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Henry Tripp

Office you seek: Town Council, Town of Pleasant Garden

Occupation: Manager of Sherwin Williams Paint Store at Guilford College from 1970-93. Served in the Navy 1954-56.

Age: 72

Education: degree in accounting from Hardbarger College, Raleigh

Address: 2101 Macon Glen Drive, Pleasant Garden

Email address: henrytripp@bellsouth.net

Previous elective experience: none

Other relevant experience: Pleasant Garden zoning board 2008-09, finance and administration board 1999, Crime Stoppers Board of Directors 1993-2007, President of the Quaker Village Merchant’s Association 1970-76.

Why have you chosen to run for this office? The town needs candidates for the council who are qualified, available to serve and have the interest of continuing the town’s purpose without being distracted by the inherent nature of government to grow.

Key qualifications you would bring to the job: As a retired professional having lived and served in the community, I have the free time and experience needed to help the town continue to serve the residents.

Family: Wife, Catherine M. Tripp; son, Dr. Henry Tripp Jr.; grandchildren, Conner and Parks Tripp

What distinguishes you most from your opponents? I like the Town of Pleasant Garden the way it is and I am not running on change.

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

1. Keep government small.

2. Keep taxes low.

3. Keep the current low-density building ordinances, which will continue to make our community unattractive to high-density mega developers. This will preserve our low-traffic rural atmosphere.

If you were to give Pleasant Garden a letter grade on its effectiveness in managing growth, what would it be? A -, In residential growth, the ordinances created in 1997 have done exactly what they were intended to do. We have avoided becoming part of Greensboro’s uncontrolled high-density growth. In business and institutional growth, I believe the town’s general responsibility is to stay friendly and stay out of the way.

For the most part, the town has stayed out of the way but exceptions do exist including the unnecessary and costly delay in construction of the Pleasant Garden Baptist Family Life Center.

Businesses thrive on the high traffic that would be brought by rapid residential growth. Our choice to avoid high-density residential growth will result in many businesses choosing to locate along the high-traffic areas around our town rather than in our town on our quaint two-lane roads.

What vote or decision of the current council would you overturn? Why do you disagree with the decision? Moving the flags off of the utility poles on Pleasant Garden Road.