Still Protecting Davidson

When I came into office in 2017, Davidson was at a turning point for the future. The Town had purchased a failing Cable provider and was losing $1 million a year. There was pushback on selling Town owned land, rezoning large portions of land outside to Town limits, traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing and adequate public facilities pertaining to Police, Fire and Parks. There was a disconnect between Town Hall and residents. In the eight years I have served, we have sold the failing Cable company. We dedicated Fire Station #2. We took the most controversial parcel of town owned land and turned it into Beaty Park, a model passive park. We overhauled our Strategic Plan. We dedicated Plum Creek Park, which has our first public tennis/pickleball courts. We dedicated the Fisher Farm Archery Range, finished large sections of our greenway and secured easements for future greenway connections. With our growth, our Town government had outgrown the existing Town Hall. We purchased 251 South Street, a 75 year old, former school and turned it into our Town Hall & Community Center. Along with the rehab of this building, we made our old Town Hall our Public Safety building, housing Police and Fire Station #1. We launched our Vision Zero initiative for pedestrian safety and awareness. Our Affordable Housing program has grown, supported by a 1¢ tax increase dedicated specifically to affordable housing. Davidson has become a source for other communities to turn to for assistance in affordable housing options. We have enacted a Climate Action Plan, we have a Sustainability Director and a Town Arborist as well as a citizen-led composting program that now provides planting soil for Town planters throughout our common areas. 

This might sound like a lot....it's just doing work. In the future, we will be expanding our greenways, sidewalks and bike paths. We will be preparing Davidson for the long awaited promise of rail service to Charlotte. We will be exploring affordable housing options on Town owned land as well as working directly with developers to secure affordability in future development projects. We have purchased land for a future site for Fire Station #1. If and when this happens, our current Public Safety building will become our Law Enforcement Center. We continue to work with our neighbors at Davidson College in keeping this place special. We are so very fortunate to have the College here.

Davidson has so much to offer. I am proud of our Town. I am proud of our residents. I am honored and humbled to be your Mayor.