Shown are John Roberts, Edward Le Compte, and Terry Pope
Three seats on the Red Bank Commission will be decided on Nov. 4. There are six candidates running for the three openings, one each from Districts 1 and 3 and one at large. Each resident will have three votes regardless of the district they live in. Just three of the contenders showed up for a Tuesday night forum.
Terry Pope is running against current Vice Mayor Floy Pierce from District 1. Ed LeCompte is up against Dalton Temple for District 3. Despite having two years left on his present term as commissioner representing District 2, Rick Causer is challenging Mayor John Roberts for his at large seat.
On Tuesday night the Red Bank Neighborhood Pride Association held a candidates forum for the upcoming election. Participating in the forum was Mr. LeCompte, who is the chairman of Red Bank Neighborhood Pride, Mr. Pope, who is a member of the planning commission, and current Mayor Roberts. Questions had been submitted to moderator Mike Congdon prior to the meeting.
Mayor Roberts told the audience that he viewed this as a job interview. Terry Pope agreed with him and said, “Three people didn’t think it was necessary or worth their time” to participate in the discussion. They didn’t have enough respect for you” to hear what they have to say. This drew applause from the audience despite having been asked not to clap after answers.
The three candidates who did come were in agreement with their visions for the city. The future involves growth and development which they see as dependent upon approval of the newly proposed zoning ordinances.
What are your priorities and actions you plan to take to enhance life for the citizens of Red Bank?
Development was the answer from Mr. LeCompte and Mr. Pope. Mr. Pope said the new zoning ordinances would make the city more attractive for developers to build single family houses which have been too restrictive up until now. The goal is to build new homes and businesses will follow which will increase collected sales taxes so that property tax increases are not needed. Mayor Roberts said in terms of economic development, progress has been made. He has been recruiting business and developers for the past three and a half years, by streamlining the process to work with small businesses. In the last two years, he said Red Bank has collected over $1 million in sales tax for the first time ever. In addition to growth, Mayor Roberts added “safety and security” as qualities needed to attract new, young professional people.
What is your vision for Red Bank in one, five and 10 years?
“To be the next Northshore,” said Mr. LeCompte, plus growth and bringing new businesses. “That every house for sale would have four offers,” to be an area safe enough to leave doors unlocked, and have great schools, answered Mr. Pope. “To keep recruiting business and restaurants,” and “for my son to make the decision to come back and live in this city when he is grown," said Mr. Roberts.
Is Red Bank trending away from home ownership and toward Section 8 rentals? What are your ideas to correct this trend?
The answer from all three was dependent upon adoption of the new zoning plan. One ordinance is unique in that it would allow a new development to have apartments but it would also require that 50 percent of what is built be single family houses of at least 2,000 square feet. The idea is that in order to sell the houses, the apartments would have to be very nice.
What assurances can you give that property that has been down-zoned or rezoned to non conforming use by the new ordinances will not be designated blight?
With the new zoning ordinances, every structure in place now will be grandfathered in, said Mayor Roberts. If the property is maintained the zoning is preserved. If a building is abandoned with electricity off for 100 days, it would lose the status and revert to what is appropriate for the zone it is in. There is a process to deal with this involving the planning commission, the variance board and the city commission said Mr. Pope.
If it is designated as blight the matter would go to the building inspector. The mayor said the process then, would be dealt with by the city by sending letters detailing the problems and giving the owner an opportunity to correct them. If the owner does not take care of it the city will. The next step would be to have a condemnation hearing in front of the elected commissioners.
The planning commission spent over a year to develop the new zoning plan. Did you attend any of the meetings?
Mr. LeCompte said he had been to four or five. Mr. Pope is on the planning commission. Mayor Roberts said in the past the mayor made all appointments to the planning board. Instead, he asked each city commissioner to make an appointment which resulted in a diverse group of residents from different sections of town and different backgrounds.
Are you aware that some candidates do not own property in Red Bank and are you a property owner?
All three candidates at the forum are property owners in the city and all agreed that it was important for anyone who has an elected office to own property in Red Bank. Mr. Pope said he bought his first home in the city in 1982. Mayor Robert’s family has lived in Red Bank since 1929. It was noted that the mayor’s opponent does not own property in the city. Mr. LeCompte has been a property owner for 39 years.
Individual questions were asked of some contenders. Mr. LeCompte was asked how his work experience would make him a good commissioner. He answered community involvement, and that he volunteered when he could and would be here when needed and that he would support Red Bank with all his heart.
The question for Mr. Causer was, "Why are you running since you are already a commissioner with an unexpired term? It seems like a waste of time because you could be solving issues instead." The question went unanswered since Mr. Causer did not participate in the forum.
Commissioners Rick Causer and Floy Pierce have been talking about Agenda 21. "What is your view of Agenda 21?" was the question posed to Mayor Roberts. “We’re not going to join. I have never received a letter or phone call from the U.N.,” he responded. He said that all local people came together to create the plan that he hopes will be approved.
The audience was urged to attend the next planning commission meeting on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Bank community center.