GRANITE QUARRY — Mike Brinkley, who is running for re-election to the Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen, says a main issue for residents continues to be the lack of a grocery store in town.

“We are working on a grocery store,” Brinkley said, listing what some of his priorities would be in another four-year term. “If I don’t hear that at least five times a week, I’m not in town. That is the main issue that I even hear when I go home.”

Brinkley said town officials are currently having talks with the IGA chain.

Brinkley, 65, serves as mayor pro tem, and he owns W.F. Brinkley & Son Construction Co. He returned to the board in 2013 after a 12-year absence. He previously had served on the board about 10 years through 2001.

Other priorities for the town, Brinkley said, include development of the industrial park off Heilig Road, which represents a partnership between Granite Quarry and Rowan County. “That’s moving well, but we have a lot of details to work out,” he said.

Brinkley also likes the prospects of a proposed residential subdivision off Faith Road, but said “a lot of questions need to be answered there.” He is hoping new houses will be under construction in the subdivision by next spring.

Likewise, many details have yet to be hashed out on downtown redevelopment, Brinkley said. One piece of that will be a renovation and remodeling of Town Hall, and he hopes the town provides the opportunity for a lot of input from residents on the Town Hall’s redesign in 2018.

After the board canceled acceptance of a large federal grant for new sidewalks, it must now look closely at where sidewalks can be afforded, Brinkley said. He would like to tie those discussions into seeing that sidewalks and streets overall are cleaner, and he predicts new equipment purchased recently for the maintenance department will help.

“I think a lot of that is going to start happening pretty quick,” he said.

Brinkley said he is excited about the possibility of a new nature preserve in town. The board has been talking with a private landowner, and the acreage in question could tie into athletic fields along Faith Road and be part of the Carolina Thread Trail.

Brinkley said maintenance costs would be minimal.

Brinkley is proud the board was able to reduce property taxes by a small percentage in 2016. “We were the only taxing body in Rowan County to do that,” he said.

The present board and mayor work at their jobs as though the town were a business, Brinkley said, “and we expect return on our investment.”

“This board has done a lot,” he said, “but it has been slow. Probably in the next year, it’s going to start showing.”

Brinkley and his wife, Carol, live at 11 S. Jack Ave. He has two grown sons. Brinkley is a 1970 graduate of East Rowan High School and attended Catawba and Gaston colleges. He belongs to the Granite Quarry Civitan Club.

Two seats are open on the Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen in the Nov. 7 election. Incumbents Brinkley and Arin Wilhelm are seeking re-election, and challengers include Kim Cress, John Linker, Wes Rhinier and Doug Shelton.