Landis and China Grove Bonds and Referendums

WATER (LANDIS)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 460 90.02
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 9.98

WASTE (LANDIS)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 88.82
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 11.18

ABC (CHINA GROVE)
FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 61.00
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . . 218 39.00

Landis Mayor

MAYOR LANDIS
Dennis Brown . . . . . . . . . 402 94.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 25 5.85

China Grove Town Council

China Grove Town Council
Ronald A. Overcash . . . . . . . 177 16.27
Lee Withers. . . . . . . . . . 302 27.76
Jimmie Higgins. . . . . . . . . 114 10.48
Roger Hosey. . . . . . . . . . 99 9.10
William L. Jordan. . . . . . . . 113 10.39
John G. Miller. . . . . . . . . 40 3.68
Charles Seaford . . . . . . . . 153 14.06
Jim Whitley. . . . . . . . . . 88 8.09

Results for Kannapolis City Council

• Richard Anderson: 48 percent
• David Baucom: 32 percent
• Ken Geathers: 44 percent
• Roger Haas: 37 percent
• Jim Harkins: 18 percent
• John Williams: 19 percent

Note: Totals are combined results from Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

All totals taken from the county board of elections. All vote totals are unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Mount Pleasant: Mayor, Town Comissioners

MAYOR MTP MT PLEASANT
Troy W. Barnhardt. . . . . . . . 99 81.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 23 18.85

Town Commissioner
Maura Eberhardt . . . . . . . . 75 27.88
W. Del Eudy. . . . . . . . . . 86 31.97
Mike Metcalf . . . . . . . . . 108 40.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 0

Town Commissioner
Richard D. (Rick) Burleyson . . . . 114 97.44
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 3 2.56

Results for Harrisburg Town Council

Harrisburg Town Council
Kirk J. Angel . . . . . . . . . 380 9.58
Leigh Thomas Brown . . . . . . . 197 4.97
Joe Hallatschek . . . . . . . . 449 11.32
Rhonda Poppen . . . . . . . . . 779 19.65
Jeffrey Redfern . . . . . . . . 653 16.47
Bob Scaggs . . . . . . . . . . 691 17.43
Bill Williams . . . . . . . . . 680 17.15
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 51 1.29

All vote totals taken from the Cabarrus County Board of Elections. All vote totals are unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Concord City Council

David W. Phillips. . . . . . . . 2,724 64.72
Tom L. Small . . . . . . . . . 1,462 34.74
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 23 .55


Alex Porter, Jr. . . . . . . . . 1,850 42.97
Jim Ramseur. . . . . . . . . . 2,435 56.56
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 20 .46


Hector H. Henry, II . . . . . . . 3,066 94.78
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 169 5.22

Randy Grimes . . . . . . . . . 2,981 95.36
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 145 4.64


Ella Mae Small. . . . . . . . . 3,017 96.39
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 113 3.61

Numbers according to Cabarrus County Board of Elections. These numbers are considered unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Results for Midland Town Council: Incumbent Page loses bid

Final Results for Midland Town Council
Don Fleener. . . . . . . . . . 235 32.19
Darrell Page . . . . . . . . . 199 27.26
Mike Tallent . . . . . . . . . 287 39.32
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 9 1.23

Numbers according to Cabarrus County Board of Elections. These numbers are considered unofficial until absentee ballots are counted Wednesday.

Early returns for Kannapolis

Kannapolis sits in both Cabarrus and Rowan counties. As such, the results are split between two counties.

Here are the returns from the Rowan side of Kannapolis:

Richard Anderson . . . . . . . . 2 or 16.67 percent
David A. Baucom . . . . . . . . 4 or 33.33 percent
Kenneth B. Geathers . . . . . . . 3 or 25.00 percent
Roger Haas . . . . . . . . . . 3 or 25.00 percent
Jim Harkins. . . . . . . . . . 0
John K. Williams . . . . . . . . 0

David Baucom is leading on the Rowan County side, while Ken Geathers is leading the pack in Cabarrus County. Richard Anderson is in the top three in Cabarrus, while he is trailing in Rowan.

Early returns for bond and referendum

Early returns for the Landis water/sewer bonds:
LANDIS WATER
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 or 83.33 percent
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 or 16.67 percent


Early returns for China Grove liquor referendum:
CHINA GROVE ABC
FOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 or 76.92 percent
AGAINST . . . . . . . . . . . 6 or 23.08 percent

Early voting returns for local races

Here are the early returns from the Kannapolis City Council race:
Richard Anderson . . . . . . . . 33 or 21.57 percent
David A. Baucom . . . . . . . . 20 or 13.07 percent
Kenneth B. Geathers . . . . . . . 43 or 28.10 percent
Roger Haas . . . . . . . . . . 29 or 18.95 percent
Jim Harkins. . . . . . . . . . 8 or 5.23 percent
John K. Williams . . . . . . . . 20 or 13.07 percent
NOTE: These are Cabarrus County returns.

