmer for over 40 years.

Educational background: Bowman High School; master's degrees in counseling and school administration from Appalachian State University; and doctoral work at NC State and UNC Chapel Hill Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners?

The experiences and knowledge that I have accumulated over the years spent in education and the farming business, have given me a unique understanding of the people of Mitchell County and the issues that will affect them in the challenging years ahead. Also, my participation in civic projects such as the Mitchell Community Health Partnership, Bakersville Creekwalk, and various festivals, has shown me that community involvement is a necessity. My belief in Christian values will always be an important guide as I serve as a commissioner.

Because I am not interested in petty politics, I am free to serve the people What would be your top two priorities as county commissioners?

My first priority would be to develop the economic health of the county to a level that will allow our young people to stay in the county, or return to the county, and also attract new permanent residents. The population in 2010 was 15, 579. It actually dropped to 14, 906 in 2020 and was 15, 094 in 2022. Yancey County has added over 1, 000 people since 2010. And yet, we continue with the same economic development activities that we have had for the past 50 years. The County Commission needs to establish and support new economic development plans.

Another important priority for me is access to health care. From about 1998 to 2017, Mitchell County, with local leadership and philanthropy, moved forward to establish Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, with a supporting cast of physicians and specialists. Now, after the purchase of Mission and Blue Ridge Hospital by the Hospital Corporation of America, access to health care has deteriorated to an emergency level. The hospital has a skeleton staff, able to offer only basic services. Obstetric services, for example, are non-existent. County Commissioners have a responsibility to seek out a solution to this crisis. Nothing is more important than the health of the people.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? I identified two challenges, economic development and access to health care, in the previous question.

Economic Development in Mitchell County is primarily dependent on bringing more people into the county. If you consider the recreation interests of young families, the county has the natural resources that will bring them into the county shortterm, but the commissioners must help develop those resources.

Fly fishing needs to be expanded by working with landowners to reduce the amount of posted land. We need to develop hiking trails into the Yellow Mountain Natural Area. The state has $55 million set aside for this purpose. Portages on the 74 miles of the Toe River that run through Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties will open up the river.

Attracting new residents is tied to quality of life. Access to health care is a priority, especially for elderly, retired people. The current medical resources are a serious liability. The County Commission should work through our state representatives to pressure state agencies to correct this situation.

The County should also invest more money in the school system. Instruction areas, such as music education, should be funded. To name the auditorium at Mitchell High School after Kathy Miller and then do away with the Chorus program, makes no sense.

Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

Success depends on genuine collaboration. The first step is to create a joint task force with representatives from each government, major business, and community leaders. This task force should develop a Strategic Plan; the plan should include clear goals, timelines and success standards for issues addressed, such as economic development, recreation or housing.

This joint task force should emphasize transparency by regularly sharing information, progress reports and challenges.

Pooling resources, expertise and grant opportunities must be a priority.

The task force should celebrate its achievements and try to learn from setbacks.

By working together, the county and its towns can transform the quality of life for its people. This collaboration will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.

What does the term Open Government mean to you?

Open Government includes several procedures and activities designed to make government more transparent, accountable, and accessible to the public. It is based on the core principles of: Transparency: open access to government information and processes, including records, data, and decision-making procedures.

Participation: Bringing citizens into the decision-making process through public hearings, input into budgeting and citizen advisory boards.

Accountability; Ensuring that government officials are answerable for their actions and held responsible for fulfilling their obligations Overall, open government aims to strengthen trust between citizens and their government, increase public participation in decision-making and create more democratic and responsive governance.

Dale Blevins Community you live in: Spruce PineHow long have you lived in Mitchell County? All my life (65 years) Professional background: Retired Educator and retired director of Parks and Recreation (town of Spruce Pine).

Educational background: Bachelor of arts in K-6 Instruction; master of arts in K-6 Instruction; educational specialist (Ed.S.) in K-12 Curriculum Supervision with an Academically Intellectually Gifted Concentration Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners?

I am a candidate because I love our community and I want to support the people of Mitchell County. This includes everyone - our children, young adults, men and women, and the senior-citizen population of our county. It is my goal to support each of these age groups to the best of my ability, so that our county thrives and continues to achieve success long after myself and others are gone.

Overall, my values as a potential candidate are for the people of Mitchell County. I want to listen to people because each person's problem or issue is important to them and their problem/issue should be important to the people holding the seat as well.

