SPENCER — All six seats on the Spencer Board of Alderman are up for election this November.

The board has been short one member since Reid Walters resigned in September to take a job as town manager of Bethel, in eastern North Carolina.

Seven people are running for the six seats. Alderman Jeff Morris did not file for re-election. Aldermen Scott Benfield and Jim Gobbel are running for mayor.

Incumbents Mike Boone and Kevin Jones are running again.

Most of the candidates stressed the need for growth and the immediate challenge of replacing Town Manager Larry Smith, who resigned from his post effective Nov. 30.

Mike Boone

Incumbent Boone wants to recruit more business to downtown and says neighborhood revitalization is also a primary goal.

Boone, in an email answering questions, said he would like to market Spencer’s assets through various forms of media to attract potential investors and homeowners.

“Finally, I would like to welcome a new mayor, board and staff members with the goal of mutual cooperation so we may continue to move Spencer forward,” he wrote.

Boone’s strengths, he said, are that “my feet are on the ground in Spencer.” He also wants to focus “on landlords and the development of a relationship with them to achieve more involvement.”

As other candidates in the race mentioned, Boone wants to work on code issues that affect the town, updating present codes and enforcing existing codes. “I would like to see improved codes for the historic district.”

A graduate of North Rowan High School, Boone works for Rowan-Salisbury Schools as a teacher assistant. He graduated with a degree in business administration from Davidson County Community College.

Sylvia Chillcott

Sylvia Chillcott worked part-time for Spencer as a code enforcement officer for two years, but resigned when the position changed to full time.

For 30 years, she worked for small, liberal arts colleges as director of public safety, retiring in 2010. She worked at Catawba College twice.

“I had folks ask me if I was interested in politics and I thought I might make a difference and decided to run for alderman,” Chillcott said.

Her priority is finding a replacement for Smith, the departing town manager. “We have to find someone appropriate for Spencer.”

Next, she wants to encourage industry or manufacturing to come to town to provide employment and generate tax revenue. “Our tax burden is on the residents. It’s not enough to sustain the town.”

She also wants to focus on neglected properties and absentee landlords.

Chillcott wants to look at the fire and police departments to make sure Spencer is up to date with personnel and training.

She points out she is the only woman running, so she’ll bring a different perspective to the board, a woman’s perspective. “I have a degree in sociology with a minor in history. I understand the concept of a small town. I have some sense about what we need and want to share those ideas. We have to have a board that agrees to work together,” she said.

She looks for more niche retail in downtown to attract people at the N.C. Transportation Museum across the street. She hopes the Small Town Main Street group will knit the community together.

“I don’t mind speaking up. I’ve got a lot of great ideas. I enjoy living in Spencer. I want to live to see the progression of the town back to its glory days.

“I’m big on customer service. I’m going to be hitting on that from the mayor to the manager to the alderperson.”

Chillcott is a member of Spencer Presbyterian Church, where she is an elder and Bible study teacher. She volunteers for Rowan Helping Ministries and Meals on Wheels when she can and is a member of the Spencer Woman’s Club. She has a long term assignment as a substitute teacher at North Rowan High School.

Bringing in a new town manager allows the new members of the board great opportunities, she said. “I hope we can make decisions and everybody agrees we can move forward.”

Kevin Jones

Jones is an incumbent who wants to continue connecting the town to the schools and to improve the perception of the town.

Jones wants to work on economic development, improving the residential areas and getting more commercial development in town. It all goes hand in hand, he said. “I’m proud of bringing stability to the political landscape for the last four years.”

He sees big changes ahead with the new town manager and a new board. “I hope we stay stable and work together on goals.” He says he has worked well with previous boards.

Jones has a young family, and says having children in the schools brings him a different perspective. Other long-term residents may not see the need to connect the schools with the town.

He grew up in Rowan County and wants to change the perception people have of the north area schools.

Downtown has the potential to develop into a destination, perhaps as a niche for artists, he said. Tying in to the Transportation Museum is also important.

“Spencer is a great location. It’s convenient to lots of other places,” he said. Getting more residents into town can help with commercial development and vice versa, he said.

Jones is on the steering committee for the bike and pedestrian trails group and is excited to see where that is going. He’s also involved as a volunteer at his children’s school and at the family’s church.

A graduate of Elon University, he is a franchisee for Subway restaurants.

David Lamanno

Lamanno, a Spencer resident who has been on the town planning board, is running for the first time. His No. 1 goal is to work with other board members to hire a new town manager.

It’s very important, he said, to look at code enforcement and follow the rules already on the books.

“I think it’s also important to start focusing on bringing in an expanded industrial tax base, working with Rowan County resources. … I really just want to start cultivating a culture of a more open and responsive government.”

Lamanno said the town can do better with social media, but has to go beyond that. “The leaders have to be out there, being available more than one night a month,” whether that takes the form of quarterly forums or walking through town knocking on doors.

He cites his work with the planning board as a plus, as well as his experience in retail management. He has worked with the public as a problem solver, as the face of a company and hired and managed personnel.

