If you ask Kevin Bugg to describe his platform, he will immediately point to a need to restore the public's trust and confidence in their elected officials.

"First and foremost, we've got to try to restore the public's trust in our Board of Aldermen," Bugg said. "People have told me they're upset about how we look to other communities. They don't like the constant drama. It's going to be important for the board that's elected in November to put all this behind us and move forward."

Bugg, a State Farm Insurance agent, is one of 11 candidates campaigning for a seat on the five-member Kernersville Board of Aldermen.

One good thing has come out of the turmoil of recent weeks, Bugg said.

"It has people talking," he said. "Getting out to vote is very important. We've got to do better than the 16 percent we did in 2005. More people are interested in the issues. I wish people wouldn't complain. I wish they'd get out and do something about it. Voting is the most important thing you can do."
In addition to restoring public trust and confidence in elected officials, Bugg said an important part of his platform is accessibility.

"Outside of a ward system, we've got to find a way to make sure all members of the board are getting to all parts of the community," he said. "I don't know whether that means we have to hold community meetings or go around town individually and meet with homeowner's associations. Whatever it may be, we need to do a better job of getting to the citizens and hearing their concerns. I've heard that many people don't bother talking at meetings or to aldermen individually because they feel it does no good."
Bugg said his thoughts on alderman accessibility stem directly from his work. Relationships are a cornerstone of the insurance business, he said, and he feels that should "carry over" into life as an elected official.

"Folks seek you out and do business with you if you've got a good reputation," he said. "If you've got a good reputation, they'll want to seek you out as an elected official and they'll be more comfortable with you representing their town. Ultimately, it's all about relationships. I'm not a politician. I don't have an agenda. I just live, work and raise a family here."

One of his priorities, should he be elected, is the prioritization of Kernersville's "needs" and "wants," he said.

"We've got so many good things going for us, but we can't as a town pay for all the things we want," he said. "We've got to keep an eye on the future. If we run our town like a business, we might get somewhere. I'm a businessman. I've got to budget my money wisely and pay attention to the return I get on my investments. We ought to expect the same of our elected officials."

Last week, former Town Manager Marvin Davis submitted his resignation after a specially called meeting of the Board of Aldermen that lasted three hours. Bugg said hiring a town manager would be a priority for him as an elected official.

"I will push hard for clear expectations to be outlined for a town manager and for periodic reviews of a manager," he said. "You've got to talk to your department heads and get their feedback. Part of the problem is that we don't have a complete grasp of the nuts-and-bolts basics of what it means to be a Council-Manager form of government. You've got to look at the past and present and move forward, and right now we're not moving forward."

Traffic congestion is a major issue for Kernersville. It will almost certainly become a campaign issue as Kernersville's voters look to their elected officials for solutions.

"The loop road is our solution," he said. "A road bond is something we could consider, but I don't think we can keep running back to the taxpayers when they're already burdened. The loop road has been on the radar since 1979. We need to make it happen."

If the Kernersville Loop Road were already in place, Bugg said development around the site proposed for Kernersville's hospital - land off Wishbone Farm Road not far from its intersection with Macy Grove Road - "wouldn't be a problem."

"If we had the loop road, you could actually get to the development instead of having to build a new road," he said. "Looking at it from a development standpoint - if that end of Kernersville becomes another medical park like what's on Broad Street, it'll be great. There's plenty of land there, so any medical facilities won't be landlocked in the future. Hospitals don't increase tax base, so the development around it will be good. I just don't know how we'll pay for a road."

Economic development is also a priority for Bugg, he said.

"I don't have a problem with incentives, but they shouldn't be considered incentives. They should be considered investments in our town's future and the elected officials should consider them as such," he said. "We're in competition with everyone across the state. We need to figure out how to make ourselves a major player in the Triad and I don't think we're there yet. Regionalism plays a big role in economic development, but we need to get our act together."

Included in the town's 2007-08 budget was money for the hire of an economic development director. Plans were put in place to create an Economic Development Program for Kernersville. Both are important for Kernersville, Bugg said.

"Economic development programs and directors are necessities for any municipality that's trying to compete," he said. "Who else on the town's staff is going to do it? I think it's a must. The director will be a great point-of-contact for developers and those interested in investing in our community. He will also work closely with some other economic development organizations in the county, which can only bring positive results."

A vibrant downtown is also on Bugg's priority list, he said. He said the town "could consider" revisiting a suggestion made years ago to make South Main and South Cherry streets one-way streets in opposite directions.

"Downtown Kernersville is something special," he said. "Consider what it will be with the gardens and streets that are easy to navigate. Let's make downtown a destination."

Bugg pointed to the town's 2007-08 budget and said "$10 million is dedicated to fire and police."

"That is as it should be," he said. "I can't emphasize enough how important public safety is to a growing community. Nothing is wrong with holding departments accountable for their costs, but if we need equipment we have to buckle down and buy it. While it's very important to watch pennies for the taxpayers, playing 'catch up' is more expensive than spending the money up front. We need to ensure we've got enough equipment and personnel to do the job. We need to prioritize our expenses carefully."
There are many issues facing Kernersville, but Bugg said facing them comes down to relationships.
"You can either be the cancer or you can be the cure," he said. "That's the simplest way I can say it. You can either lay aside your differences and work together or you can make the problem worse. It all comes back to relationships. We need a public relations makeover in Kernersville. We need to be unified and cohesive. I'm a dreamer in that I can think outside the box. But I've also got my feet solidly on the ground."

For more information about Bugg, visit his Web site at www.buggforalderman.com.

Editor's Note: This is the first part in a series on the candidates for the Kernersville Board of Aldermen. The stories will be published every Tuesday and Thursday until the Nov. 6 election.