Three other candidates — Sherry Mills, Tony Brown and Jacob Dean — applied for the open District 1 Roanoke Rapids City Council seat.

The seat was vacated when Tommy Daughtry stepped down because he was moving outside the district.

At the end of presentations, the council on a 3-2 vote opted to go with Curt Strickland, the general manager of Builders FirstSource in Roanoke Rapids. 

Mayor Emery Doughtie cast the deciding tie-breaker for Strickland as Wayne Smith and Rex Stainback sided with Strickland and Sandra Bryant and Carl Ferebee voted against his appointment. A motion by Ferebee to appoint retired Halifax County manager Brown had failed with Doughtie casting the tie-breaker.

In their applications the candidates answered two key questions — why do you want to serve on the council and why do you think you would be an asset to this council?

In the gallery from left: Mills, Dean, and Brown

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Their answers are as follows:

Mills

“I have served our community in many capacities over the past 20 (plus) years and feel my experience and the relationships built will be an asset to serving on our city council. My proven track record for successful projects has shown my dedication to the betterment of our community. I would like to build a shared vision for the future of Roanoke Rapids working alongside our city’s leaders. This position will allow for a platform of positive ideas for change and growth while providing quality services to our citizens.”

On the asset question she responded: “I believe I am well-suited to represent District 1 because of my relevant skills, experience, service to and passion for our community. My positive attitude and dedicated work ethic should prove beneficial to helping our city grow, prosper, and improve the quality of life for our citizens. I am excited about this position because it aligns perfectly with my experience and skill-set. I believe I would make a positive impact to help us succeed in making our city a better place to live, work, and enjoy. With the sale of the theater and lifting the city’s burden of much of its debt, we can now look at opportunities with a fresh vision and new perspective. My past 20 years of dedicated community service seem to be a natural progression to serving our city in this position.”

Dean

“I want to see our city prosper and grow. I feel that we are a declining city but it doesn’t have to stay that way. We can be a growing and thriving community but we need fresh and new voices to help the current council lead us to the future.”

On the asset question he responded: “I believe my age and experience would be a huge asset. Many of our young people are leaving and never coming back. I can help reverse that because I personally know the issues and struggles they face and I know how to fix it.”

Brown

“I have been living in Halifax County for over 26 years and have been a Roanoke Rapids resident for the last 24 years. I believe my background in local government would be a definite asset to the city. I would contribute quickly with my understanding of Roanoke Rapids and the needs of its citizens.”

On the asset question he responded: “I have a vast working knowledge of local government both here and in other locations. I also already have a relationship with both state and federal officials so I could quickly get involved in addressing the needs of the city. I would be a big advocate for the city and my commitment would always be to look out for the best interest of my fellow city residents.”