By MICAH HENRY for The Taylorsville Times
On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the Taylorsville Town Council decided to keep the Town Charter as it currently stands for municipal elections, instead of changing the Council elections to staggered terms. This would have placed two Council members up for election for a four year term, with the other two being up for election two years later, also for a four year term.
Also, Council members did not choose to switch the election to coincide with Presidential election and mid-term (even number) years, either, which had been suggested at the last few meetings.
The decision came during a special called Council meeting at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, prior to a 2:00 p.m. work session.
Currently, the only local elections held in Alexander County during odd years are the municipal elections for Mayor and Council, held every four years, and next slated for 2027.
Councilman Jack Simms indicated that staggered terms would have allowed continuity for the Council to retain at least two members from election to election. He felt that municipal elections should be changed to even number election years in order to save the Town money. It cost about $11,000 for the Town elections in 2023, Alexander Board of Elections staff told Simms. The next Town election in 2027 would likely cost about $14,000. The cost to hold Town elections in even years would be only about $500. Thus, the cost for a four year cycle of staggered elections on odd years would be $22,000 to $28,000 versus $1,000 for holding elections on the even years.
Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bumgarner felt the Council election should be staggered, as the Alexander County Commission, Alexander Board of Education, and U.S. Senate elections are.
During Council discussion, Councilwoman Tamara Odom said she felt the elections should not be changed. She did not elaborate on her opinion.
“I’m still not in favor of that. That’s just my say on that,” said Councilwoman Odom.
It was noted that the Council can change to staggered elections on odd years without consulting State officials. However, a change in the election years to coincide with Presidential and mid-term election years would need a local bill, specific to Taylorsville, filed and passed in the North Carolina General Assembly. Simms stated the bill would not be an obstacle with the assistance of State Representative Blair Eddins and State Senator Eddie Settle.
After further discussion, Town Manager Nathan Hester urged the Council to vote on the issue. To avoid costing more taxpayer money than the current elections, Simms made a motion in favor of keeping the Town elections as they currently are. Bumgarner seconded the motion. Mayor George Holleman called for a vote.
Simms and Bumgarner voted in favor of Simms’ motion to keep the municipal elections as-is. When Holleman asked for any opposed votes, neither Odom or Councilwoman Kim Brown voiced a vote.
Hester indicated that remaining silent counts as a “yes” vote, so the total was 4-0 in favor of keeping the elections as-is.
In other Town government business:
• Hester indicated that the Town is setting up a non-profit organization to promote growth in town. It will be called the Taylorsville Development Alliance.
• During the Council work session, Mayor Holleman proclaimed October 24 as World Polio Day in Taylorsville, in conjunction with efforts by Taylorsville Rotary Club and Rotary International to eradicate the illness worldwide.
• The Taylorsville ABC Board Chairman Jason Durmire, Secretary Christy Meredith, and ABC store manager Diane Martin were on hand to discuss the ABC operation in town. Durmire noted the recent audit went well. The ABC Board, after its split last year from the Catawba ABC Board, had to take out a line of credit to purchase liquor for inventory, as the partnership dissolution left Taylorsville ABC with zero inventory. This was a debt of about $202,000 and the ABC Board has paid down more than half this amount. Taylorsville ABC still owes about $95,000 on the line of credit and is making $5,000 extra payment monthly on the loan, in addition to its normal monthly payments.
Durmire said that, for now, Taylorsville ABC is paying the minimum distribution of revenue (3 percent of total sales) to the Town until it pays off this debt.
The ABC Board also had to purchase a point-of-sale system ($25,000) for the store to operate, adding to the Board’s financial burden, said Durmire.
Taylorsville ABC Board hopes to build and move to a larger facility with better parking. It currently leases the ABC Store building at intersection of NC 16 and Main Avenue Drive from the Town.
Councilwoman Brown noted that since the ABC Board has been operating only eight months, it is making great progress toward debt payoff. Odom agreed.
Hester said the Town had budgeted $80,000 of revenue from ABC this year and asked if the ABC Board could meet that figure by June 30, 2026. Durmire replied ABC could not but would work toward it.
• Taylorsville Police Chief Mike Millsaps said he hired a new officer, Matthew Bauer, last week. The department is nearly fully staffed. Hester indicated the Town would need to hire two additional officers to be School Resource Officers, once the Town resumes staffing SROs for all the school campuses in Town limits.
• The Town Christmas tree will be assembled on November 21.
• The next Council meeting will be Nov. 4, 5:30 p.m.
