ELECT
RICK WALLACE

Guilford County Commissioner

District 5

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Thank you for all your support. Although our campaign did not end with election, we at least provided the opportunity for choice and brought education, planning and other issues to the forefront. Some good will result from our efforts.

My Positions

Sensible Planning

Economic development in Southeast Guilford County is inevitable. Many projects will be proposed that will add significantly to our quality of life. Other projects will be proposed that could prove damaging.  As a Guilford County Commissioner, I commit to being an effective leader who will be open to and listen to the desires of all residents and then support the greatest good for the greatest number.

 I believe in a responsible and managed pace for development. We must maintain the heritage and integrity of District 5, but we must also work together to evolve into the future community we mutually desire. In addressing planning issues, I will be ever mindful that sensible planning requires financial responsibility. I will vote to spend your money only with your best interest in mind and I will do all in my power to keep taxes at a minimum.

Quality Education

As your County Commissioner, I will work with school administration, teachers and parents to provide each child with a safe and healthy environment in which to learn. Therefore, I am in support of the bond process which provides us with the chance to help decide how our tax dollars will be spent. 

Among the five bond propositions we will see on our ballots is a $412 million+ item authorizing repairs, improvements and expansions for existing schools, as well as some new schools. This bond includes more than $170 million of funding for schools right here in Southeast Guilford County.

We need that money desperately. Our Commissioners have not done well by Southeast Guilford County over the past 7 years in particular. Our schools have been allowed to steadily deteriorate. We need to repair and upgrade these schools and replace all those trailers with permanent classrooms. Our area is on the verge of an economic boom. We must prepare now for the growth in school population that is sure to come during the next 5 years.

The money raised by these bonds will provide a quality environment for our children, and the education they receive will prepare them to be our next generation workforce. A quality workforce pool is crucial to attracting businesses that provide high-tech, professional jobs for Guilford County.

There is a lot of talk about the effect on property taxes if these bonds pass. First, spending this sort of money on our schools is not an option. We have already waited too long. Second, property taxes do not necessarily have to increase because the bonds pass. We can hold down on taxes by trimming wasteful spending in other areas and by managing the county's spending in a businesslike manor.

As your Commissioner, I will demand that every expenditure be carefully researched and will only support those projects which will return more to the community than the amount spent. In that spirit, even if bond issues are rejected, I will still support appropriate spending for our schools because I do believe that a quality educational environment yields enormous dividends. Schools are at the core of a community. Better schools attract and hold responsible parents and that means a broader tax base. Better education means better jobs, more stable neighborhoods, higher property values and less crime. Done right, investing in our schools is a total win-win proposition for everyone--including seniors and those on a fixed income.

Professional Behavior

As a Guilford County Commissioner, I commit to listening and working with the people in District 5 as well as my fellow Commissioners.   I will stand up for what I believe, but I will do so in a considerate and professional manner.  I will listen to the positions and ideas of others and challenge them when appropriate. But, I will do so without being degrading or demeaning. 

My political record shows that I have been fair and equitable with all constituents in my community. I will continue that record as your District 5 Commissioner.  You can count on me to always represent Guilford County with dignity and integrity.