ANSON COUNTY — Life-long Anson County resident Donald Sellers announced this week he is throwing his hat into the ring for Wadesboro Town Council. There are many concerns Sellers is eager to address, however, three main issues he sees as most pressing are safety, infrastructure and recreation.
Sellers says, “I believe all three can be addressed simultaneously and all three are needed to get Wadesboro back on track.”
First to admit he is not a politician, but a concerned resident desirous of change, Sellers says he did not make the decision to run lightly, instead his decision was made in consultation with his wife Donna and their two children.
He says, “I have lived in Anson County for 49 years and I know there are good people here who deserve better than what they are getting from their leaders right now. Above race, religion, or skin color — there are good people here who love this community as much as I do and it is just being overshadowed by negativity right now.”
Spending over 23 years volunteering with the Fire Department and EMS, Sellers knows the importance of having a fully functioning police department.
He says, “My top issue is restoring the police department. We need to return to a stable police force with a chief who lives here and wants to call Wadesboro home. We need a police department that is thriving and functional. Looking at what Wingate has done, and a few other area police departments have done, it is not a good thing,” said Sellers, referencing the recent decision made by the Wingate town council to disband its police force and instead look to the Union County Sheriff’s Office to handle its policing concerns.
While Sellers says he believes Anson County has an amazing Sheriff’s Office who does a great job of stepping in and helping when needed, he still feels Wadesboro needs its own police department.
He said, “With all respect to Interim Chief Spencer, I’m sure he would like to go back to enjoying his retirement, I want to see a police chief come in that lives here and knows the community and the issues we are facing. I believe this will give the police chief a good idea of how to tackle them. We need a police department filled with officers who know the community, love the community, and want to see the department grow.”
Citing the security he felt under Wadesboro Police Chief Brandon Chewning, Sellers says, “We need a return to people feeling safe in their homes and when they are out shopping. There has been a lot of stealing in our stores. We should have taken the closure of Walmart as a wake-up call that we needed to get behind and support the businesses we already have here. We should have gotten behind our police department and showed them the support needed then. I don’t know if it is true, but now I hear Rose’s may be having a similar problem.”
Sellers says he believes all three of the town’s main issues, as he sees them, stem from a need to restore safety to the streets of Wadesboro.
“Restoring safety is key to Wadesboro’s survival. It is what will start attracting businesses that will lead to an increase in our tax base, improvements in infrastructure, and ensuring Wadesboro doesn’t get bypassed by the bypass,” said Sellers. “I believe the bypass could be bad for Wadesboro. Ask yourself how often do you think about what you are missing when you are driving down the highway and passing small towns? You could be missing out on a great ice cream shop or the best hot dogs and burgers around, but you’d never know just by driving by on the highway. We need to concentrate on building up our infrastructure.”
Especially worrying to Sellers is talk he has heard coming out of Raleigh regarding the bypass.
He said, “I’m hearing Raleigh is concerned for Wadesboro over this bypass coming. We are going to fall behind if we don’t figure out a way to attract people and businesses. Our taxpayers need to be able to feel pride in their city streets and sidewalks. The first impression travelers should have of Wadesboro is that of a town that takes enough pride in itself to have clean, safe streets and to beautify its neighborhoods. It’s nice to have antique buildings and storefronts — but we need to beautify what we have. Right now, Wadesboro has a lot of rundown, old buildings.”
Sellers continued, “Whether it’s personnel or it’s lack of equipment, we need to fix it. We need to concentrate on attracting the right people and finding a way to get the equipment, if that is what is needed. Town employees need to feel comfortable having the freedom to discuss any issue they are dealing with and that is something that has really been lacking in Wadesboro leadership.”
When it comes to Wadesboro providing a recreation or community center, he believes leaders need to listen to the residents.
“The community has consistently asked for there to be something in place for the kids to do. We need to listen and start finding a way to have a recreation/community center for both kids and adults. Similar to the splash pad, we need a place in town where everyone can come together to relax and enjoy. It may not be something Wadesboro can do by itself; we may need to reach out to area churches and different local entities that want to help or apply for grants.”
Ball parks and recreational sports are near and dear to Seller’s heart, having coached football, baseball, and softball in Anson County for 13 years. Sellers has volunteered with both the Field of Dreams in Polkton and Parks and Recreation. In addition to countless other Anson County kids, Sellers also got to coach his daughter in softball.
Sellers says, “Some of my best memories are of spending time with my kids on the ball field and I want that same opportunity to be available to everyone in the county.”
He adds, “It’s easy to allow kids to get stagnant, leading to them finding other avenues of engagement. I really believe to keep them safe, healthy and adjusted; you need to keep them busy. Recreational sports was a godsend for my family. It taught our kids the value of teamwork, that we are stronger together, and it kept them busy. I also believe a strong church background is key.”
Like their father, Sellers’ children were born and raised in Anson and both have decided to stick close to home; his daughter is a nursing student at Wingate University and his son is a student at SPCC and works in Wadesboro.
An avid bird hunter, Sellers enjoys taking his two Labradors, Rex and Noble, to go hunting with him and his son. A dog and animal lover, Sellers said he was heartbroken over the death of K-9 Blitz.
He explained, “At its heart a canine is still almost child-like, and no matter how old that dog gets, it wants to play and be loved on, especially a service dog because he wants to do a good job to please you. I really feel that the situation was not handled properly. One of the worst things you can do is not be honest with the public. If town officials had just come straight out right off the bat and issued a press release, I do not think the situation would have gotten as out of hand as it did.”
Sellers continued, “I strongly believe in transparency and having a good working relationship with the press — our people need to be informed. Should I be elected, I will serve Wadesboro with integrity, and work diligently towards restoring our police department, infrastructure, and providing a safe form of entertainment for our residents to enjoy together.”