GRANITE QUARRY — Bill Feather, seeking election to a second consecutive term as Granite Quarry mayor, says the town has accomplished a lot in recent years and stands on the brink of more positives.

“Within probably the next year, a lot of these things are going to come to fruition,” Feather said. “I guess I would like to see them through.”

Feather mentioned the town’s partnership with Rowan County in developing an industrial park site off Heilig Road, “and a building is going up as we speak.”

JHI Homes closed within the past two weeks on Faith Road property that the company will develop as a residential subdivision. Feather said JHI is recognized as one of the top homebuilders in the nation.

In addition, the town board has financed a new firetruck, which will be paid off in about five years; reduced property taxes; improved maintenance equipment; and developed a Downtown Master Plan, Feather said.

Granite Quarry saw its population increase by almost 5 percent between 2015 and 2016, and new home construction is the highest it has been in many years, according to Feather.

He said more road improvements are on the horizon and an extensive remodeling of Town Hall will be coming, if Granite Quarry wins financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A grocery stone remains a need, Feather said, adding that the town’s latest discussions have been with IGA.

Feather was first elected to the Board of Aldermen in 2003. His colleagues on the board chose him for the mayor’s position in December 2013, when aldermen voted among themselves for mayor, not the electorate. Feather has held the position for the past four years.

After a change in the town charter, Granite Quarry’s first mayoral election by residents was in 2015. Feather won that election and was unopposed.

On this year’s official ballot Nov. 7, Feather again faces no opposition for a two-year term, although a write-in campaign is underway for former Mayor Mary Ponds (See the accompanying story.)

Feather, 60, has a consulting business that does cost segregation studies on commercial properties. He currently is vice chairman on the executive board of Centralina Council of Governments, representing all of Rowan County’s communities on the COG board.

He is a past chairman of the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Advisory Committee.

Feather graduated from Windber Area High School in Windber, Pennsylvania, and attended the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He and his wife, Kathy, are members of Wittenberg Lutheran Church and have two grown children.

Sponsored by the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, a forum for Granite Quarry candidates was held Tuesday evening at the Legion Building. The Post will have a report from that forum in Thursday’s edition.

A pair of seats are open on the Board of Aldermen this election. Candidates for those two four-year seats are Mike Brinkley, Kim Cress, John Linker, Wes Rhinier, Doug Shelton and Arin Wilhelm. Brinkley and Wilhelm are the incumbents.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.