Andy Anderson running for re-election to commission District 1
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on February 17, 2008 2:06 AM
Wayne County Commissioner Andy Anderson has decided to run for re-election, throwing his hat back into the ring on the first day of candidate filing.
Running in District 1, Anderson, a resident of Pikeville, will pursue his fifth four-year term in office. But first, he will have to defeat Danny Beckwith for the Republican nomination on May 6.
Anderson ex-plained that his decision to run again was largely motivated by his desire to help the county wrap up some projects, and kick some others off.
"There's some potential for change on the county board, and I think we need a little bit of stability on there," Anderson said.
It's especially important now, he continued, as they prepare to begin work on a $23 million school facilities plan, and as they begin considering a long-range capital improvement plan that would include such projects as the jail, health department, social services and services on aging.
"I know we can't do all of this at one time," he said. "So we've got to look at these priorities."
And for him, the school system isn't the only thing on the list, though with his participation on the behind-the-scenes committee of commissioners, school board members and business leaders, he's taken a more active role in education than ever before.
But, Anderson continued, despite the school board's $100-plus million request, there are other things that are going to need help in the coming years, particularly the county's infrastructure -- water and sewer, primarily -- and its tax base.
"Infrastructure is what gets you to where you can get the schools. Without it, you're spinning your wheels," he said.
It also is the key to economic and revenue growth.
"We don't have enough tax base in the county to take care of our future needs," he said. "We need to build our tax base."
Other items on his agenda for the next four years include continuing to improve Waynes-borough Historical Village, the Goldsboro-Wayne Airport and the completion of I-795 from I-95 in Wilson County to I-40 in Sampson County -- the latter two of which are projects that he has been involved with ever since moving to the county in 1983 after retiring as U.S. Air Force colonel.
He also said that he wants to work to improve relationships and increase cooperation between the county and the municipalities in order to help improve everybody's chances of growing.
"You can't stay like you are," he said. "You've either got to grow and move forward or fall backwards."
And his goal is to see the county and everybody in it continue to move forward -- the reason he is running again.
"I enjoy doing this and I've gotten some things done. I've had a good education and I've got some common sense, and if you have that, you can get something done," he said. "(Community service) is just in my nature. It's just the way I was raised," Anderson, 72, said. "When I was in the military, I didn't have time to do a lot. Now I'm just trying to make life better for my kids and grandkids. If we don't do that, I fear the worst."