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Pleasant Garden: Greene wins mayor's job

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

(Updated 10:06 pm)

By E.A. Seagraves
Staff Writer

Newcomer Bill Greene was elected mayor by 73.5 percent of Pleasant Garden voters Tuesday night, according to complete but unofficial results.

In years past, the mayor was selected by the Town Council from its own members.

This year, Greene beat incumbent Anne Kearns Hice by 516 votes. Hice received 26 percent, or 286 votes.

Neither candidate was immediately available for comment Tuesday night.

Greene, 68, is president and CEO of The Greene Group, a company that serves the wood products industry.

Greene doesn’t have any government experience.

Greene has served on boards of various community groups, including serving as president of the Pleasant Garden Lions Club for the past two years and as a member on committees at the Pleasant Garden United Methodist Church.

Hice, 65, a retired educator, has served as mayor since December 2007. She was first elected to the Pleasant Garden Town Council in 2005.

One of her main goals was to control growth and protect the town’s rural and agricultural character.

Greene said changes he’d like to oversee as mayor include returning the soccer program to the supervision of the recreation board and removing $15,000 for a future town library from the budget.

He said surveys about the library represented a small portion of the community and did not verify whether respondents were residents.

Town residents also elected Carla Strickland to fill the lone Town Council seat.

Strickland received 50.75 percent of the vote.

Her opponent, Alan Marshall , trailed closely with 48.9 percent of the vote, according to complete but unofficial results.

Strickland would like the council to step back from the day-to-day operations of town business.

She also called for reallocating $15,000 set aside for a town library for other needs.

In Tuesday’s election, 1,091 Pleasant Garden voters cast ballots for mayor and 1,066 voted in the council race.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com

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hhdavis

November 4, 2009 - 7:45 am EST

Best wishes Mr. Greene. I hope the people of Pleasant Garden are a little nicer to you these next few years since they are the ones who decided...but I would not bet on it. There seems to be very little loyalty and many who seem to change with the wind. Good luck, and please don't spend it just because you "have it".

notoriousBLOG

November 4, 2009 - 8:59 am EST

Best wishes,indeed. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. I knew you were the right choice after I received that mailing from Donald Jones proclaiming his hatred of Bill Wright and oh yes he was also supporting Anne Hice. That is exactly the type of snipping that has been tearing this community apart. It's in the past Mr. Jones, get over it.

Caring

November 4, 2009 - 11:08 am EST

I am in full agreement with notoriousBlog. Mr. Greene is the right choice and as a voter I wish him the very best in his role as our first elected Mayor of Pleasant Garden. He has made history. The people saw through all the lies, phone calls, letters and most of all Donald Jones letter full of comments taken completely out of context. The overwhelming majority of citizens spoke loudly yesterday that they did not want someone in office who is aligned with a person who is believed to have such low moral standards and character. Allowing that kind of tactic is why we needed to change who is sitting in our Mayor's chair. A job well done Mr. Greene.

PGLady

November 4, 2009 - 2:28 pm EST

I am thrilled that Bill Greene won yesterday. The voters certainly sent a clear message to the incumbant, and I am looking forward to a better PG. I am sorry that Alan Marshall did not win. Clearly Donald Jones and his cronies did their dirty manipulation and I fear it is what cost Alan the election..but not by much. I hope that those people who bought into Donald's lies will wise up and realize that he is a divisive coward who is a "big man" when it comes to mailing out smear letters three days before the election, but doesn't have the guts to show up at the candidates' debate and face those he falsely accused. I hope that Alan comes back, and I think he will. I am releived that Bill will be our mayor. It is a happy day for us.

hhdavis

November 5, 2009 - 7:58 am EST

Oh my gracious....Bill is lucky to have such a "lady" on his side. Let's just hope a handful of those 800 people stand behind him when he is tormented, ridiculed, controlled, laughed at, and slandered. Get out your wallets 4,000 PG Citizens because WE will all pay for what the "majority" of 802 have chosen. Remember these supporters so you can ask them "why" when our property taxes go up. Last time it was a million dollar Town Hall facility (which required the taxation)...oh my what could "they" want next? Ask the ones in charge...it won't be Mr. Greene. Sad to say because he does seem like a nice guy.