Gerald Holleman, 17 years as former mayor, declares for office of mayor

On July 9, Gerald Holleman declared his candidacy for the Office of Mayor. For 17 years Gerald Holleman was mayor of Holly Spring; his first term in office witnessed the town’s population reaching some 900 people. It can truthfully be said that if it wasn’t for mayor Holleman you wouldn’t be living in Holly Spring because it was under his leadership and dedication that Holly Springs received its first federal grant enabling a waste treatment facility. He then worked tirelessly to bring water to Holly Springs, the town’s first local school Holly Ridge Elementary, then Holly Ridge Middle and Holly Springs Elementary, the grant to restore the Bass Lake Dam, NC DOT’s funding of the 55 by-pass, Womble Park, and established the town’s police, fire, Emergency Medical Services, and so much more.

When asked why mayor Holleman decided to run after an eight year absence he responded, “The town is growing too fast. In the past we made sure the needed resources of waste treatment, water, schools, athletic fields, and the roadways to accommodate traffic were in place. The town’s population is 22,000 and has more than doubled in the last seven years and is projected to reach 45,000 and then 60,000. I think the Town Council needs to seriously reconsider these projections; sometimes you add by subtracting.”

Sears throws hat back into the political ring

By Stephanie Eaton Harvie

Web editor

Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears has decided he is not finished serving the community he has called home since 1995.

On the afternoon of July 9, Sears filed his bid for reelection with the Wake County Board of Election. He has served as Holly Spring’s Mayor since December 2001. Sears will face off against former Holly Springs Mayor Gerald Holleman and David Austin in the November election.

Sears said there were several reasons he ran for mayor.

“I enjoy the job,” Sears said. “I think I have made a difference, but there is still much work to be done. I also appreciated the significant amount of phone calls, visits, and emails encouraging me to run again (for the third time).

Sears said some of his accomplishments have been working with the children in area schools, creating the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board and bringing new commercial businesses to the community. Since becoming mayor, the town has seen Novartis, several banks, the Employee’s Credit Union, three shopping centers and Main Street Square settle into the community. Sears said he is also proud that he has a commitment from Rex Hospital to build an Urgent Care Center and the commitment with Novant Healthcare to bring their hospital to Holly Springs. Although officials said the community cannot have a hospital, Sears said he refuses to give up the fight.

According to Sears, Holly Springs also has the highest projected increase from a financial outlook in the town’s 2010 budget and the town has not seen a tax increase in eight years.

While serving as mayor, Holly Springs has been honored by Relocate America as a Top 100 Places to Live (2008, 2009), by Forbes Magazine as the 18th Fastest Growing Suburb in America (2007), by Money Magazine’s Top 20 Best Places to Live in the United States (2005) and 22nd in (2007), Money Magazine’s Top 20 Best Places to Retire (2005), being named the Safest Town for its size in N.C. from SBI statistics (2005, 2007).

Other accomplishments Sears made while serving as mayor include being named Wake County’s Mayor Association’s “Mayor of the Year” in 2005, Holly Spring’s Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year” in 2002 and being recognized as good to work with by the town staff in a recent survey.

Sears said his job as mayor has not come without challenges.

“Although most challenges have been met in my opinion, our roads (working with DOT), and for the last four years working with the Town Council to try to instill teamwork and a positive direction for the Town versus personal political agendas (might apply to just one individual) are continuing issues,” Sears said. Sears said he hopes to be reelected to finish the job he started.

“I want to continue that process and with my networking and with the knowledge of the various people we need to work with at the federal, state, municipal, and local levels. I don’t think we need to start over again.”

If Sears is reelected, he said he would like to continue to work on behalf of the citizens on an everyday basis, to get a hospital, and an urgent care facility. He would to continue to work towards a new community center, the enhanced downtown project and would like to see more sidewalks, more upscale, family friendly restaurants, perhaps even a skateboard park and a dog park.

When not serving as mayor, Sears serves as a charter member and current board member of the Kiwanis and Civitan Clubs, a charter member of the Rotary Club, a former chair and current board member of the Crescent State Bank, the founder and current board director of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board, a member of the Holly Springs United Methodist Church, and a member of the Southwest Board of the Department of Health and Human Services Regional Network.

David “Bird Dawg” Austin throws his hat into the race for Mayor

By Stephanie Eaton Harvie Web editor

Austin is no stranger to the community. He is the co-owner of Austin Construction and Development L.L.C. He said the company has built several homes in the Holly Springs community. He is also the owner of Meredith Square Townhomes in Buies Creek, the co-owner of Buies Creek Partners L.L.C. , the owner of Sunshine Car Care, Quicklube, owner of car washes throughout several communities and manages and owns a small family farm in Angier.

If elected as mayor, he said he hopes to unite the council. He also said his goal is to do what is best for the citizens of Holly Springs.

“I listen and understand the concerns of the citizens of Holly Springs” Austin said. “I’m here to help, and to move the town forward,” Austin said. “I feel I am the best person for the job of mayor because, there again, I listen to the citizens of Holly Springs. I understand what they are all going through in this down economy. I feel their pain. I understand that they are tired of the high property taxes and fees in this town with little changes in services and infrastructure. They see wasteful spending and the special interest that has corrupted our current leaders. Its time it stopped! It’s time the town was given back to the people. I want to unite the city council and the citizens of Holly Springs. Together we can do this and move this town forward. I don’t want Holly Springs to make the list of the best places to live in America. I want to make it number one. Together we can do this.”

Austin said he would also like to cut property taxes, improve the infrastructure and build the commercial industry in the area.

“If elected mayor of Holly Springs, the very first thing I want to accomplish with the town council, is to cut property taxes without cutting services. We can do this! Second, I want to improve our roads, sidewalks, street lights and make it greener by improving our town’s landscape. Third, increase our commercial and industry tax base, more places to shop, restaurants and places to work to help the small business man. And fourth,to make it a safer place to live and improve our parks and schools for the children so that they will want to call Holly Springs home and raise their families here.”

Austin has lived in the Holly Springs community for five years and is a proud member of Baptist Grove Church.

He said he hopes voters pick him in November.

“If elected mayor of this great town we call home, I will work hard, day and night and with all my heart for the citizens of Holly Springs that I care for so much. For I am one of you. All of the goals I have mentioned above, can be done. I have a great wife, family, friends and intelligent staff that is working day and night to make this happen. Together all these goals can be accomplished. Again, my number one goal is to cut your property tax, that’s such a burden to all of us, while not cutting services. It can be done. Thanks for your time and your vote would be greatly appreciated. For we need change. And may God bless our town of Holly Springs.”