news-record.com

In Summerfield, Don Wendelken is challenging incumbent Mayor Mark Brown, who’s been mayor twice and served on the council three times.

Wendelken said one of his priorities as mayor would be to improve professionalism on the council.

“I will ... not let the council members conduct personal attacks on each other or on the citizens,” he said in a questionnaire.

While council members John W. Wray Jr., and Becky Strickland often find themselves on opposite sides of political issues, they both want to be re-elected to their posts.

Strickland and Wray will have to contend with political newcomers Jeff Johnson , Dianne Laughlin and Richard Lovette for their Town Council seats.

This year, the council has made the tough decisions to continue granting the town’s citizens a property tax holiday and building the town’s athletics park without Parks and Recreation Trust Fund money.

Residents were informed in September that the town did not receive the PARTF grant because of the economic downturn.

At that meeting, the council voted to move forward with the park, downgrading and eliminating some features of the park to save money.

In June, the council voted to suspend the property tax for residents for the current fiscal year.

The post-election council could reinstate that tax or suspend it again.