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Carla strickland

Office you seek: Town Council, Town of Pleasant Garden

Occupation: Executive director, CFESA.com (Commercial Food Equipment Service Association)

Age: 57

Education: Attended Cleveland State University and University of Louisville

Address: 100 Lord Osborne Court, Pleasant Garden

Email address: cstrickland@cfesa.com

Previous elective experience: none

Other relevant experience: I served as director of education/board member at my church in Indianapolis, Ind., for six years. In my daily position, I work with a volunteer board of directors comprised of 12 business owners from across the United States and Canada. Part of my responsibilities is to provide training and continued education to my volunteer board. I have held this position for 24 years.

Why have you chosen to run for this office? I have witnessed how the current town council functions and works together. Simply put, they do not work together. They work against each other. I would like to bring cohesiveness to the council while considering the wishes of the town residents. I am an open-minded individual, willing to volunteer my time for the good of the town.

Key qualifications you would bring to the job: I will bring honesty, accountability and common sense to the council while, at the same time, being community-focused.

Family: Husband, Rick Strickland; one son and a step-daughter

What distinguishes you most from your opponents? Having moved to Pleasant Garden seven years ago, I don’t bring the political baggage to the table. In addition, I am not someone else’s spokesperson and I do not have my own personal agenda. Thus, I would be a fresh face on the council.

Please list the top three issues in Pleasant Garden and your stances on those issues:

1. The budget allocations are clearly not decisive. That is, $15,000 was allocated for a Pleasant Garden library with no submitted plan as to how the money would be used. This decision was based on a community survey (May 2009) of 74 total responses. Sixty-four indicated they would live to have a public library in Pleasant Garden. There was another community survey taken (July 2008) and resulted in 37 total responses. Twenty-four respondents voted for concerts on the town hall property. The next highest was bigger farmers’ market with 23 responses. I believe the money allocated for a Pleasant Garden library would be better spent on things more conducive to all residents.

2. Pleasant Garden United Methodist Church offers, free of charge, the fellowship hall once per month for a senior lunch. The Town of Pleasant Garden allocates money, each year, in its annual budget for this expense. The cost submitted by the Senior Resources of Guilford for the 2009-10 budget was $7,585, based upon meal costs, program supplies, wages and mileage for a site coordinator and the average attendance at each luncheon. The council voted to allocate only $5,123. This amount has, as of the last council meeting, been increased to $7,000. Note: As of June 1, the general fund had a balance of $1,125,544 and the capital reserve fund had a balance of $1,900,937 for a total of $3,026,481 in the bank. Our senior citizens are an important asset to the community and should be fully funded and supported.

3. The current council spends too much time micro-managing things they shouldn’t. As an example, they continue to micro-manage the daily activities of the support staff. Another example is the soccer program. The soccer program should become its own entity similar to the baseball and basketball programs. This is not the business of town council.

If you were to give Pleasant Garden a letter grade on its effectiveness in managing growth, what would it be? C

What vote or decision of the current council would you overturn? Why do you disagree with the decision? I would vote to rescind the decision to allocate $15,000 for a Pleasant Garden library for all the reasons listed above.