Pictured L to R: Talesha Ray Sunshine, State Rep. Mark Brody, Kayesha Nivens, Tara Eudy, commissioner Jarvid Woodburn, Lorrie Burns, Kyle Leary, Jeff Poplin, Carol Gibson, Frank Liles, Sylvester Bennett, Brandon Smith, and Don Jewell. Kelly Sheppard is not pictured.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
ANSON — Always a highly anticipated event, the Anson County Chamber of Commerce hosted Politics after Dark Tuesday, giving community members a chance to hear where candidates for the Anson County Board of Commissioners and other offices stand on current issues in the county.
A familiar refrain throughout the evening for candidates involved seeking solutions to Anson County’s struggling economy and infrastructure, its EMS, Fire and Rescue services and ways to strengthen the Wadesboro Police Department.
Not everyone running for office signed up to speak, but those that did were heard by an engaged and enthusiastic crowd.
“The Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan organization whose mission is to promote community development and growth for Anson County. We recognize that state and local politics play a crucial role in how our community moves forward. We continue to sponsor this event each year to provide a platform for local candidates to campaign and share their thoughts and visions for the county,” said Caty Edwards, who hosted the evening.
Taking the stage before commissioner hopefuls, State Representative Mark Brody reminded his constituents he has been representing Anson and Union Counties on the state level for the last 12 years and is very proud of his accomplishments over his tenure in the General Assembly. Brody praised the partnership county commissioners have forged with him, crediting their willingness to work on tightening the county budget, water, sewer and other infrastructure needs as a reason for his successes in Anson County.
“We did fully fund the sewer and water system for the new Gateway Industrial Park. Also, I was able to secure an $8 million. I guess you could call it a revolving credit line that never has to be paid back for building buildings in that industrial park, basically what we call spec or shell buildings, and they are used to attract businesses to come into Anson County,” Brody said.
Another accomplishment achieved under Brody is the construction of the new Anson Middle School, which is currently underway.
“Myself, along with Senator Tom McGinnis, were able to secure enough financing, funding, for Anson County to build their new middle school debt free,” Brody said. Should he be re-elected, Brody said he hopes to make strides in encouraging Anson County students to pursue continuing education programs. He also shared the state currently has nearly $5 million socked away in its “rainy day” fund, which he expects to aid neighbors in Western North Carolina as they continue to recover from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Helene earlier this month.
Running for County Commissioner in District 3, Sylvester Bennett is a life-long resident of Anson County, who looks back fondly to the days when the county’s economy was booming and everyone he knew could find gainful employment. A product of Bowman High School and Anson Technical Community College, Bennett wants to see a return to more promising days.
“The last data that I saw about Anson County, was that out of 100 counties in North Carolina, Anson County is one of the poorest counties. The school system is troubled and also you have higher taxes. Those are some of the concerns that I have for the county. I think we can do better,” said Bennett, though he cautioned that just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the problems Anson County faces won’t be fixed in a day. “I think that can happen, but it is going to be a process, and I hope to be a part of that process,” he said.
Bennett said he believes by working together the county can fix its issues, which in turn will usher in an influx of new businesses and entice qualified educators to remain in the Anson County School District.
Lorrie Burns is running for District 1 Board of Commissioners. Burns has served Anson County, in both the public and private sectors, for over 20 years. Employed with the State of South Carolina Department of Corrections, Burns said she feels the county needs to offer competitive pay for teachers, consequently building a thriving education system.
Running against Burns for District 1, Kyle Leary grew up in Brown Creek before moving to Burnsville as an adult. As a member of the North Carolina National Guard, Leary said he found himself pulled away from Anson County, though he says he feels something has always called him back home. Currently, Leary is a paramedic, but has served the Burnsville Fire Department for 16 years. Concerned with both public safety and education, if elected, Leary states he will encourage EMS and Fire Department training in high school.
“What I see in the hearts and minds of a lot of citizens is they want growth in our county, they want business opportunities and that is what I want too … I want the same thing with the infrastructure,” Leary said.
Being involved with the community in his profession as a paramedic, Leary said he has learned residents want to see growth, a strong infrastructure and new businesses come to the county. He knows with the populations of Union and Richmond Counties busting at the seams, change is coming to Anson — whether Anson likes it or not.
“Let’s take control of that change and make it what we want. Let’s make our county better,” Leary said.
Jarvis Woodburn, who currently serves as Anson County Commissioner for District 6, raised his children and grandchildren in Anson County. Woodburn said he believes in serving the residents of Anson County with honor, integrity, consistency and fairness. Continuing to believe in the potential and possibility of Anson County and its residents, Woodburn is hopeful he will be re-elected.
“I have been involved in county government for 20-plus years. I actually believe in learning to further my ability to be a good county commissioner and I attend classes at the UNC School of Government, which I have done for the last several years, and I have learned quite a bit. One thing I feel like commissioners should do is look out for what is in the best interest of citizens, and look out for the best interests of the county,” said Woodburn, who added one way he accomplishes this is by not getting emotional over issues, instead believing commissioners should gather facts and figures before voting on an issue.
Don Jewell, who is not originally from Anson County, is running for Board of Commissioners District 7. Believing being an outsider could be an asset, Jewell says you don’t have to be born and raised in Anson to love it and want to call it home. Overflowing with ideas for the county, if elected, Jewell said he will focus on building Anson’s infrastructure and parks, work towards building a recreational center and find ways of increasing the county’s tax base in an effort to lower taxes across the board for everyone. In addition to making high-speed internet access a priority, Jewell wants to see a fully staffed, qualified police force, fire and EMS.
“Every morning I wake up in District 7 of Anson County, I go to work in District 7, I come home to my wife in District 7 and I go to sleep every night in District 7 of Anson County. This is my home and I love Anson County,” Jewell said.
Tara Eudy is running for Anson County Register of Deeds. A native, who raised her children in Anson, Eudy feels her profession has uniquely prepared her for the role of Register of Deeds.
“I have and continue to run Carolina Title, which is a business here in town on Morven Road and we do title insurance and title searches. Which is what gives me the experience that I need to be able to run this office. This office is a very important office. It is not just an administrative position. You need to have experience and know how this office runs,” said Eudy.
Running for Brown Creek Soil and Water Conservation, Jeff Poplin said as the owner and operator of a cattle farm he is very big in to conservation, announcing to attendees he won the 2022 Conservation Family Farm of the Year. Poplin, who is locally known as the “cow man” of Brown Creek Creamery, said he opens his farm to the public for tours, giving Ansonians an opportunity to learn about cattle farming and methods of conservation.
James Shaver, a representative of Congressman Dan Bishop’s office, attended in order to touch base with constituents, bringing back to Congressman Bishop an in-depth understanding of where Ansonians stand on the issues currently affecting them in the county.
Early voting begins October 17 in North Carolina, with all eligible voters heading to the polls on November 5.