“I think I bring a fresh perspective to the town. I haven’t always been here.”

He praised Smith’s work in the development of Stanback Forest (Spencer Woods), calling it a “huge positive for the town.”

He has a degree from Western Carolina University, has been a substitute teacher with the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, was a member of the Historic Salisbury Foundation and is a member of the LandTrust for Central North Carolina. He’s also involved in the music ministry at his church.

The owner of Photography 1851, Lamanno takes photographs using techniques from eras past to produce vintage-style photos.

Rashid Muhammad

A 2002 graduate of Livingstone College, Rashid Muhammad ran for the board in 2013. He is a youth counselor for the N.C. Department of Public Safety at Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center.

Muhammad wants to serve the residents of Spencer, enhancing the community and making sure it continues to grow. He wants people to spend their money in Spencer. He wants to make the town attractive to live in.

As in his previous run for the board, Muhammad wants to work on community outreach, making sure town officials are more affiliated with the town. He wants to preserve Spencer’s historic heritage while addressing issues and figuring out how Spencer can grow so people will spend money there and go live there.

Muhammad said small town businesses need more exposure so they can make more money. “I think residents of Spencer don’t shop here in Spencer,” he said.

While he is not originally from the town, he now feels like he belongs to Spencer and wants to bring his background, his intelligence and his ability to lead to the town board.

“I want people to vote for me, but it’s not about me. It’s about them, me working for them. People want to be acknowledged and noticed, so I want to work for the town and the residents.”

Hiring a new town manager is a necessity. “We’ve got to have that to function and others need to be held accountable, in the county, as part of his job.”

David Smith

David Smith served on the board before, and narrowly missed re-election in 2013, when Mike Boone was elected for the first time.

“Economic development is my number one goal,” Smith said. “It’s what we need at this time more than anything.”

He believes Spencer is going to have to work with Rowan County commissioners, RowanWorks and others to bring business in. He also wants to do something with what was known as Park Plaza, directly across from the Transportation Museum.

He thinks the town is making progress with the Small Town Main Street project, although there have been setbacks. He thinks niche shops might fit in. “We’ll never have another supermarket there.”

Smith hates to see children from Spencer grow up and leave to get jobs. “That’s one reason economic development is a problem for us. That and better living conditions for the whole town.

“We need to entertain our youth and try to keep them here, rather than letting them go.”

Smith said he’s been in Spencer a long time. He retired from the military and went to Central Carolina Community College and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

He’s concerned about some of the people living in Spencer, especially the aging population. “Some residents are getting down and out.”

He’s excited by the Painting Pals project, which works with Historic Salisbury Foundation to help residents paint historic homes in Spencer. “We need to uplift this thing.”

Smith would try to schedule events, such as a festival, to show people “what we have.” He misses the Labor Day dance and other events. “It’s a prime location. Every town has something. We have some things that are neglected.”

The Transportation Museum is “the best thing we have going for it. The Spencer Woods will be a great project when it’s completed.”

He sees challenges ahead, with a new board, new mayor and new town manager, as well as a new town clerk (Lisa Perdue is retiring).

Smith is on the zoning board of adjustment and is a member of the VFW and American Legion. A Vietnam veteran, he served more than 25 years in the military.

Howard White

Howard White previously ran for Spencer’s board, and “did a write-in thing last time. I got 128 votes out of it.”

White is a retired, disabled Air Force veteran who was a meteorologist in the field while in service.

“Spencer is a small town. Like a lot of small towns without big business, we can’t keep taxing the citizens. It’s gonna break sometime,” White said.

“The infrastructure is bad, old and needs to be fixed, like a lot of small towns.”

He thinks the board does not involve citizens enough, and points to the storm water tax as an example. “No one in town knew what was going on, the way it was worded.”

He said Spencer might have to consider some kind of consolidation with another town or group.

“Egos don’t belong in politics. You’re here to do what’s best for the people.”

White said he has a lot to learn and is willing to find out how it’s done. “I’ll learn whatever I can do to help the town prosper.”

Smith said the problem with Spencer is there’s not enough business in town. The restaurants are small and the big box stores are down the road.

He believes landlords need to be accountable for their rental property. “Landlords will rent to anybody and neighbors are left to deal with it,” he said. It’s a constant concern, with older citizens dying and younger ones not interested in the property.

Smith says it would be nice if a new town manager were really familiar with the town. “We need someone with experience who is ready to work hard for the town.”

Among his top concerns is safety of the citizens. He suggests getting people more involved and connected. The quarterly town newsletter, web site and Facebook page are not enough. Seeing how other small towns work could help the board come up with solutions.

He said people need to go to board meetings, but he understands why they feel they are talking to a wall. “They won’t answer you, even if you ask a direct question. People felt like they were not listening. There have been some great board members who tried their best and others, not so much.

“I don’t sugarcoat things. I tell it like it is. … I’ll listen to anybody, take all the ideas and suggestions seriously. I won’t be a yes man. I will try and fight for what’s right for everybody.”