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In our opinion: Platform for growth

Our candidates for Brunswick County Commissioners


Everyone knows Brunswick County is growing at a record-setting pace. Everyone, it seems, except for the commissioners who run our county.


Instead of shaping growth, they’ve retreated to the sidelines. Rather than championing policies that balance the views of all interests, they’ve succumbed to the demands of special interests. In place of responsible action, the county commissioners are kicking the can down the road, delaying the reckoning that will surely result because of their incompetence.


A drive through Brunswick County should convince anyone our future is at risk. Here’s why:

  • A lack of common-sense policies to guide growth, leading to haphazard, slapdash commercial and residential development 

  • Vast parcels of empty land, stripped of their vegetation, many of which lay fallow for years

  • Fires, deliberately set to pave the way for indiscriminate development, pollute ponds and send billowing clouds of foul smoke into the air 

  • Elimination of vital wetlands that prevent flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change

  • Overworked, outdated or non-existent water and sewer facilities, especially in communities whose residents lack the deep pockets of developers and real estate interests

  • The greed of local elected officials who kowtow to the demands of the special interests that finance their campaigns

  • A despicable abdication of authority to state legislators who are equally beholden — often to the same special interests


It doesn‘t have to be this way: We don’t have to be one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. True, growth in our area is inevitable. New residents arrive in Brunswick County every day, seeking a lifestyle only coastal communities can provide. But like those who have lived in Brunswick County for years or generations, they deserve to know the future of our county is in capable hands. That means controlled growth, good schools, excellent health care, safe neighborhoods, and policies that preserve the environment and the beauty that attracted them here in the first place.


We don’t need do-nothing commissioners who threaten our future. Democrats have a better idea.


Elect Jonathan Damico, Robert Fulton and Tom Simmons as county commissioners to replace Frank Williams, Pat Sykes and Mike Forte. Together, our slate of candidates will work to: control development through proactive management, protect our water and hold polluters accountable, restrict clearcutting and prohibit wetlands destruction. The do-nothings currently in office will be replaced by responsible office-holders who represent the best interests of all Brunswick County residents. 


But that’s not all. The Damico-Fulton-Simmons ticket will advance affordable housing initiatives, prioritize infrastructure needs, expand broadband coverage and oppose tolling on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. They’ll support our public schools and champion workforce development programs in high schools and our community college. They’ll adopt recruitment and incentive programs for medical professionals.


Brunswick County Democrats believe in honest, open government, where county business is done transparently. If elected, our candidates will answer to all residents of Brunswick County, not the special interests that selfishly back our opponents.


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