Leland council candidates tackle big issues at public forum

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Election Day is quickly approaching and candidates in Leland are fighting for the public’s vote. Wednesday night candidates tackled the big issues in the growing Leland community at a open forum.

Three city council candidates and two mayoral candidates were featured at the League of Women Voters and North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forum. People packed Leland’s new town hall’s council chamber’s to hear what the candidates had to say.

Brenda Bozeman is up for re-election as Mayor and her opponent is Glen Thearling. The two disagreed on some topics like the H2GO water plant. Bozeman said she is against it but Thearling says he is open to the idea.

Another hot topic was transportation.

Bozeman said she wants to see less traffic around town and getting in and out of town.

“Transportation is our biggest issue and you can tell that just by going across the bridge to Wilmington. It’ll ease off that a little bit when the is causeway finished,” said Bozeman.

Thearling said there needs to be a focus on rural roads in the “orginal” Leland as he refers to what is known as Old Leland.

“This is the area actually where working class people live and has pretty much the rural feel of the roads that hasn’t been updated and I think it has to be given an extra priority.”

Michael Callahan and Bob Campbell are vying for Jane Crowder’s council seat. The three discussed a number of concerns the public has that can be improved.

Callahan said education is one thing he wants to be a focus for the town.

“We need to improve our schools, we need to give our teachers a pay raise and we need to improve our facilities in our schools as well,” said Callahan.

Bob Campbell is concerned about maintaining economic development.

“The infrastructures that we have here, the buildings that we have here, the businesses that we have going on, that needs to continue,” said Campbell.

Incumbent Jane Crowder said she supports building roads but not at the expense of the citizens.

“I do want to see some of the roads connected, I do not want to see it affect our home owners that have bought into cul-de-sacs because that’s where they want to live,” said Crowder.

Following the council candidate forum, the candidates for the H2GO commission debated as well.