Gra Singleton, candidate for town council in Garner, NC
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Candidates for Garner, NC, Town Council
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Three candidates are competing for two seats on the Garner Town Council.
Incumbents Kathy Behringer and Gra Singleton are both looking to keep their seats. Newcomer Rachel Tourdot rounds out the field.
Early voting in the Nov. 2 election begins Oct. 14 and runs through Oct. 30.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit wakevotesearly.com or contact the Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 or voter@wakegov.com
Name: Gra Singleton
Age: 59
Residence: 112 Newhaven Court
Occupation:Owner / Operator of JGS Communications, LLC in Garner
Education: N.C. State University B.A. in Business Management , B.A. in Economics
Political or civic experience: 28 Years on Garner Town Council
Campaign website: www.instagram.com/graforgarner21
In August, Garner Mayor Ken Marshburn ordered a mask mandate unlike some other Wake County towns. Do you agree with this decision?
Yes, people will make their own choice regarding wearing a mask. Whether there is a mandate or not, the burden of wearing a mask has been shifted to the business community. Each individual business owner can make the choice of whether they ask / require their employees and their customers to wear a mask. Similarly, the town of Garner has made the decision to require masks be worn in all Garner facilities.
Do you plan to vote in favor of Garner’s $69 million bond package for parks, streets and sidewalks, public safety and stormwater?
Yes, Garner has infrastructure needs and improvements just like many other towns and cities in the Triangle area. This bond referendum has planned improvements to roads and streets throughout Garner, will add miles of new sidewalks and new greenways in Garner. We have two new properties that are planned as beautiful new parks in Garner, an active park and a passive park.
This bond also includes money for a new fire station in the Hwy. 401 and Ten Ten Road area. This growing community has needs that will have to be addressed soon, and by prioritizing safer and improved streets and a new facility for our first responders, the Garner Fire and Rescue Department, we are addressing the issues that will make our town and travel within the town safer.
What is Garner doing right, and wrong, on managing growth?
This depends on who you ask. Are some residential projects too dense? Some say yes, others that move to Garner say no. How small do we go with the size of residential zoning lots that allows more housing units because it has become so dense? Many people say they want a smaller yard with less responsibility to maintain and that they want to be close to commercial projects and parks so they can walk to the store or a doctor and go for a walk in the park.
The term “managing growth” is almost a misnomer ... there is no perfect answer or scenario identifying what is too dense and what is not. Our economy in Garner and the entire Triangle area is changing as people move here from other areas with a completely different view of housing and commercial density. Growth needs to be reasonable and responsible. What defines reasonable and responsible is the question ... and the answer is constantly changing.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
1) If the Bond referendum passes, I will work with our town staff to immediately begin prioritizing the planning and design process for these projects, including the continued widening of Jones Sausage Road, new sidewalks all over town, and working with the NC DOT to seek their approval of roadway improvements on Hwy 50; 2) The council needs to address future development around I-540 by working with the City of Raleigh to help plan for the extension of utilities (water and sewer) in and around those areas. Both commercial and residential developers are already exploring possible projects in those areas; 3) We need to continue to define the right amount of residential density in the proposed residential projects that are interested in building in Garner. Residential growth is needed with new jobs and a growing workforce in the Triangle area and you cannot ask for new jobs and not have housing for these new citizens.
What unique skills or life perspective would you bring to city governance?
I am a small-business owner and have experienced tough economic times, and I am grateful to still be a business owner. As both a business owner and a Council member with over 20 years of experience, I try to be an insightful thinker, someone who plans for the changing landscape of business in a constantly evolving technological world, and above all, I work hard. I learned hard work over the seven summers working on my grandfather’s tobacco farm. I learned the value of working hard to get the job done, and I am not opposed to exploring all available information of a town issue so I make the best decision for the citizens of Garner.
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Gra Singleton, candidate for town council in Garner, NC."