What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? The first priority is knowing what to expect when property tax re-evaluation time rolls around. County leaders need to keep citizens informed on updates and changes. In order to help people understand their property evaluation, leaders should consider these ideas to help ease the burden of stress many citizens have during the re-evaluation period: Look at your tax rate and bill and then look at comparable homes in your neighborhood, walk through your property with the assessor to address all points affecting its assessed value, and remember, property taxes are calculated by multiplying your county's effective tax rate by the most recent assessment of your property's value.

The second priority is educating people on how important education is to our county and how local funding goes to work in our local schools. For example, it is the state of North Carolina's responsibility to fund instructional expenses while Mitchell County government is responsible for the cost of capital expenses - building upkeep, local paid employees, local educational opportunities, iPad incentive programs (which covers all K-12 students), and fuel costs for maintenance vehicles and for buses. It is also very important that locallyfunded employees are kept up to the yearly cost of living increase each year.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? A strong infrastructure is necessary for rural development. Many small rural counties lack economic security, as a result of decades of damaging economic policy and industry restructuring. Traditional economic sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, and resource extraction, which historically supported rural areas, have become increasingly automated or have disappeared altogether. The new economy built around innovation, ideas, technology, and financial markets has overlooked rural areas, and concentrated jobs, wealth and capital in larger cities. For many years solutions organized around deregulation, tax cuts, and facilitating capital accumulation have worn away the foundations in which our economics stand. Underinvestment in infrastructure, inadequate internet access funding, and a declining tax base within our county contributes to a downward economic spiral.

As Mitchell County looks at creating a stronger infrastructure, new employment opportunities are also a challenge. Our workforce consists of highly skilled citizens, but these individuals have less access to ongoing educational training due to rising tuition costs and the availability of certain educational opportunities. As a result, our workforce lacks adaptation to the new economy that work forces require today. Securing support and direct assistance for this training should be a priority within our county that could be addressed through partnership efforts with our local community college.

Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

I want to bring the communities of Baskerville and Spruce Pine together through programs, grants, and other partnerships.

First, I will focus on supporting established programs that currently benefit both Bakersville and Spruce Pine. These programs include the Mitchell Senior Center, the AMY (Avery, Mitchell, Yancey) Library system, educational programs for our children, Mitchell County Transportation, and many other great programs. However, I will also seek to find grants that would continue to assist and support both areas. I would like to seek out grants that would help revitalize sewer, gas and water systems throughout the county. Overall, working to foster unity between Bakersville and Spruce Pine is one of my top priorities. I will always search for opportunities that could benefit each community equally.

What does the term Open Government mean to you?

Open government refers to a government that is transparent with its citizens. For instance, in an open government, the budget could be easily understood and accessible to citizens because it is a citizen's right to understand where their tax money is being used.

Additionally, each agency that receives tax money would give an annual report to the citizens. Commissioners in an open government would not discuss topics with other commissioners outside meeting times. Overall, an open government holds those in government positions accountable because citizens are constantly informed and made aware of government happenings. Having an open government within our county is vital, so that our people feel as if they understand the decisions being made within our great county. Harley Masters My husband and I live outside Bakersville on our farm with two dogs, Parker and Bailey.

How long have you lived in Mitchell County?

I was born here in 1991, but I moved to Tennessee when I was 17 and moved back to Mitchell County in 2016.

Professional background: I started working when I was 16 years old, waiting tables at JJ's Seafood. I learned customer service was important, a lesson I've never forgotten. It's part of all aspects of my life. I've owned a small business since 2018, a successful cafe in Bakersville, and I've served on a variety of boards locally, regionally, and on a state level, representing and serving all of Mitchell County. Recently I was one of 24 elected officials across the state of North Carolina selected for the 2024 Advanced Leadership Corp program at the UNC School of Government. I graduated in early February.

Educational background: Cocke County High School graduate with an associate's degree in aviation; graduate of UNC School of Government leadership programs.

Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners?

When I was sworn into office as a commissioner in 2020, we compiled a list of goals, short and long term. Among them was a new recreation center for everyone, young and old, a new sheriff's office, and better county representation on local, regional and state boards. We've worked diligently towards those goals, accomplishing most of them in the past three years. I am running for reelection to continue working towards the long-term betterment of Mitchell County. I want to take on our next big project, preserving the old Bowman Middle School building, transforming it into a facility that benefits all our citizens.

