Good Jobs and a Sustainable Environment
Bob is a supporter of economic incentives to attract and retain high paying jobs. He also knows the value of growing the city’s tax base to keep tax rates in check. “If we want Burlington to be the place where our young people will want to settle, have successful careers, and raise their families, then we need to invest in our community accordingly,” Bob says.
Attracting and supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is also important to Bob. “We must find ways for our city to work together with other municipalities, the Chamber, Alamance Community College, Alamance County government, and other economic development groups to create incubator spaces and resources that will help grow this important sector of our economy,” Bob says.
Bob knows we must balance industrial growth with protecting our natural resources. “Our city is rich with parks, trails, waterways and other natural resources that help define our quality of life and who we are,” says Bob. “We need to make sure everyone in current and future generations can enjoy these resources, breathe clean air, and drink safe water.
Bob has a track record of supporting economic growth and preserving natural resources. During his 4-year term as a county commissioner, He voted for economic incentives to bring such employers as the Lidl Distribution Center, Cambro Industries, Prescient, and Lotus Bakeries to Alamance County, creating hundreds of jobs and increasing our tax base.
Bob was active in the Voluntary Agriculture District Board meetings and voted to provide county funds for the Farm Preservation Program. “Our society is losing farmland at an
alarming rate,” says Bob. “Once it is gone, it is gone forever.”
Bob also was active in the formation of the Alamance Food Collaborative, which is part of Healthy Alamance that Bob co-founded. The Collaborative helps connect local farmers to local consumers, supporting the Alamance County food system “From Farm to Table,” and to eliminate food deserts. The Collaborative was responsible for establishing weekly farmer’s markets at Burlington’s North Park and at Elon Community Church.
A Responsive, Caring, Effective, and efficient Government
Bob Receiving the Healthy Alamance Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured with Bob are Marty Stadler, Healthy Alamance Board President, and April Durr, Director of Healthy Alamance.
Bob will continue to work hard to earn the trust and confidence of our residents by being open minded, honest, transparent, and collaborative. “That’s how I’ve lived my life, and that’s how I served as a county commissioner and a healthcare executive,” says Bob.
Being fiscally responsible is key. “Our task is to balance the budget and keep the tax burden reasonable while providing needed resources to move forward,” he says. “We must invest wisely in our future.”
Throughout Bob’s tenure at ARMC, the hospital maintained a fiscally sound financial position with a large and complex operating budget.
“I know the importance of sound fiscal management and operating within a budget,” Bob says. “I also know that successful growth does not happen without wise investments and good planning.”
Bob coordinated the strategic planning function at ARMC for much of his career. He will use his planning and management background to help support and achieve the goals in Burlington’s Comprehensive Plan, “Destination Burlington,” completed in 2015, guiding the growth of the city over a 20-year period.
Bob supports the following language excerpted from the Vision Statement of “Destination Burlington:”
“The Burlington of tomorrow will be a city that embraces cultural opportunities to support a sense of community. It will be a city that allows every resident the ability to lead a healthy, active lifestyle supported by healthy food options and plentiful recreational amenities. Young families will find Burlington attractive due to its affordable cost of living, close-knit neighborhoods, great schools, and attractive greenways. Burlington will invest in its past by maintaining established neighborhoods, preserving its many historic districts, and redeveloping its dormant areas. Multi-modal transit will make the city easy to traverse via bike, foot, car, or bus. A vibrant downtown will form the hub of the community, as a place where creative minds go to work, residents go to unwind and enjoy themselves, and some even choose to call home. Our community will be inclusive and our city will provide dependably high levels of public infrastructure and services in all areas of the city, making Burlington an easy place to do business and a desirable place to start a family.