Editorial - November 2003

Status quo election

Published November 7, 2003

It was a quiet, dull election this year in Lincolnton with only one contested race on the ticket. A few hundred voters turned out and left the city’s elected officials in place. Some may say it was a vote for the status quo.

  Larry Mac Hovis easily defeated Chafin Rhyne for a City Council seat, taking nearly 72 percent of the vote. Mayor Bobby Huitt and Councilman Les Cloninger both ran unopposed.

The lack of competitive races probably speaks well of the incumbents, all Democrats, who apparently have not riled up enough people to spark a protest vote. It’s hard to find any real issue in that single contest.

Rhyne deserves credit for attempting to pierce the Democratic armor that has surrounded the council and mayor for so years — a formidable task for any Republican. He advocated new and creative plans of action that would preserve the good things about Lincolnton, while helping contend with the growth.

It’s a little puzzling that there’s not more interest in the city elections, given the strong Republican presence everywhere else in Lincoln County. Is the message here that the citizens of Lincolnton are happy with the status quo? If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

   But current office-holders should not take the position that this relatively free ride means short meetings and do-nothing agendas. There’s always room for improvements, some that could be incorporated into what Chafin Rhyne was saying about creative plans of action.

 Here are  some issues we have heard.

  A lot of people were excited when a Charlotte developer with an excellent reputation talked about a new development plan for the courtsquare area. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears, apparently viewed as too expensive. The city never gave much public deliberation to the matter.

   The pedestrian walkways in the downtown traffic circle are unsafe. Ask anyone who uses those walkways on a regular basis if traffic stops for pedestrians.

   The city has made some progress in bringing more people downtown, but much more should be done. Downtown needs more attractions.

   Many feel that it is unnecessary for traffic signals to be operating late at night and on weekends when there is no traffic to stop. 

The list could go on, and certainly Hovis, Cloninger and Huitt have heard these views and more. What’s important is for the city’s elected officials not to view these easy elections as a call to do nothing. This growing city deserves dynamic leadership. 

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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