by Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Charles Seaford wants to put his skills to work for the town of China Grove.
Seaford is one of five candidates seeking three available seats on the China Grove Town Council.
A 32-year employee of Duke Energy, Seaford is the coordinator for vendor contracts, working to get the best deal for his employer.
Seaford, 52, believes he can help the town improve efficiency and cut costs.
On the top of his to-do list is finding a way out of the water-sewer tangle. Due to a nearly decade-old contract signed in severe drought, the town currently pays Salisbury-Rowan Utilities for water it doesn’t use. And the town’s water-sewer rates are among the highest in the region.
“We’re paying for water we’re not using. We need to come up with a better deal or come up with industry and business to use the water and lower the rates,” Seaford said.
Seaford is a former chief of the Rowan County Rescue Squad and is a volunteer with the Bostian Heights Fire Department.
He also serves on the town’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
In his first run for the town office in 2007, Seaford finished third in a two-seat race. He figures if he finishes in the top three this time, he’ll be elected.
A member of Rodgers Park Baptist Church in Kannapolis, he and his wife, Telia, live at 313 W. Ketchie St.