Local News - July 2003

Local figures file for City Council election

Published July 9, 2003

By JEREMY ASHTON and ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writers

A local business owner and a current council member are the latest to file for election to the Lincolnton City Council.

Fausto Coffee and Ride-a-Bike owner Chafin Rhyne declared his candidacy for the Ward IV seat, and Councilman Les Cloninger said he’ll run for re-election for Ward II.

Rhyne, a 46-year-old Republican, filed Monday and will run against incumbent Larry Mac Hovis.

Rhyne doesn’t doubt the quality of people on the current council, but he does see some issues that need immediate attention.

“I feel that there’s a certain urgency at this time and maybe a lack of drive and determination to get those things done,” he said.

Rhyne, a Downtown Development Association board member for more than a decade, would like to see continued efforts made to “support and maintain vitality in downtown.”

He supports the development of a revolving development fund and the initiation of a municipal service district (MSD) to provide downtown area with funding.

Lincolnton is one of the few cities in North Carolina with a downtown area that does not have an MSD, according to Rhyne.

Rhyne would also like to see a renewed commitment to the Lincolnton Downtown Infill Project. The project would involve developers converting property in the downtown area into multi-use buildings that would house government offices and residential and retail space.

Another part of Rhyne’s campaign is implementing the city’s Greenway Master Plan, which would interconnect neighborhoods in the community.

The plan would address several issues from “parking to obesity,” Rhyne said.

“The city has developed a Greenway Master Plan, and they haven’t started with it,” Rhyne said. “They got funding, it was completed, and now it needs to be implemented.”

Rhyne briefly ran as a write-in candidate for mayor two years ago after the official Republican candidate withdrew from the election. Although he only had two weeks to campaign, he said he was able to bring several issues to the forefront.

The son of Marian and Johnathan Rhyne Sr., Rhyne is a lifelong resident of Lincolnton. His brother Johnathan Rhyne Jr. is a former North Carolina legislator and his sister Charlotte Rhyne Farmer is a former candidate for register of deeds.

Cloninger, one of five Democrats currently on the council, filed for re-election Monday. Cloninger is a long-time Lincolnton dentist and serves the city’s Ward II.

He is currently running unopposed.

Cloninger was appointed to finish out the term of his wife, Marcia Cloninger, who died of cancer in October, 1999. He then ran for office in 1999 and was elected.

The city government has listened to the needs of the people, Cloninger said.

“When you evaluate if I am doing a good job as a council member, I would like for you to ask yourself if you are getting the services you need from the city,” Cloninger said.

“How are your garbage, leaves and tree limbs being picked up? How is the quality and quantity of your drinking water, your sewer, your electricity, your fire protection, your police protection, your recreational needs and your sidewalks?”

By implementing the necessary infrastructure, the council has been able to provide the services that residents need and pay for, Cloninger said.

“We have worked hard as a board to provide long-range planning and immediate repair and construction,” he said.

Cloninger noted several of the current council’s projects and accomplishments:

Work is set to begin immediately on Highland Drive Park, with the building phase to be bid out late this month. The park will feature two baseball fields, two soccer fields, a picnic shelter, walking trail and playground.

The expansion to Hollybrook Cemetery has created an additional 815 plots.

A major expansion to the city’s wastewater treatment plant is nearing completion. The project cost $18 million, $10 million of which the city secured from a low interest state loan.

The city is currently working on extending the Marcia Cloninger Rail Trail to Betty G. Ross Park. The city has received a grant for that project.

Filing for city council and mayor ends at noon Aug. 1. The filing fee is $36 for council and $48 for mayor.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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