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Harold Owen, a first-term member of Burlington City Council and former Burlington City Manager, has always felt drawn to public service. Seeking re-election in the fall municipal election in Alamance County, Owen’s platform primarily focuses on Burlington’s economic growth and development, housing issues, security, and city communication. and the public.
In addition to his work as a city councilor and city manager for Burlington for 13 years, Owen also worked in the City Parks and Recreation Department and as a consultant to the League of Municipalities of North Carolina. Owen said he believed his 46 years working for public groups in Burlington gives him extensive experience working on city council.
Economic plans
Owen’s plans for his next term, if re-elected, are first to help Burlington out of post-COVID-19 economic hardship by working with county and state governments as well as with local governments. local private companies.
“This is truly a rare opportunity where all lower levels of government can work hand in hand, trying to reduce the impact COVID is wreaking on so many of our citizens, as well as on so many of our businesses. local, ”said Owen.
Owen plans to continue ongoing partnerships with private groups like LabCorp and various local businesses to help the city’s economy thrive. Still in his plans, he continues to invest in manufacturing Burlington’s sewer and water lines are more environmentally friendly.
Public security
In addition to economic growth, Owen has expressed concerns about public safety and cybersecurity. He said he plans to look after public safety in Burlington by increasing employment in local police, fire and computer stations within city jurisdiction.
“When I say public safety I include fires, because our fire department is the first responder to all medical calls, in addition to fire calls it is just essential that we have knowledgeable staff. and almost capable of providing those services, ”Owen said. .
He mentioned that the risks of hackers are increasing and Burlington needs better ways to defend against such threats. Owen said he believed that better public knowledge of government operations would help in this area.
Community growth
Owen thinks housing is also important. Through partnerships with the Burlington Housing Authority, federal home loans and a private developer, Owen wants to work on creating more affordable housing in accordance with federal guidelines and funding private property improvements in the city.
“Our city is located in the center of the state, along the US 40, which gives us a lot of advantages,” Owen said. “We are experiencing positive growth and it is important to manage this growth.”
Owen also wants to start working with the state to increase the number of council seats to better reflect Burlington’s growing population, a process that requires the city’s charter to be reviewed and ratified by the state legislature. from North Carolina. He said he plans to work extensively with community members from all walks of life on all of these projects.
“As the [city] manager, I literally had the opportunity to work in every community in town, ”said Owen. “What I bring is I believe people trust me, because people know I’m here to try to help them.”
Vote
There are five other candidates vying against Owen for the seat of the municipal council in the primaries. These include former County Commissioner Bob Byrd, retired Burlington Police Sgt. Wendy Jordan, Dejuana Bigelow, Cone Health Patient Access Specialist and Community Advocate Charlie Beasley, Deputy Head of Quality Assurance at Tempest Aero Group, and former Mayor Ronnie Wall.
Under the city’s charter rule, the election is a non-partisan event open to all Burlington residents who are eligible to vote. The primaries will take place on October 5 and the four candidates with the most votes will advance to the next round of full local elections on November 2.
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