news-record.com

Mayor Becky Smothers is facing two challengers this year for her seat on the High Point City Council. Smothers, 71, has served as mayor since 2003 and from 1992-99, with a total of 13 years on the council.

Jay Wagner, 42, and Dwayne Hemingway-El, 38, are challenging Smothers for her seat.

Wagner, an attorney, is probably well known by many through his work through the city’s City Project (formerly Core City Project) and the planning and zoning commission.

Hemingway-El is an electrician and doesn’t have any prior elective or related experience, though he said he’s worked on two campaigns in New Jersey.

Smothers is campaigning on a platform of keeping low taxes, supporting High Point Community Against Violence and High Point Furniture Market and continuing the current economic development program, which includes establishing a small business loan program in the near future.

Wagner believes more needs to be done to revitalize the economic situation in the city, such as setting up incubators and lowering taxes and fees that target businesses.

He also believes the council didn’t do enough to support the City Project and has wasted taxpayer dollars, such as overpaying for property.

Hemingway-El is running on a platform of fighting corruption in government. He lists his main campaign issue as fighting racial profiling by the police department, but doesn’t elaborate.
To generate economic development, Hemingway-El supports tax breaks and incentives for small businesses.

All three support economic incentives as a tool to help development in the city. Wagner said he is opposed to incentives, but believes they are necessary until incentives are banned at all levels of government.