The Wake County Board of Commissioners today elected Herb Council as its new chair and Kenn Gardner as vice chair, effective immediately, for a one-year term. The chair presides over Board meetings and represents the County in an official capacity at community, business and other functions.
Herb Council
Commissioner Council joined the Board in December 1998, and was re-elected to a second four-year term in November. He has been vice chair for the past year. He serves on the Wake County Growth Management Task Force, which includes elected officials from the 12 municipalities, Wake County Public Schools and the Board of Commissioners. The task force has met monthly to work on a comprehensive growth management strategy, and is expected to present its recommendations in early 2003. He also chairs the Board's Growth, Land Use and Environment Committee, and serves on the Human and Community Services Committee.
Kenn Gardner
Gardner joined the Board in 2000. He is chair of the Watershed Management Task Force, which presented to the Board on November 18 draft recommendations to protect the County's drinking water supply by preserving sensitive stream areas. He serves on the Board's Growth, Land Use and Environment Committee, and the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee.
Council said he appreciated the confidence of his fellow commissioners in electing him as chair, and said his goals would be to continue the County's emphasis on growth and environmental initiatives and to focus on a number of other critical issues before the County, such as the appropriate level of education funding, mental health reform and delivering services to citizens efficiently. He also noted that several long-term plans are just now coming to fruition: in addition to the Watershed and Growth Management Task Force reports, the Board recently adopted seven-year plans for libraries and parks, though it has made no funding decisions for these plans yet. A Comprehensive Open Space Plan is in final stages of development.
"For the last four years, the Board has worked hard to take the long view in planning for how we want this County to look in the next 15-20 years," he said. "We also have taken a regional leadership role on critical planning issues, and I believe we were able to find ways to better serve our citizens by working with all of our partners, including municipalities, non-profits, the faith community and the private sector. I hope we will continue to assume that type of leadership role."
He also noted that like most other local governments and the state, Wake County faces budgetary challenges during a time of economic struggles. He said he hoped to continue the Board's business-like approach to making spending decisions.
"We have been fortunate that our County continues to grow and attract residents and businesses, but we also need to make sure we are meeting the needs for service that come along with the growth," he said. "We have tried to make good business cases for our spending decisions, and taking a long-term approach to planning, especially in the area of capital needs, does pay off in the long run."
Council pointed to a number of major challenges facing Commissioners, including:
- Appropriate funding levels for public education.
- Addressing mental health issues from a societal perspective.
- Continued emphasis on public safety and emergency management, particularly in the areas of anti-terrorism and domestic preparedness.
- Continued attention to balancing the needs of education and public safety with other critical needs, such as the environment, affordable housing, human services (particularly senior care issues), parks and libraries.
Council welcomed three new members to the Board, Joe Bryan, Tony Gurley and Phil Jeffreys, who were sworn in for four-year terms on Monday.
"It is my hope that this new Board will work hard and work effectively together for all the citizens of Wake County," he said. "We have many challenges before us, and I know we all have the best interests of the citizens at heart."
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