Steve Wiggins
The first day of filing for local municipal elections on Friday, July 7, failed to generate much interest with only three candidates filing for the Mount Olive Town Board.
Three-term At-large Commissioner Steve Wiggins filed for mayor, and District 3 council member Barbara Kornegay filed for a fourth term.
Newcomer Robert King filed for the at-large board seat. King was unavailable for comment for this article.
The mayor and commissioners serve two-year terms.
Candidate filing for November’s municipal elections continues through noon Friday, July 21. Candidates for sanitary district elections will file during that period as well.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, when the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Municipal and sanitary district elections are nonpartisan and there is no primary for either.
The office of mayor and all five Mount Olive Town Board seats are up for election.
They are currently held by Mayor Kenny Talton; At-large Commissioner Steve Wiggins, who is also mayor pro-tem; District 1 Commissioner Vicky Darden; District 2 Commissioner Delreese Simmons; District 3 Commissioner Barbara Kornegay; and District 4 Commissioner Tommy Brown.
Wiggins, the retired CFO and manager of Young’s Auto Center, said that following retirement he quickly caught up on his “honey-do” list and began to think about something meaningful that he could do.
“I come from a family of Boy Scouters,” he said. “My sons were Boy Scouts. I am a Scoutmaster. My dad was a Scoutmaster. So, if you are familiar with Boys Scouts, you know that service is a big, big part of everything of what they do.
“So the first thing that came to my mind was how could I be of service. I more or less got recruited into running the first time, but it fell right in line with my wanting to be of service. That is truly why I ran.”
Wiggins noted that he ran unopposed in the past two elections.
“I was able to make things happen,” he said. “There are several projects that I worked on — the flood mitigation along South Center Street and a few other things that are coming into fruition. I knew or felt confident that I could be reelected as at-large.”
However, current mayor Kenny Talton has decided not to seek re-election, Wiggins said. He was the first to approach Wiggins about seeking the mayor’s seat. Wiggins said he was encouraged by other town leaders as well.
Wiggins said he thought there were others who would make good mayors and that he went with the other leaders to see if they would run. But for some reason, they had no interest, he added.
“So they turned again to me and ask if I would,” Wiggins said. “So I said I would. Once I agreed, I was committed. I intend to work just as hard as I can, and if the people decide they want me to be the mayor, they are going to know that I am committed and that I plan to work for their confidence and their vote.”
When asked why he wanted to become mayor, Wiggins said that many things come to mind.
One is the COVID pandemic when people sheltered at home and town employees were staying home, he said. The next thing that happened was the fire that heavily damaged town hall displacing town hall for nearly a year, Wiggins added.
It was just one thing after the other — disorganization, need for equipment — just so many things needing attention, he said.
Mount Olive has a very high poverty rate and there are many reasons someone might say they want to run, Wiggins said.
The poverty rate is exacerbated by a lack of jobs in part due to the state-imposed sewer moratorium that has a stranglehold on the town, he said.
“But the truth of the matter is that why I want to run for mayor is simply because I want to serve as mayor,” he said. “It goes right back to what originally motivated me.”
Wiggins said he would like for people to look beyond their own streets and see how they could help each other and become closer and more united to make Mount Olive a better place.
Kornegay said she filed for reelection to District 3 so that she can continue to work toward improvements in the town.
Her three terms on the board have provided her with experience in municipal government, she said.
Prior to coming on the board, Kornegay was employed by the University of Mount Olive where she served in various management positions, to include grant writing.
“Since the last election I have led a grant search group, which, in turn, has identified several grants for which the town has applied,” Kornegay said. “We have been fortunate to receive some funding from state agencies for wastewater improvements and downtown revitalization.
“To grow our town, we must get off the sewer moratorium and re-build the commercial center of Mount Olive so that we can stimulate economic development. To that end, I have been dedicated to following and understanding the status and complex rebuilding of our wastewater system, especially the sewer system.”
The sewer system must be improved before the town can get out from under the moratorium, she continued.
Commissioners must be willing to learn about the system and follow up with the work that is being done to complete engineering and construction projects, Kornegay added.
“I have consistently observed, asked questions and kept up with these projects,” she said. “Regarding downtown development, we have vacant buildings in the downtown area that had active accounts since the 2015 moratorium; these buildings can be utilized for commercial and other purposes. I wrote and we received a grant to complete a downtown development plan from the N.C. Dept. of Commerce.
“This plan, when complete, will be the guide for future development until and after the moratorium is lifted. Part of that plan will be the collection of ideas and market analysis of the commercial opportunities in town, including how to utilize vacant buildings.”
The next phase of downtown revitalization will be to implement the plan, and that will include finding more funding, public and private, she said.
“I want to continue to watch over and work with these plans during the next few years,” Kornegay said.
In March of this year, Kornegay submitted a proposal on behalf of the town to the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund to build a covered shelter with vendor stalls, parking and bathrooms, so local farmers can bring their produce to sell in town.
“I want to be around to assist with the operation of this facility if it is funded,” Kornegay continued. “I recently applied to T-Mobile for the funding of way-finding signs for the town.
“Like those put in place a few years ago by the Mt. Olive Pickle Co., these signs are needed to help people find our downtown, its historic buildings and commercial enterprises. If this grant is funded, I want to be a part of its implementation.”
There are other grant applications that Kornegay said she wants to submit, but only after thorough research. Being a part of the town board gives her the leverage and opportunity to learn about the possible grants that are available, she continued.
“Finally, I want to be reelected so that I can work with other commissioners in a peaceful and organized way to carry out the necessary business of our town,” Kornegay added. “To be an effective commissioner, one must know the rules and regulations affecting municipalities as well as how to work with other commissioners to get things done.
“That is my goal during the next term.”