Early returns from Rowan County:
China Grove Mayor
Don Bringle. . . . . . . . . . 22 or 88.00 percent
Allen Welter . . . . . . . . . 3 or 12.00 percent

China Grove Town Council
Jimmie Higgins. . . . . . . . . 6 or 12.50 percent
Roger Hosey. . . . . . . . . . 5 or 10.42 percent
William L. Jordan. . . . . . . . 1 or 2.08 percent
John G. Miller. . . . . . . . . 1 or 2.08 percent
Ronald A. Overcash . . . . . . . 11 or 22.92 percent
Charles Seaford . . . . . . . . 3 or 6.25 percent
Jim Whitley. . . . . . . . . . 2 or 4.17 percent
Lee Withers. . . . . . . . . . 19 or 39.58 percent

Landis Board of Aldermen
William (Will) P. Beaver . . . . . 1 or 3.03 percent
Ernest Dean Beck . . . . . . . . 8 or 24.24 percent
Tony B. Corriher . . . . . . . . 3 or 9.09 percent
H. A. (Tony) Hilton . . . . . . . 14 or 42.42 percent
C. J. Nickelson . . . . . . . . 1 or 3.03 percent
George Lee Pless . . . . . . . . 2 or 6.06 percent
Roger D. Safrit . . . . . . . . 4 or 12.12 percent

Concord voter turnout lower than expected

CONCORD — Cabarrus County Board of Elections officials said Election Day voter turnout left something to be desired.

“It’s been a long day,” said Linda Grist, director of the Board of Elections. “It’s been real boring here. We have roamers who visit the different precincts, and they’re saying it’s not been that busy.”

Reports from Harrisburg and Kannapolis precincts early both said voter turnout was minimal.

-Eric Deines

Candidates: New business key to future of downtown Concord

The move to grow and revitalize downtown Concord as a commercial player and as the county seat is a continuous campaign, one that calls for constant recruitment of new business to the area.

But as it grows to both those ends, downtown Concord must also grow in respect to the immediate residential neighborhoods - historical or otherwise.

The four candidates in Concord’s two contested races talked about their ideas how downtown Concord can be developed, yet retain its charm.

Councilman David Phillips, 57, seeking re-election for the city’s District 1 seat, said the city needs to continue the downtown merchant tax that is used to support the Concord Downtown Development Corporation, which in turn is charged with promoting downtown for new business.

Phillips also pointed to the recent addition of free wireless Internet as a step to further put downtown Concord on the map as an area in which to do business.

“What bothers me is that there are many people who have moved here and have never seen downtown,” Phillips said.

He also said in downtown’s adjacent residential areas also need the support of the city and that there are several lots where similar homes can be built.

“I think it has a charm and character that we need to maintain, protect and preserve,” Phillips said.

Downtown Concord resident Alex Porter, 58, challenging Councilman Jim Ramseur for the city District 2 seat, said more attention needs to be paid to downtown areas just beyond historic downtown like Gibson Village and the Logan Community.

Porter has said that he thinks Barber-Scotia College is one of the often overlooked assets of downtown. In the last year, the college has been working to regain accreditation and reducing debt.

“I think the city, the county and (the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce) should try to reach some sort of understanding in refurbishing Barber-Scotia,” Porter said, adding that the college sits along an important corridor for downtown. “I think the right personalities are in place to lead good dialogue with Barber-Scotia and some other parties - I think they’re receptive to those ideas.”

Porter said that while new mixed-use commercial developments like Huntersville’s Birkdale Village try to look like a traditional down, Concord has the real thing and it needs to be maintained.

“I don’t have any specific plans other than to just listen to people and make some compromises and make a difference,” Porter said.

Councilman Ramseur, 61, who is seeking re-election for the city’s District 2 seat, said the city has identified business expansion areas to the east and west of downtown on Cabarrus Avenue.

The city recently completed a roundabout on the western part of Cabarrus Avenue.

“In doing that, you improve the corridor and hopefully, the business sector will come,” Ramseur said. “I do not want to see them go north and south on Union Street (where two residential historic districts sit).”

Ramseur said he believes the CDDC is dong a good job of promoting downtown, as a few new places to eat have sprung up as of late. He also mentioned the idea of running shuttles into the downtown during the big Lowe’s Motor Speedway races in the spring and fall.

