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STONEVILLE — Upgrading the town’s water and sewer system and expanding opportunities for senior citizens and young people rank high on the list of concerns for the candidates for Stoneville mayor and Town Council.

Robert Stowe is challenging Mayor Rex Tuggle. Ricky Craddock, Eugene G. DeMoss, Johnny Ray Farmer, Jodi Lester, Jerry W. Odell, James “Gen” Scales, Glynda Shelton and Jerry L. Smith are seeking the five open Town Council seats.

Candidates not profiled — Craddock, DeMoss, Odell, Shelton and Smith — either did not return phone calls or could not be reached for comment.
Smith is a write-in candidate whose name will not appear on the ballot. Residents who want to vote for him must write his name on the ballot.

Election Day is Tuesday. Races in Eden, Mayodan and Wentworth are uncontested.

ROBERT E. STOWE

Stowe, 49, is a water and sewer supervisor for the city of Reidsville. He has never held an elected office.

Stowe said he’s running to offer new ideas. His main concern is improving the water and sewer infrastructure.

Stowe said the town can better use the financial resources it has to make the necessary changes and repairs before major problems occur. “We need to get a handle on it and get ahead of it before it gets away,” Stowe said.

REX TUGGLE

Tuggle, 65, is Stoneville’s longtime mayor who has also been a Town Council member. He is a textiles salesman and owner of an antiques business in Stoneville.

Tuggle said he loves Stoneville and its residents and sees good things happening in the town. One of those, he said, is the expansion of a local manufacturing business that will add about 25 jobs.

Tuggle said he would also like to see the town, which has about 1,000 residents, expand its limits to include more property so as to spread around the tax burden.

Tuggle also wants to grow the town’s fund balance and work with the Rockingham County Board of Education to see a new Stoneville Elementary School built.

JOHNNY RAY FARMER

Farmer, 48, is director of Eden’s parks and recreation department. He was a write-in candidate for Stoneville Town Council two years ago.

Farmer said he would offer a fresh perspective and more than 25 years experience in various positions in municipal government if elected to the Town Council.

Farmer is also concerned with the town’s aging water and sewer system and wants to help the town pursue grants to upgrade it.

One of the problems keeping Stoneville from receiving such grants, Farmer said, is its inability to provide matching funds. Farmer said he wants the town to improve its financial situation so it can qualify for such grants.

Although he believes the recreation department does a good job, Farmer said he wants to offer his support by helping it obtain grants and develop new ideas for programs. He also wants to offer more activities on a regular basis for senior residents, such as dances.

JODI LESTER

Lester, 35, is the owner of Main Street Real Estate Company. She is mayor pro tem of the Stoneville Town Council.

In her two years on the council, Lester said she’s learned a lot about running a government and has built good relationships with leaders in other municipalities. She said she wants to work with those leaders not only to help Stoneville prosper, but also to benefit the entire county.

Lester said the town is growing and she wants to provide more opportunities for its residents.

“I’m seeing things turn around here in the town, and lots of young families are moving here to the area,” she said.

Lester is involved with Stoneville’s young people through its recreation department. But she wants to create more recreational opportunities for the elderly population, such as pairing youth with senior citizens who don’t have family in the area as part of an adopt-a-grandparent program.

She also wants to see the town’s water and sewer system upgraded.

JAMES “GEN” SCALES

Scales, 79, is retired from the Army and the insurance business. He has sat on the Stoneville Town Council for 18 years.

Scales said his primary goal is to improve the water and sewer system and offer recycling services at a reasonable rate for residents. He said the town previously offered recycling containers to residents but had to cut the program because of costs.

Scales said he wants to pursue grants to upgrade the water and sewer lines, see improvements made to the park and rebuild the town’s fund balance, which he said has dwindled in recent years.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com