Commissioners Webster, Johnson calling it quits

From left, Mayor John Woods, Commissioners Laurie Venzon and Brian Jenest, candidate Connie Wessner and Mayor Pro Tem Margo Williams fill out candidate forms at Mecklenburg Board of Elections in Charlotte Monday. (David Boraks photo)

Mayor John Woods and three members of the Davidson Town Board filed papers Monday to seek re-election this fall, while two other commissioners said they won’t run again. The first day of filing for the Nov. 3 local elections also brought out two newcomers who filed to run for Town Board.

Besides the mayor, incumbent commissioners Laurie Venzon, Brian Jenest and Mayor Pro Tem Margo Williams all filed to run again. Commissioners Bill Johnson and Evan Webster told DavidsonNews.net they have decided to step down from the board when the current term expires in December.

After just one day of filing, two candidates have already emerged who want to replace them. Connie Wessner and Tim Dreffer, both of whom have been active in town activities, both filed papers to run for commissioner seats.

Local election filing continues through noon Friday, July 17.

Robin Bradford files for school board. (David Boraks photo)

Also Monday, one candidate filed to run for the District 1 Board of Education seat: Robin Bradford of Huntersville. She is seeking the seat begin vacated by Larry Gauvreau, who announced he will not seek re-election. Ms. Bradford, a mother of two, is expected face at least one other candidate, Rhonda Lennon, also of Huntersville, who has announced her candidacy. Ms. Lennon had not filed as of late Monday afternoon, but is expected to do so. In 2005, she came close to defeating Mr. Gauvreau.

NEW FACES

Mr. Dreffer and Ms. Wessner both have been involved in civic and school activities over the past few years.

Connie Wessner and Margo Williams filled out paperwork at the Board of Elections. (David Boraks photo)

Ms. Wessner, who will begin a job this fall as service learning coordinator at Community School of Davidson, also has been active in school and civic affairs. For the past year, she has been a member of the Davidson Planning Board and Board of Adjustment. She also serves on the board of the Davidson Housing Coalition. And in 2007-8, she was a vice president of the Davidson Elementary School PTA.

At 46, she says she is getting involved in part out of a desire to see younger residents play a bigger role in town governance. The mother of a 9-year-old boy, she said, “I think adding another person with a school-age child to the board broadens the perspective.”

She and husband Dave Wessner, a biology professor at Davidson College, have lived in town for 11 years. “I see this as a sort of natural step. It’s a way for me to give back what we get from living here,” Ms. Wessner said.

Tim Dreffer

Mr. Dreffer has been vice president of Downtown Davidson Inc. and a member of the school leadership team at Davidson Elementary School, a group that advises the principal. The father of three and husband of Diane Dreffer also owns a small technology company called MyLogistics, which supplies technology for logistics and supply chain management.

He said he brings no particular agenda to his candidacy, but feels an obligation to serve. “Davidson’s home for me, and I like the path that it’s on and I’d like to contribute any way I can,” Mr. Dreffer said.

STEPPING DOWN

Both Commissioner Evan Webster and Commissioner Bill Johnson cited time as a major factor in their decisions not to run again.

Mr. Webster, who also serves as chair of the Davidson- and Mooresville-owned MI-Connection cable system board of directors, said he needs to “re-balance.” He also runs his own accounting firm. He also will step down as MI-Connection board chair at year’s end, he said.

“It’s primarily a matter of time. I spent a lot of time the last three years on town business, principally on MI-Connection,” he said in an interview. At one point, in late 2007 as the town was considering whether to buy the cable system, he spent 4 days a week on town and cable matters. Since 2008, he has spent 2 or 2 ½ days a week. “That’s just a misappropriation of time. And I’m going to have to rebalance.”

Mr. Johnson, who is in his first term, said he has had more consulting work than he expected, mainly with the national YMCA, and doesn’t feel he can give the commissioner’s job the time it needs.

“I had to sit down and determine where my skills lie and determine how can I manage these competing activities,” he said.

“I have a tremendous respect for my fellow commissioners, and for Mayor John (Woods) and the staff of the town,” Mr. Johnson said. “I just didn’t feel like I was contributing at the level that I should because of this time conflict. So I just felt that to run again would not be fair to myself and fair to my colleagues.”

Mayor Woods said he is sorry that Commissioners Webster and Johnson won’t be running again. “We greatly regret that they have chosen not to seek reelection. We’ll miss them. Both have been active, productive members, very solidly in support of Davidson values,” he said.

SEEKING RE-ELECTION

Mayor Woods, who is in his first term as mayor after many years as a commissioner, filed to seek a second term. He joined Ms. Williams, Ms. Venzon, Mr. Jenest and Ms. Wessner in a trip to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections at midday Monday. And following a tradition begun by former Mayor Randy Kincaid, Mayor Woods handed out $5 bills to pay the filing fees of his fellow candidates. (They will have to report those as campaign contributions, they were later told.)

Mayor Woods said he hopes to work with the next board to achieve the same level of consensus on the issue that the current board reached. In 2007, three members of the board were new – Mr. Johnson, Mr. Jenest and Ms. Venzon. “Obviously the last term there was a great deal of change,” he said, but the board came together to work as a team. “We will endeavor to continue that work,” he said Monday.

Laurie Venzon.

Ms. Williams was the top voter getter in 2007, and will be seeking her eighth term. “I think what I bring to the board is a little institutional memory,” she said Monday.

She has been an advocate for affordable housing and the environment and chaired a two-town committee (including Mooresville) last year that attempted to create a new vision for Lake Davidson.

Ms. Venzon said she is eager for a second term, after a first term in which she enjoyed “working with my colleagues on the Town Board and town staff. I’ve learned so much about Davidson and our town, and I’m even more proud of who we are.”

A retired Bank of America executive, Ms. Venzon has brought a different perspective to many discussions, and hopes to continue to provide that view, particularly on financial and budget matters. “I want to make sure we are spending wisely, especially given our economy,” she said.

Also seeking another term is Mr. Jenest, a partner in the Charlotte planning firm Cole, Jenest & Stone. He also is in his first term.

LINKS

Mecklenburg Board of Elections candidate listing, www.meckboe.org

Robin Bradford school board candidate website.

Rhonda Lennon school board candidate website.

RELATED COVERAGE

See other articles about the 2009 election on DavidsonNews.net in category “Election 2009.”