Commissioner Lucier Will Run for a 2nd Term

George Lucier will seek re-election as Chatham County Commissioner from District 3. Lucier, a Democrat, was elected in 2006, and has a long record of public service at the local, state and national levels. He is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners and served as Chair in 2008 and 2009. Lucier also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Central Carolina Community College, the Chatham County Board of Health and the Economic Development Corporation.

My Public Service Experience

I have had the opportunity to participate on a variety of boards and committees, some of which are listed below. This has provided me with diverse experience in working with both the public and private sectors.

Fiscal Responsibility

Counties, unlike the Federal government, cannot operate with a deficit. We must balance our budget each year. Fiscal responsibility is critical for ensuring that essential and mandated services such as schools, public health, law enforcement and social services, are provided without overburdening taxpayers. Commissioners are responsible for maintaining financial stability and for the expenditure of public funds. We are and should be accountable for our decisions. Chatham County government is lean and our financial indicators are very strong in comparison to other counties. I thank our hard working county employees and the volunteer work of our citizens for their role in keeping Chatham County on a firm financial foundation. Here are some facts regarding our fiscal status:

Schools

During my tenure on the Board of Commissioners, we focused on helping to provide the resources our schools need to succeed. I and others on the Board will continue to work with common purpose to strengthen our public school system.

Economic Development

There is a need for both economic and agricultural growth to lessen our reliance on property taxes. The county and towns must work together if we are to be successful in economic development. After all, if the towns thrive, the county will benefit and businesses often need the infrastructure available in the towns. In the past, while there was primary focus on residential development, Chatham County had no economic growth strategy or strategic plan. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) in existence at that time was unresponsive and ineffective.

During my tenure on the Board, we restructured the EDC board, hired a new President, developed a strategic plan in cooperation with Siler City, Pittsboro, Goldston, business leaders and interested citizens, and are now embarking on plan implementation. Other new initiatives include:

Land Use and Regional Planning

When I took office in December 2006, Chatham County was suffering from rampant residential growth and limited or no business growth. This imbalance was stressing our schools and infrastructure capacity, while at the same time stressing our residential tax base. Chatham’s ordinances were outdated and ineffective in managing growth. They were limited in fostering economic development and in protecting our environment. In the last three years the Commissioners have made major changes to those ordinances to encourage economic growth, protect our environment, and retain our rural character. Here are some specifics:

Environment and Energy Conservation

In Chatham County, we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources. We have three major rivers, the Haw, Rocky and the Deep and the 120 miles of Jordan Lake shoreline are almost entirely surrounded by Chatham County lands. It is important that we protect our natural resources for future generations, for sustaining our quality of life and as an attraction for economic development. Energy conservation is important now and will be even more important in the future as costs of conventional energy sources will continue to escalate. Here are some of my accomplishments in environmental protection and energy conservation and my priorities for the future.