Four candidates running for an open seat on Lexington Town Council attended a forum organized by the Chronicle and the Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center on April 19.

The candidates, all vying for the vacant seat left after Steve Baker announced his resignation due to a move out of state, are on the ballot for the May 2 special election.

The council hopefuls discussed town traffic, handling ongoing growth, supporting small businesses and issues with communication, among other town needs. Chronicle Managing Editor Jordan Lawrence moderated the forum.

Gavin Smith, owner of his public and government relations firm and a partner in the scuttled Navy Yard on Main beer garden, was the first candidate to mention communication issues, something all candidates touched on, specifically in regard to how the town interacts with small business owners.

“We have a communication problem in the town,” Smith said. “Every single small business owner in the town says that. That's the number one thing that I think the town needs to improve on as it relates to business licensing and business policies, whether it be zoning, etc. How are we communicating to business owners in the town?”

Edwin Gerace, a realtor and former town Planning Commission member, espoused council lobbying the state and federal government or hiring lobbyists to represent the town in order to get necessary funds to address traffic concerns.

Matthew Graham, owner of Lexington-based contractor Palmetto Renovations, mentioned communication as an issue with traffic, saying the town has to make sure it's communicating with the right people to help.

“It is the folks at [the state Department of Transportation] that will make a difference because if it doesn't go through them, it will not happen,” Graham said.

Constance Flemming, a music teacher and former Town Council member, pushed for single-member districts, as opposed to the current model where council members are all elected in town-wide elections, in response to growth.

“We have passed the at-large state and we are ready for single member districts,” she said. “And that's one of the things that we plan to push for single-member districts to make sure that everyone throughout the town, and dealing with this growth, will have some representation, not just one central area.”

The candidates also touched on infrastructure needs, particularly spotlighting adding parking downtown, perhaps in the form of a parking structure. With Lexington continuously growing Main Street, the candidates urged additional parking to help.

One solution proposed by Gerace is to find a way to utilize the privately owned land behind O’Hara’s Public House and other businesses along the street.

“Take that whole parking lot behind O'Hara’s from [Cribb’s Sandwich and Sweet Shop] all the way down, restripe it with the parking spots, perpendicular to the road, get rid of some of the fences there,” Gerace said. “There's 100 spots right there.”

Smith pushed for the idea of a parking garage, mentioning that it would be one of his top priorities. Graham seconded Smith’s idea, a rare moment of accord between the candidates who were often at odds throughout the forum.

“There’s only so much flatland, at some point you gotta go up,” Graham said.

While candidates addressed infrastructure falling short of growth in some regards, they all said they fully support the continued development of new businesses.

“I want to do anything we can to encourage that downtown development,” Gerace said.

When it came to the town’s beautification efforts, all candidates vouched for the town’s parks and the downtown Icehouse Amphitheater as positive developments when it comes to quality of life and espoused continuing to bolster Lexington’s amenities.

“I see Lexington as a beautiful place,” Flemming said. “The improvements that have been made, the additions that have been made. They all go along with this being a beautiful place and they are going to continue to grow.“

Flemming reflected on Caractor Park, located on Hendrix Street, which was named after her father who she said was known as the mayor of that side of town, mentioning that the park is utilized by residents and tourists alike.

Graham told those in attendance that the way you bring about necessary change is to bring in somebody different than who was there previously, adding that he is the only candidate that has not served in some political capacity.

Smith argued that he hasn’t served in an elected position and that his past experience working for the U.S. Department of Labor is an advantage.

If elected, Graham vowed to give his salary of $10,000 back to the town. 

“I'm not doing this for money, not doing it for any other reason than the town of Lexington,” he said.

He and Smith argued back and forth about how much that amount of money can actually do for the town.