Five candidates vie for 3 seats on Cary board
By BRETT ROWLAND - browland@nwherald.com
CARY – Five men are vying for three open seats on the Cary Village Board of Trustees this April.
Incumbents Duane “Rick” Dudek, Raymond Chisholm and Steve Adams are joined by newcomers Robert Bragg and Franklin O’Laughlin in the race.
Economic doldrums have all the candidates focused on financial issues, but many other issues also are popping up as the April 7 election draws near.
Adams, who is finishing his first four-year term on the board, wants to keep the village on its current track if re-elected. A 53-year-old in commercial insurance sales, Adams has served as chairman of the village’s Public Safety Committee. Some of his most visible efforts have been aimed at curbing gang activity. Adams said he planned to continue with his public safety work and other issues.
“Cary needs to remain fiscally responsible, continue with fixing our roads, and attract the right businesses to our town along Route 14,” he said. “I think the village is going in the right direction, and I think I’m contributing.”
Adams added that although the village had made progress, “we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
Robert Bragg, a 51-year-old construction company sales representative, hasn’t held an elected office, but he is no stranger to Cary government and politics.
Bragg launched an unsuccessful bid for a seat in 2007 and has attended board meetings for three years. A strong desire for transparency and open government prompted his quest for a spot on the board, Bragg said.
In addition, Bragg said he would work to foster stronger bonds with neighboring governments and boost sales tax revenue through planned growth.
“I want to bring some change and fresh ideas,” he said.
Bragg also said he wanted to do more to get Cary residents involved in village government.
Elected to the board in 2007, Chisholm is serving out the second half of a four-year term that was open. Chisholm, 68, a decorated military veteran and former law enforcement official, said ensuring Cary’s financial stability would be his top priority if re-elected.
“Potential for new development is limited in this economic situation,” he said. “We need to watch our revenue to make sure we don’t overspend.”
Veteran board member Duane “Rick” Dudek also seeks another term. Dudek, executive vice president and commercial banking group manager at Advantage Bank Group, said he, too, was focused on Cary’s bottom line. Dudek, 53, is finishing out the two-year term he was elected to in 2007. He said his financial and banking experience sets him apart from the other candidates. When elected to the board in 2007, Dudek was set on economic growth. Now, however, Dudek said he wanted to make sure the village stayed solvent.
“We want to be in a solid financial position so that when the market does recover, we will be able to take advantage of ever opportunity,” he said Tuesday.
In the meantime, Dudek wants to make sure government services proceed efficiently.
Dudek said he wanted to develop better intergovernmental relationships between the village and other agencies, such as the Cary Park District.
O’Laughlin, a 39-year-old regional environmental adviser to Meyer Material, hopes to gain a seat on the board. He has served on the village’s Zoning, Planning and Appeals Board for the past six years. O’Laughlin said he would hone in on financial and economic issues if elected, planning to bring in new businesses to boost sales tax revenue. With additional money, O’Laughlin said he would like to make sure the village’s police department had the best equipment available and improve parks and sidewalks.
O’Laughlin said he also would like to use the money to revamp some of the village’s sales and shopping districts, which could attract new commercial enterprises.
“The biggest challenge will be to see if we can find businesses to move in,” he said. “Even now, I want to be optimistic about it.”
Cary voters will select three of the five candidates April 7.
