County Tries Again, Hires Local for Economic Development

Greetings Ruby.  I hope that you and the other readers of OrangePolitics.org will allow me to introduce myself, let me offer my sincere desire to get to know you and listen to your ideas, and ask that you have faith that I believe citizen input should be consulted.  While some here will likely interpret my background as based in "traditional" economic development, I trust you will not prejudge me or my doubt my personal desire to work to improve our community in whatever ways I can contribute.  I love Orange County, and it is where I chose to live, raise a family and call home.

I am a Durham native from a farming background.  Due to the misfortune of a broken home environment before I was a year old, I grew up on welfare and food stamps for a time, until my mother found work at Duke Hospital, where she became a secretary for 38 years.  And since my father's grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee, it meant I was technically of "legal" Native American heritage, if you count the percentage lineage. If you know anything about the blue collar side of Durham, and particularly the Braggtown community I came from, you might guess this kind of background could make it more difficult to succeed.  When people in this community write and talk about social injustice, I think about where I came from.

During most of my US Navy service in my younger years, I was fortunate to spend 5 years living outside the United States, and was able to see the world, and this country, from a more distant perspective.  That included living in rural Japan for 4 years, where I met my Japanese wife Noriko. She and I have been married for the past 31 years, and she is is an accomplished teacher and currently a very busy personal fitness trainer in town.  

Over the past two plus decades, while working with the State of NC in Raleigh, I have been a Carrboro resident and taxpayer, and my two children attended public school here at Carrboro Elementary, McDougle Middle School, and then graduated from Chapel Hill High.  Both my son and daughter then went on to enter UNC Chapel Hill, and both have since graduated.  They played local team sports here, acted in Chapel HIll High musicals and dramas, my son sang with the UNC Clef Hangers a capella group, and they eventually grew into fine young adults who are now pursuing their career dreams in the area.  Their mixed race heritage rarely caused them to encounter problems here, though I know they privately wrestled with having a dual identity. 

I also served for 2 1/2 years on the Town of Carrboro's Board of Adjustment.  So we feel we are a UNC and Carrboro family.

Personally, I enjoy visiting the Carrboro Farmers Market most Saturdays, pursuing my artistic hobby of photography and developing my photo web site (www.triumph.smugmug.com), hiking the Eno or Hanging Rock, and riding my British made Triumph motorcycles through the countryside.

In conclusion, I ask that readers here be open minded about my honest intention to meet, talk and strategize with you, as I begin to transition into this new role as the new Orange County economic developer.  Successful economic development policy can have many interpretations, because it can and should cover a broad array of strategies that seek to improve the overall quality of life for citizens in Orange County.   Economic development efforts and goals that may be appropriate for Mebane or the Caldwell community may not always be the same approach that one would pursue for Carrboro.  But there should be an environment, on both sides, that allows such discussion (and difference of opinion) to be considered calmly.  Remembering that in the end, we all still live here together and should strive to coexist in harmony.  My many travels to Asia showed me that seeking harmony is a key doctrine of the Buddhist belief that is practiced in that part of the world, which I think you understand.

Because of my own background, I have one foot in the culture of Caldwell and the Orange County Speedway, and the other foot in the culture of Weaver Street and Open Eye.  They easily coexist for me.  So perhaps I have some understanding of the diverse community here called Orange County.

The Orange County tool bag of economic development initiatives ought to be diverse, as it is, such that each unique community here, however different, can work together and make our home better for the next generation. I am impressed with Orange County's direction to  seek new ways to attract more and better paying jobs (with health benefits) for our citizens.  To attract new sustainable technologies in promising growth clusters. To find a way to shift the property tax burden off the home owner and more toward new businesses that can move here.  To encourage a positive net flow of sales tax revenues into the county, and thereby support local merchants.

It should be possible for people with varying views or backgrounds to talk and find common interests and solutions to such endeavors, in a courteous manner, and you have my pledge that I will also be honest and open in any discussion related to economic development in Orange County.

Sincerely,

Steve Brantley

Steve recently served on the Board of Adjustment in Carrboro. Minutes are available on-line at the Carrboro web site.