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THUNBERG: 'I've honored my commitment' to voters
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Published: October 21, 2009
After two terms as mayor of Mooresville, Bill Thunberg believes he has the town on the right track.
"When I took office I brought forward four general principles: maintain or enhance the financial condition of the town; maintain or enhance the quality of services provided to the citizens; respect the commitment of the taxpayers; and respect the sacrifices and efforts of town employees," Thunberg said.
Based on those principles, Thunberg said he believes he's been able to provide the leadership Mooresville has needed. "I've honored my commitment," he said.
Thunberg, a downtown jeweler, believes Mooresville voters will have the general economy and jobs on their mind when they head to the polls on Nov. 3. Thunberg will be facing political newcomer Chris Montgomery.
"One of the things the mayor does is economic development," Thunberg said. "I work hard everyday to identify opportunities to get new employment opportunities here. I'm committed to continue to move forward to continue to see improvements and recruit jobs to the community."
Part of that commitment has been to encourage businesses to diversify themselves and branch out to other business channels, he said. For instance, many business involved in motorsports have the ability to produce goods for the aerospace industry, he explained.
"We've changed our incentives policy to those folks who are trying to convert their business to other channels, instead of being dependent on one industry alone, they would have another business channel to count on," he said.
Thunberg acknowledges many residents have strong opinions about the town's decision to enter into the MI-Connection agreement with the towns of Davidson and Cornelius.
"I didn't think we should be involved in it at first," Thunberg said. "But, (Mooresville cable subscribers) have been basically ripped off by the other companies that have owned the system.
"We asked Time Warner to agree to certain customer service needs, which they couldn't meet. I think if (Time Warner) was more concerned with customers than they were padding their pockets then there wouldn't haven been a discussion (about buying the system). I think we did the right thing."
Thunberg says other accomplishments his administration has made has helped set up Mooresville for a prosperous future, including securing $4 million in federal funds to upgrade the existing waste water treatment plant.
"That means we won't have to borrow $4 million and we'll be able to keep future (water and sewer) rates down," he said.
Thunberg points out other accomplishments, including a tripled fund balance and an improved bond rating. "Because of sound financial management we've been able to save Mooresville hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said. "We've made tremendous strides in financial management of the town."
As for another topic on the minds of many voters – transportation -- Thunberg said Mooresville is improving its relationship with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and is working with neighboring towns to address transportation needs.
"I think that will pay dividends in the future," he said. "There are several small projects we're currently working on that will have a big impact on safety and mobility."
As far as larger projects, including the widening of I-77, Thunberg said NC DOT is doing a study on it now and the town has contributed some money to that study from a federal grant.
"We're doing our part to make that happen," he said.
(A complete Q&A with Bill Thunberg can be read at www.mooresvilletribune.com)
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