Mayor jim proctor's notes about Important Issues

Where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going

The Lake Lure Sewer System

Our sewer system is eighty years old and in need of upgrades, repairs and ultimately replacement. Many of the town’s detractors want you to believe that the town does not know this. We not only know what is needed, much time and money has been spent pursuing what is needed. In the eight years I have been mayor, the town has spent almost 2 million dollars on repairs and engineering for both the sewer plant and the sewer lines. We have replaced the lift station, upgraded the sewer plant and made numerous repairs to the underground and underwater lines. Our engineers have completed preliminary reports in regard to replacing the current system and we are following this with a request for a more thorough report. We have been in close contact with the state and continue to search for grants, loans and other funding sources for the 30+ million dollars needed to do this. This is a multiyear task that we continue to pursue. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands this complicated issue.

The Lake Lure Water System

With state and federal grants and low interest loans, the town’s water system has been improved and services extended to areas not previously served.  We have created an interconnection agreement with the Village of Chimney Rock. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands this complicated issue.

Lake Lure Fire Departments

At the beginning of my term as mayor the town had a fire rating of 9 (The higher the number the higher your insurance rates are). With the expansion of our town’s water system, the purchase of a new fireboat and most importantly the hard work of our fire coordinator’s office and our many volunteers we now have a much lower 6 rating. The town must now ponder how to keep this rating. We certainly have many hard decisions to make. Before a back injury, I spent several years as a Lake Lure Volunteer Fire Fighter. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands this complicated issue.

Marine Commission

Several years ago, the town was advised by both our attorneys and the state’s Attorney General’s office that the Town of Lake Lure’s ownership of Lake Lure created what they all characterized as a “grey area” in the law.  After much study and consideration, it was decided that a marine commission would make the town’s authority clear and definitive. The Lake Lure Marine Commission was established in 2003 under authorization of the North Carolina General Assembly.  Its stated purpose is to “make regulations applicable to Lake Lure and its shoreline area concerning all matters relating to or affecting the use of Lake Lure.”  With this legislation, the Lake Lure Marine Commission has successfully supplemented the boating laws and regulations enacted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to promote safe boating on Lake Lure, enhance the knowledge and practice of water safety and promoted safe vessel operation. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands this complicated issue.

Comprehensive Plan

Lake Lure, as most towns, has a wide variety of needs and concerns. The town's new Comprehensive Plan is not just about zoning it is about all aspects of our town. A committee consisting of a wide variety of people that included residents, property owners and expert consultants created this plan. In the process of creating the plan, the town sent two different surveys to all Lake Lure property owners. I am indeed proud of the fact that we now have this very important tool at our disposal. We must now use this tool to help Lake Lure grow in a manageable way. To help keep up with our town’s exponential growth we have expanded the Zoning department into the Community Development Department. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands these complicated issues.

Lake Lure and other Water Resources

Lake Lure is indeed lucky to have one of the cleanest lakes in North Carolina. We must do all we can to protect our most valuable asset.  We have worked closely with the Upper Broad River Protection Plan to help educate not only our citizens but also all residents of the Hickory Nut Gorge about soil erosion. The town has taken the enforcement of soil erosion rules from the state and created its own more stringent rules. The town now locally enforces the controls necessary to keep Lake Lure clean and healthy. The town has completed several major dredging operations to help keep our lake safe and usable.  To keep abreast of the lake environment we test more than a dozen areas monthly in the summer and The Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina at Asheville has been assisting with this effort for almost a decade, through the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN). Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands this complicated issue.

Taxes

Every year I have met with county officials and lobbied to keep the state sales tax distribution the way it is now.  If the sales tax distribution was changed, the loss to the town would be hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.  The town council has an extremely tough job of creating a yearly budget. With these tough decisions, we have done a very good job of managing the town’s budget to provide necessary services while keeping the tax rate as low as possible. During my time as mayor, the town started a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) that schedules the purchase of large capital expenditures over the next ten years. This gives the council and citizens a better picture of where we are and what expenditures are needed in the future. Lake Lure needs a mayor that understands these complicated issues.

For Knowledge, Integrity, Experience, Honesty and Proven Leadership Vote For Jim Proctor

Paid for by the Committee to re-elect Jim Proctor. 

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call (828) 625-8811 Or email  lakelure2@aol.com