By Elisabeth Strillacci and Robert Sullivan

GRANITE QUARRY — Todd Taylor has served the town of Granite Quarry since 1996 as a member of the police department, and when he submitted his application to be the police chief it was backed up by numerous letters of recommendation by community members.

Taylor, who served as the interim police chief during the search, was officially selected as the full time police chief earlier in the week.

“I am pleased to announce that after the conclusion of the application and assessment process, Todd Taylor, a long-time and dedicated member of our police department, has been selected as the next chief of police. Todd’s extensive experience and commitment make him an excellent choice to lead the department into the future,” said Town Manager Jason Hord in a press release.

He was chosen after going through Centralina Regional Council’s process, which included an interview with a panel of law enforcement representatives from throughout the area. The panel and Centralina submitted the candidate’s scores and evaluations to the town’s HR department, who decided on Taylor.

“Todd’s been dedicated to Granite Quarry for a long time. He’s been committed to Granite Quarry for many years and I have no doubt that he will serve the town and its citizens with integrity, transparency and dedication,” said Mayor Brittany Barnhardt.

To back up Taylor’s application, the town received letters of recommendation from people throughout the community, with Barnhardt saying that the letters represented a level of support from the citizens that she had not seen before during a candidate search.

“I think it spoke volumes about his character and dedication to Granite Quarry,” said Barnhardt.

Taylor brings decades of both law enforcement and community experience to his new position, with Hord noting in the press release that Taylor ”brings 28 years of experience with the town and is widely recognized within the community.”

Taylor started with the Granite Quarry Fire Department in 1986 but in 1996, then Police Chief Clyde Adams talked him into moving over to the police department, and he has been with the department ever since.

“That man taught me everything about what it means to be a police officer, guided me to the work ethic and commitment I have,” said Taylor on Friday afternoon.

Taylor’s wife, Stephanie, was “ecstatic” about the appointment, but Taylor said she “will have some nights going forward, no doubt, where she is asking when we are having dinner or if she is eating alone.” But she understands what the job means, and he credits her with “tremendous support” throughout his career.

“I am so incredibly grateful for the support from the community, for the letters, for the many, many congratulations,” he said. The night his selection was announced he had more than 90 text messages, and he tried to respond to every one of them.

Because he has been with the department his entire career, Taylor said he hopes that gives other officers in his department the understanding and confidence that they have a future in the Granite Quarry department, “to the extent that they can think maybe one day they’ll have my job.”

The Granite Quarry-Faith department has 10 slots for officers, and currently seven are filled with one more on the way, and he believes it will not be long before he is fully staffed.

“I want to say as well that the support from both the Granite Quarry and the Faith community leaders has been exceptional,” he added. “People from both communities have just been unbelievable.”

While he has no immediate plans other than just getting his feet on the ground now that his position is official, he is aware that both Granite Quarry and Faith are growing, and the department will grow with them. He is “so excited to be able to be the one to lead that growth.”

Taylor, who was born and raised in the area, said “I never really left,” and to have made it to the top of his profession in his hometown “is overwhelming. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Taylor takes over after the town fired former Chief Mark Cook in July, with town officials only saying that Cook was let go due to “unsatisfactory job performance.” Taylor was named interim immediately after the firing.

Granite Quarry continues recent history of promoting from within

With the promotion of Taylor to police chief, Granite Quarry continues its recent streak of filling open positions by promoting from within.

Before Taylor, Hord was the town’s public works director and fire chief before being named the town manager.

Colton Fries was then named public works director, moving up from his previous position of assistant public works director to fill the position vacated by Hord’s promotion.

Barnhardt said that the promotions shows the results of the workplace culture that Granite Quarry has been working to foster.

“I think morale is at an all-time high. We’re not the biggest or the highest-paying town compared to those around, but it says something when they stay with us and they remain committed to the team we have, to their vision and to the people of Granite Quarry,” said Barnhardt.

The town council has made a conscious and public effort to show appreciation for the town staff through various methods, which have included town-sponsored staff appreciation events such as Kannapolis Cannon Ballers baseball games.

“They could go anywhere else and probably make more money, but they choose to stay here with us,” said Barnhardt.