Candidates debate issues

By CAITLIN SULLIVAN/Staff

Jobs and economic development dominated the debate between candidates for the Taylor District seat on the county Board of Supervisors.
Incumbent Democrat Jack McCrady and Republican Joe Straten agreed on the problems but differed on the solutions.
Teresa Keller of Emory & Henry College moderated the forum, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington County.
McCrady, a former Damascus mayor and running for his second four-year term, said that the rural parts of the Taylor District are denied public services and believes high-speed Internet should be available for everyone across the county.
“Just because you live in a rural area doesn’t mean you should be denied benefits,“ he said. “The most overwhelming problem (the Taylor District is facing) is its isolationism.“
Straten, a Navy veteran and retired program manager from General Electric, focused more on jobs, saying the county has lost jobs in the past four years.
“We have to do something to bring those jobs in here,“ he said.
McCrady countered that the board he has served on actually created jobs due to the Highlands shopping complex at Exit 7. More are coming, he said,  with the upcoming Lowe’s Home Center at Exit 19 and other developments.
“Our cash cow is trails and we need to focus on that,“ McCrady said.
While McCrady touted tourism as vital and positive for the Taylor District, Straten was a bit more leery.
“I do believe tourism is good; however, there is a downside to tourism,“
he said.
He said if the district just relies on tourism it only guarantees low-paying service jobs.
“All of our industrial parks should be put to use,“ Straten said. “There are things we can do to make it a sweeter deal (to attract businesses).“
He said places like the industrial park in Glade Spring and Love’s Travel Center, if it had been approved, would provide jobs.
“Economic development means to me the county does things to attract businesses,“ Straten said. He said as supervisor he would work to attract businesses and make the permitting an easier process.
“It’s a difficult county to do business in,“ Straten said. “Mom and pop businesses don’t get the same treatment as Bristol Compressors, and I don’t agree with it.“
McCrady touted AGC Flat Glass as a business that came to the county and he said he voted against the Love’s truck stop for fear of endangering children.
McCrady said that Love’s is a “good company” and that the county could probably help them if they chose to build the truck stop off Interstate 81’s Exit 22.  He said jobs are important but “our most precious resource is our children.“ Straten said he believed the whole controversy over the truck stop was purely emotional.
“I wouldn’t have bought that argument,“ he said. “Gas fumes rise.“
McCrady said there are some business expansions for the county in the pipeline.
“The IDA has been very aggressive,“ McCrady said. “Lowe’s coming on line and hopefully there’ll be future development there and a nursing home is coming to the county.“
Straten said if he was in office, when gauging a proposed development for the county he’d look at its benefits, its risks and decide if it would be detrimental to the county.
“We do have to do something with Oak Park,“ Straten said. “Pepsi left because they couldn’t get in and out. Why did it take so long to put in another access road? Those are the types of things the county has to do to make the county more desirable.“ He said he’d try to woo businesses.
“I’d talk to Love’s again and figure out what we can do to get (them here),“ he said. “The ethanol plant wanted to come in to the county. It would have provided 115 jobs with an average salary of $42,000 a year.
I’d go back to them; unfortunately it’s too late. The county lost out on that one.“
McCrady countered that the Board of Supervisors never denied the ethanol plant, that it never came before the board, but that trucking in the tons of waste to the plant could have been a risk.
Questions by audience members, written on cards and then asked by the moderator mainly focused on jobs and economic development. There were also a few questions about the Damascus Public Library, land use issues and taxation.
Both candidates maintained their commitment to the Damascus library.
In a question regarding land use and zoning regulations, McCrady said, “Government should be transparent; so should zoning rules. I’m a firm believer that people have a right to use their property. We have to take care of our assets but unfortunately zoning is a part of it.“ Straten said he thinks zoning laws need to be changed.
“We do need to control what people do on their land up to a point,“ he said. “Obviously you need economic development but economic development with some sort of guidance.“
McCrady said, “Land use is an option all counties have. I’m firmly for (agricultural land use). If we don’t we’ll lose our farm heritage.“
Questions also arose concerning the property assessment last year and subsequent tax increases.
“Assessed value is determined by tax rate,“ McCrady said. “We can’t control the assessment but we can control the tax rate, and it’s coming down. I’m sorry but we have to have taxes.“
Straten said, “Assessments are required by law but sometimes I believe they have to be guided. (tell them) that our property is not what they’re used to assessing.“
At the end of the forum, League of Women Voters of Washington County President Jane Hill encouraged the 60 people to vote on Nov. 3.
“This forum provides a space for the expression of ideas; to talk about ideas for the good health and vitality of the community,“ she said.
“Government is us and we have an election process that we guard very seriously but it doesn’t work unless you get out and vote.“