Ramseur also said the city needs the help of downtown business owner to promote and market downtown.

“You cannot and should not do it all on your own,” Ramseur said.

Business-owner Tom Small, 54, who is challenging Phillips for the city District 1 seat, acknowledged that downtown Concord is confined by the surrounding residential areas and said the city must work closely with downtown merchants to promote the area and attract new business.

“The physical limits of the downtown are pretty well defined as they are now,” Small said. “The city can encourage and help retailers move in that direction. The true importance of getting this to happen rests with downtown business owners and property owners. This is not a function the city can do all by themselves.”

-Eric Deines

Candidates in contested races focused on business

CONCORD - This year has proven to be a tough one for business in Cabarrus County.

Philip Morris USA announced it would move its manufacturing plant out of the city starting next year. CMC-NorthEast announced and completed a merger with health care giant Carolinas HealthCare System. And CT Communications was sold to Arkansas-based Windstream Communications. Now, Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials have said the track may relocate elsewhere in the Charlotte region, though efforts are being made to retain the business.

Philip Morris’ exit by the end of 2010 will leave a major economic hole for the city to fill, and it’s left Concord City Council to take the lead in ensuring the city continues to recruit new business and pursue economic development.

Councilman David Phillips, seeking re-election for Concord’s District 1 seat, said the first step is to continue to support Cabarrus Economic Development Corp. in recruiting, but also that it may be time Concord employs a stronger, “wholesale” marketing campaign for the city.

“I think Concord can be marketed beyond the EDC,” said Phillips, 57. “I think Concord has arrived where we need a full-time marketing person. I think sometimes there may be (business) opportunities close by that the EDC might not have on their radar.”

Phillips said what may come of the Philip Morris site relies heavily on business decisions to be made by Philip Morris, but that the city should be ready to help them.

“It sort of depends on what property Philip Morris decides to get rid of and when,” he said. “I know we’re ready and anxious to assist them in any way we can.”

As to whether recent drought issues in the region and controversy surrounding the city’s recent permit to draw water from the Catawba river basin would hinder new business coming to the area, Phillips said no.

He said Concord-Kannapolis is still reliant on its own water resources and hasn’t yet begun to pull the approved 10 million gallons a day from the Catawba.

Resident Alex Porter, challenging Councilman Jim Ramseur for the city’s District 2 seat, said that beyond work with the EDC, the city can do more to market the area’s other assets - such as a strong school system.

“I believe the city, the county and (the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce) should market the other assets we have to entice good business,” Porter, 58, said.

He also said recent disagreements between the city and the speedway may also need to be put to rest so that new industry is not apprehensive about coming to the Philip Morris property.

“We need to work quickly to gain a more business-friendly reputation,” said Porter, adding final decisions to how the Philip Morris site would be developed is up to the company itself.

He also said he thinks there is continued controversy surrounding the city’s permit to draw water from the Catawba river basin that could still hurt business.

Councilman Ramseur, 61, seeking re-election to Concord’s District 2 seat, said Concord’s role to bring new and expanding business to the city is through its annual contributions to the EDC and its tax-incentive grants to businesses.

“And I think we have to look at any other ways we can assists (new industry) - going to the state for help with new roads,” Ramseur said.

He hesitated to say what kind of particular businesses would work best at the 2,100-acre Philip Morris site, only that it was important that the city keep its current zoning for industrial use. He added that economic development officials have been seeking new business for the site since the announcement in June.

Ramseur said there is zoning at the edge of the properties that could be used to build mixed-use developments that would serve as a buffer for the residential areas as the edge of the property.

“People can say they want to see this or that,” said Ramseur. “I think you first put feelers out there and see what comes back.”

He also said he didn’t think Concord’s water woes would hurt economic development.

Local business-owner Tom Small, who is challenging Phillips for the District 1 seat, said the city is obligated to assist the EDC in industry recruitment and bring in a diverse set of businesses.

“I believe that City Council has an affirmative obligation to help economic development folks with any large or small site, help recruit the appropriate business,” he said.

Small, 54, has suggested that a pharmaceutical manufacturer may be a good fit for the Philip Morris site, as well as making for a good fit with Kannapolis’ North Carolina Research Campus.

He also noted that Philip Morris will have the final decision, but that City Council should work with the company as closely as possible without infringing on their rights of ownership.

In light of the city’s water issues, Small said whatever business comes to the site or the city at large, it should not be one that is taxing to water and sewer.

“I would be disappointed if they are recruiting industries that are water-intensive and sewer-intensive as we don’t have the capacity for large industrial water consumers.”
-Eric Deines