Best files to defend his commission seat
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on January 30, 2008 1:46 PM
With issues such as schools, transportation and economic development still on the table, Wayne County Commissioner Jack Best has decided to run for a second term in office.
Originally appointed in 2003 after Commissioner Ken Gerard resigned, Best first ran for the District 6 county commission seat in 2004.
Then, like now, he explained he was motivated by three primary interests -- schools, roads and jobs.
"We're not through with this school solution. We've still got a lot of work to do on that," he said. "We've also got a lot of work to do on Hwy. 70 and with transportation. And we've still got a lot of work to do bringing jobs to Wayne County and Goldsboro.
"They're the three focuses I've had for four years, and we've made some progress but not nearly enough."
However, he noted, that's not a reflection on his time in office, but rather because all three of those issues are likely to always be at the forefront of the county's concerns.
"I think they're are all continuing to progress, but I think no matter if I was running four years from today or 10 years from today, those would always be your focus," Best said. "I just think they're three things we need to work on now and for evermore."
And as the county works through those issues, he believes that continuity in leadership is important, he said.
"I think it always helps to have consistency and our board has worked well together. There have been very few votes we didn't vote 7-0 on. We don't agree on everything, but we talk through our problems, and I think we agree in theory on everything. But, even though we agree, I think we get a lot of different views before we do anything."
And it's because of those different views -- and the one that he brings to the table -- that he believes he is the right man for the job.
"The county is a big business. You need people there who understand what it takes to run a business. You need people who understand that sometimes you have to spend money to make money," said Best, owner of Best Commercial Development.
More importantly, though, he feels it's his responsibility to run again.
"Our family has always been taught that you give back to you community, and we've always been deeply involved," he said. "It's just been a tradition that we stay involved in community service, and that's the reason I ran the first time and the reason I'm running this time -- my commitment to community service. Because it's not what I do for Wayne County today, it's what effect I can have on this county 10 years from today."