It is very unfortunate when news articles quote unidentified sources or publish letters based on rumor and innuendo. While I cannot stop that type of banter, particularly as the election season heats up, I can state for the record, I am not engaged in supporting or working against any candidate for any office, nor as some rumors have them — running for office myself. The Chamber promotes good government and encourages our local membership and our area citizens to get engaged in the political debate of our region. However, we do such as a non-partisan organization neither supporting nor working against any candidates for any office.
The Lake Norman Chamber annually hosts political debates, advocates for our membership on legislative and community issues, and encourages business leaders to take an active role in the leadership of our region. ... As a chamber we have never supported or endorsed any candidate in the 24-year history of our organization.
The article further stated that I had “no comment” on the issue. My “no comment” was on ranking our mayors. As spokesperson for the Chamber, I would never partake in an exercise of grading elected officials. Upon further reflection, I did feel it would be appropriate to comment and share my perspective regarding our elected officials as requested. My e-mail to Business Today follows in its entirety. It was disappointing that those comments were not used at the time. However, here they are for the readers of The Citizen:
“First, I have the greatest admiration for any elected official, particularly a mayor, who devotes their time and talent to their community. A public official, regardless of their role, is often criticized, rightly or wrongly, and it takes someone with a great deal of self-confidence, who must provide sound leadership and vision, and leaving their town and region a much better place than they found it.
“Beginning with my community — I have always been impressed with Mayor Swain’s commitment to the arts and community resources such as the United Way. We served together on the board of the Ada Jenkins Center in 2003-04 and I had the chance to see first-hand her enthusiasm for helping those in need. I know her time is stretched but I would like to see her more engaged with the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber conducts a great many programs and events in Huntersville, and I think we could benefit with more interaction by the mayor and I think it would serve her as well giving her insight into our diverse and growing business community.
“Mayor Tarte is a visionary, who sees his community as it could and should be. I have always been impressed by his knowledge on a variety of subjects and his openness to new ideas. He is extremely approachable and cares very much about the community he serves. If there were a criticism of Mayor Tarte it may be that he sees the bloom of the flower and not the thorn on the rose. As the CEO of his company he is accustomed to being the decision maker and in the role of mayor, that task falls to the board rather than its chief elected official. A difficult adjustment for any engaged CEO, allowing the decision to be made by others. His task it to influence that decision with outstanding leadership and reason.
“Mayor Woods, as a professional banker, is always looking for the return on investment. He understands that the investment may take some time to show a return and the market itself will have many up and down cycles, but if you stick to the plan, it will yield your return. The question is how much time are the investors willing to wait? There is no question he and his board look at business development as a blueprint for the future. They look to create a town that their children will be thankful to inherit.
“The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the commitment and dedication the mayors and their respective town boards demonstrate as they lead our dynamic region.”
— Bill Russell, Huntersville
