GRANITE QUARRY — Candidate Doug Shelton says the Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen needs a new face, and he thinks he could offer fresh eyes and perspective to town government.

“I think it’s good every now and then to challenge old ideas,” said Shelton, a retired accountant. “And, obviously, I’d like to represent everybody’s interest.”

Shelton said he has been concerned about the town’s recent history recruiting and retaining staff.

“There is too much turnover,” he said. “In the office staff, we have had a huge turnover.”

It has meant that many town employees are constantly on a learning curve, Shelton said, also expressing some frustration with the current board’s lack of movement to find a permanent town manager.

Larry Smith currently serves as interim manager.

Shelton said the board should at least be soliciting candidates and resumes and also determine whether Smith is interested in the job permanently.

“I think they ought to be looking already, even if they haven’t made a decision,” Shelton said.

Other priorities Shelton names are continuing the trend toward more transparency in town government and watching closely how taxpayer money is spent.

Shelton, 70, ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Aldermen in 2017. He said that first run for public office was a good learning experience that also helped increase his name recognition.

Shelton is the current chairman of the town’s Revitalization Committee. He has lived in Granite Quarry for more than 30 years.

Shelton is a graduate of Boyden High School (now Salisbury High) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he majored in business with concentrations in economics and accounting.

He worked for various industries across the state in management accounting.

Shelton and his wife, Linda, have four adult children and five grandchildren. They live at 135 N. Main St. and are members of Shiloh United Methodist Church.

“I want to make a difference,” Shelton said.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.