What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? My first priority as a county commissioner will be to continue engaging all our communities, listening to them about their needs, including those of our county departments who serve the public daily. Second, I will make sure we have county policies that follow both the spirit and letter of the law, providing transparency to allow citizen oversight. Citizens have a right to know how county government works for them.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? The greatest challenge facing Mitchell County is financial sustainability, long-term and short-term. Short-term financial decisions have long lasting impacts on the county budget. More often than not these impacts are not clear to citizens until a few years down the road. State or federal law requires counties provide a range of services to all their citizens. Mandated services include those provided by our register of deeds, election administration, fire protection, emergency services like law enforcement and emergency medical services, fair and equitable building code enforcement, public school funding, tax assessments, courts, public health and many more. Our challenge as a county is to provide quality needed services in a sustainable way using good financial planning.

Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

Communication is key. The best thing I have found to be effective in working together with the county and the municipalities is having an open dialog. But that conversation has to go beyond municipalities into the further out communities like Buladean, Tipton Hill, Glen Ayre, Little Switzerland, and outside the city limits of Spruce Pine. Establishing those relationships and making sure other elected officials, citizens, and organizations feel comfortable enough to bring ideas, problems, and accomplishments to me and all our commissioners to discuss is the essence of effective collaboration What does the term Open Government mean to you? No response.

Lee Ellis Community you live in: Grassy Creek How long have you lived in Mitchell County? Lifelong resident.

Professional background: I was blessed to be brought into the health insurance business by my dad. I have worked with good friends - and my wife - over the last 29 years to grow a business that serves the needs of people in our community and our region. Understanding how complex health insurance is, and helping business owners, families and others to make good decisions on how to insure themselves has been very rewarding. This is truly a "community service" job that I am proud to have.

Educational background: Mitchell County Schools; Mayland Community College Why are you running for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners?

Many friends and local businesses encouraged me to step up to serve our county, and after many conversations and a lot of prayer, I felt led to give back. Growing up in the Minpro area, my childhood could not have been better. As I got older, local people looked after me, gave me direction, offered help, and have been there for me. Serving my community has always been important - whether in my Church or locally for several nonprofits, including the Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce and hospice. I want to work hard for the citizens of our great county!

What would be your top two priorities as county commissioner? Budget: The Mitchell County budget has increased significantly over the last four years, and that is not sustainable. I will make every effort to at least maintain the overall budget as long as possible if elected. Our children deserve the same opportunities we have enjoyed.

Supporting Education: We now compete for local students prior to kindergarten through the college level with Mayland. We have to support our education system at every level with all available resources. We are all aware of how much more everything costs. Schools are no different than any other Mitchell County-funded entity, with one exception: They are teaching and taking care of our children. They have to be accountable too, but our children spend six to seven hours a day, five days a week for the better part of nine months with teachers, administrators, food-prep staff, bus drivers, maintenance staff and so on. We need the best of the best in each of these roles based on the time and influence they spend and have on our children. Some industries in Mitchell County face worker shortages; our education system could become one of them.

What are the two greatest challenges facing Mitchell County and what role do you see the county playing in meeting these challenges? Building Inspections: Per the Economic Development Commission, there are potentially over $1 billion in renovations, expansions and new building planned here over the next two to three years. Yet the county does not employ a full-time Level III building inspector. Currently all Level III inspections are provided by outside contractors with their own full-time jobs. The type of growth opportunity we have in the very near future comes once in our lifetimes. If we work with our local employers in all industries to pursue the previously mentioned growth, the impact to our tax base would be exponential for years to come.

Drug Abuse: While I don't have an answer to this issue, I don't hesitate to say this is our biggest problem. Regardless of age, or anything else, drug abuse is ripping families apart and stealing the life expectancy of its victims. Drug abuse does not discriminate. It doesn't see wealth or poverty. It can impact from any walk of life. If I have learned anything since I filed for the election, it is we have a plethora of challenges ahead. We have an obligation to work on drug abuse on many levels.

Local governments must work together to build strong communities. In what areas can Mitchell County collaborate with the Town of Bakersville and the Town of Spruce Pine to enhance the county?

With the limited finances available to Spruce Pine, Bakersville and Mitchell County, there may be areas where consolidating services should be studied. If applicable, this might help with associated costs like salaries and benefits, vehicle costs, maintenance and utilities.

As more services are needed, this could help all three entities as well as the service provider as well. Both Towns have great leadership as well as great people, so I am confident that both would work in partnership toward any project that makes our County better.

What does the term Open Government mean to you?

Open Government means that public officials have an obligation to discuss and decide the county's business in public view. No decisions made behind closed doors or over text. Accountability to the public means letting citizens know the process, see the information that is considered and to make decisions in public meetings. Period.