Hoping to be your mayor: Chuck Allen
By Dennis Hill
Published in News on September 20, 2015 1:50 AM
Chuck Allen
Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Allen says he believes Goldsboro is on the cusp of great things. And after serving on the City Council for 12 years, he wants to see the city keep moving forward.
Allen is the only one of the four candidates with experience in government.
He says his love of the city is the reason he has decided to seek the mayor's job.
"I don't want to see the hard work we've put in backed up," he said. "I'm very passionate about the city. I love this city. I'm very committed."
Allen added that he has never missed a council meeting -- and that he is determined to continue that dedication if elected to the mayor's office.
Allen, a grading contractor, cited his business and governmental experience as reasons for residents to vote for him. When business, government or military leaders visit Goldsboro, the face of the city is extremely important, he said, adding that of the candidates seeking the mayor's office, he is best-suited for that role.
"Who do you want (visiting dignitaries) to meet?" Allen said.
Allen said he takes the responsibility of serving the citizens very seriously.
"I've got three kids here," Allen said. "I believe in giving back. We've worked very hard to see Goldsboro moving forward, and I don't want to see it reversed."
Allen said that curtailing crime in the city is a priority, and that the City Council has looked at the problem from many angles and is working to address it.
Part of the solution is a strong police force, which requires the retention of veteran police officers, he said.
"We're losing officers with three to seven years experience," Allen said. "And those are the ones you don't want to lose."
Allen said he wants to see more K-9 officers on patrol. He also said the City Council is considering installing a "shot spotter" system, which would tell police immediately the exact location in which a weapon has been fired.
All of those improvements would help stem the violence, he said, but more importantly, authorities need residents to step forward and help police in their investigations. Churches, civic organizations and other groups can help with that, he added.
"We need trained people, and we need a lot more community involvement," Allen said. "We've got to have more unity and more engagement."
Allen said the key is reaching young people before they fall victim to a lifestyle that encourages criminal activity.
"We just need to keep working on it," he said, noting that programs such as a summer meal program that proved successful can go a long way toward letting young people know that they live in a community that cares about them.
"As a city, we need to keep doing that for our young people," he said.
The Streetscape project that has renovated much of downtown is nearly completed, Allen said. Now it is time for private investors to step in and to continue the improvements.
"What we have to do now is figure out how to engage the private sector," he said. "It's time for the private sector to come in. I think we've done our part."
Allen said downtown Goldsboro is becoming a niche for small businesses and that city officials need to keep working to maintain the progress by continuing to clean up areas of blight not just there, but all around the city.
"I think I would be a little more outspoken about that," he said.
With no annexation, the city can still grow naturally, Allen said. The key is to provide the infrastructure to the areas of growth, especially along the new U.S. 70 bypass. He said the city has done a good job of providing water and sewer to growth areas, but that it needs to do more to improve streets and roads.
He also said he supports the continued building of greenways around the city to improve the quality of life in Goldsboro. That is a key to convincing new businesses to come to the city and to keeping the military here. Seymour Johnson is a vital part of the city's economy and there are always worries about the security of the base, he said.
"We need to do everything we can to enhance our quality of life," he said.
A crucial part of maintaining the quality of life, and therefore the base and potential businesses, is changing the perception of the schools in the city and county, Allen said.
"One goal I'd love to see accomplished is improving the perception of our schools. We need to do a better job of promoting ourselves."
He said he plans to enhance the city's social media campaigns and other avenues to get the message out that this is a great place to live and to work.
In regard to taxes, Allen said the City Council works hard at keeping the tax rate reasonable and that he believes the city provides a reasonable return on tax dollars. He said council members have no intention of raising taxes.
He said the focus should be on attracting new businesses to the city -- and the tax revenue they provide.
"What we need is tax base growth," he said.