Sager to seek re-election
By Matt Shaw
Published in News on January 20, 2004 2:03 PM
Wayne County Commissioner Efton Sager has decided to run for re-election in District 4.
Sager, a Republican, had said he would announce his decision at the beginning of the filing period in February, but he received several phone calls that urged him to go ahead and declare now, he said. Mark Hood, a Democrat, has also said he will run for the seat.
Education will be the primary issue in Sager's re-election bid, he said.
Sager heads the commissioners' education committee and has worked closely with school board members and Superintendent Steven Taylor.
"We've been meeting with them on a regular basis, more frequently, I believe, than past commissioners have," he said. "It's not always been harmonious, but I think we've made tremendous progress. We have a better understanding of what each other wants."
The commissioners have shown their willingness to work with the schools during the recent discussions of building projects, Sager said. "Even during these rough economic times, we are doing our best to fund what they need."
The commissioners and school board members will need to work together closely this year as they try to convince the community of the merits of a multi-million-dollar building program, he continued.
Sager has enjoyed being a part of this group of commissioners, he said. "We have a concept of 'we, not I.' There's been a lot of teamwork. More than anything, we've gotten things done without a lot of turmoil."
Sager was elected in 2000 in his second attempt at county office. He ran unsuccessfully for commissioner in 1996.
Sager lives in the Mar Mac area. District 4 includes western and southwestern Wayne.
While in office, he has served on the education steering committee for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners. He and fellow Commissioner J.D. Evans have served on a committee that chose high school students for the N.C. Teaching Fellows scholarships, which pay college tuition for people entering the teaching profession.
Sager has been the business manager for a logging company. He and his wife, Deloris, have two children, David Sager of Goldsboro and Debra Kornegay of Hillsborough, and two grandchildren.