Franklin elects fresh faces to town board
Everyone was a bit surprised on Nov. 3 when the election results came out in Franklin — even the candidates who were elected.
No one was shocked that Joe Collins, a former mayor and alderman, was put back in office, but many were pleasantly surprised to see Brandon McMahan and Adam Kimsey elected to fill the other two seats on the board. McMahan was the top vote-getter with 230 votes and Kimsey came in third with 168 votes.
Not only did McMahan and Kimsey replace two incumbents, but also they significantly reduced the average age on the town board. McMahan, 33, and Kimsey, 30, replaced incumbents Joyce Handley, 74, and Verlin Curtis, 80. While it may be that voters wanted younger representation, it was definitely a clear sign that the residents of Franklin were ready for more change.
“I think that these election results are partially due to a certain set of Franklin’s young people becoming more active and involved in their communities, but I think that just as much, these election results reflect an ideology that is becoming more pervasive in our town,” McMahan said. “Regardless of age, the idea that Franklin is an amazing and beautiful town, but that it can grow into something even better, and that change and growth are to be embraced and encouraged.”
This year’s election was a continuation of the changes voters wanted in 2013 when they elected two new board members — Barbara McRae and Patti Abel — and kept longtime member Billy Mashburn. Mashburn will be the only incumbent left on the board when Collins, McMahan and Kimsey are sworn in next month.
McMahan and Kimsey are representative of a bourgeoning group of business owners and community leaders in Franklin. At one time they co-owned The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in downtown, but now McMahan is an elementary school teacher while Kimsey and his wife continue to run the business. As natives of Franklin, they both have a vested interest in the town’s future.
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McMahan said he thinks the election was about more than age. While he’s sure many of his and Kimsey’s peers voted for them, he also knows of many older residents who supported them as well simply because they agreed with their positions on the issues. As an alderman, McMahan said he wants to represent all residents’ best interests.
“I can say that I did not specifically target any demographic with any of my campaigning. I just talked to everyone, and let everyone know how I felt,” he said. “I think a few of the older folks just voted for us to ‘give the young guys a chance.’ I think it made people happy — younger people and older people — to see two members of my generation who were excited to be involved so deeply in local politics.”
Matt Bateman, an active community advocate and local businessman, said he was glad to see some younger folks in Franklin stepping up to serve and voters who were willing to give them a chance.
“Two years ago people wanted some fresh ideas but there were too many people running and it watered down the vote,” he said. “But during the last two years, there were a few issues that people got worked up about and it spoke to the root of the problem — it definitely had an effect on how people voted this year.”
McMahan said he would like to see improved communication and cooperation between the various groups that have a vested interest in the town. He also wants to see the town be friendlier to bike and foot traffic and continue to improve the town in any way possible to make it more welcoming for new businesses and for individuals.
“We all want to see Franklin grow and succeed, and while we don’t all have to have the same viewpoint, we do need to make an attempt to understand and respect each other’s viewpoints and be willing to compromise with one another,” he said.
Cory McCall, co-owner of Outdoor 76 in downtown Franklin, said having younger, more progressive voices in town government will hopefully be a great opportunity to address issues previous boards didn’t. He would like to see a better marketing plan for Franklin to attract outdoor enthusiasts and young families who can enjoy the natural resources and downtown businesses in the county.
McCall said Franklin’s new designation as the “Top Small Town” in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine could help the town attract visitors and potential businesses. If that happens, he said the town government needed to be thinking about future services and infrastructure needs.
“It will put the spotlight on us and there’s a potential for growth that will have a ripple effect,” he said. “And we’ll need to be prepared for that.”
During election season, Mayor Bob Scott said he was excited to see younger candidates running for office to bring different perspectives and ideas to the board. He also feels like the town has been working to engage younger residents by putting younger people in leadership roles. The town hired new town manager Summer Woodard about two years ago. The 30-year-old holds a master’s degree in public administration from Western Carolina University, and so does Chad Simons, the town’s clerk.
“When we took on the new town manager, she brought a new attitude to town,” Scott said.
When asked what impact the younger aldermen might have on the town’s direction, Scott said, “I think it’s a little too early to tell.”
Even though two members may bring new ideas to the table, they would still need to convince the other four board members to go along with it. Scott knows from experience that a candidate can have plenty of plans, but they quickly realize that making those plans come to fruition can be more difficult than expected once elected.
“Once you’re on the other side of the fence, it’s different,” he said.
McMahan agrees that things may not go exactly how he expects it to, but on the other hand, he and Kimsey really didn’t make any bold promises other than to be an open and unifying voice for the town.
“No one knows what the future holds, no one knows how Adam and I are going to do as aldermen, but they believed in us enough to vote us in,” he said. “That says to me that the people of Franklin are excited to participate in a grand experiment and give change a chance.”
