Mayor — pick one

Jean Hartbarger, 68, owner of Jarrett House

Hartbarger served four years as mayor and eight years as an alderman.

“I feel Dillsboro is at an exciting time in its history. I think this board has done a wonderful job.”

TJ Walker, 52, owner of Dillsboro Inn

Walker said the phrase “life is a village” should apply to Dillsboro, but there has been a breakdown in the village community.

“I think the spirit of Dillsboro is broken and it needs to be renewed. There has been almost a dysfunctional quality with respect to input, too much silence and not enough cooperation between the town board and the business community.”

Board of Aldermen — pick five

James Cochran, 62, property manager of 30-unit Reedwood Manor Apartments

Cochran has been on the town board for eight years.

“I feel like I have something to contribute to the town of Dillsboro. I stay away from the controversial portion of it. I don’t have a secret agenda. I am here to do a job on a volunteer basis.”

Bud Smith, 59, owner of Golden Carp gift shop and gallery

Smith has been an alderman for four years. At first he wasn’t going to run again, but not enough candidates signed up. The election board had to extend the filing deadline, and he decided to run after all.

“I felt I needed to be on that board to keep things in place. There is just so much going on.”

Mike Fitzgerald, 53, Fitzgerald Shoe Repair

Fitzgerald was appointed to the town board three months ago to fill the seat of an alderman who stepped down for medical reasons. He is running for alderman “because it needs doing and I’m someone who can do it.”

“I like it. It’s a small town and everyone knows everybody and knows about everything and we all get along real well.”

Jim Dukes, 35, environmental consultant, planner and developer

Dukes is a big advocate of land-use planning and smart growth. He has served as chairman of the county greenway commission and built a planned community townhouse and condo development called Dillsboro Crossing.

“I really like Dillsboro a lot. I feel like there is a lot changing in the future, and I feel like I have something to offer the town. Dillsboro will go through a lot here in the next couple of years.”

John Faulk, 53, owner of the Burger Shack and Applegate Inn

Faulk stepped forward to run because there weren’t enough candidates and the deadline was extended in hopes that more people would sign up.

“I think there are some opportunities for better communication between the leadership of the town and the merchants. The key to that is involvement, both sides reaching out,” Faulk said.

Jimmy Cabe, 42, carpenter

Like many of the candidates for the Dillsboro town board, Cabe said he ran because people asked him to.

“I never thought I would be a politician. I expect to be struck by lightening any day now,” Cabe said. In terms of a platform, Cabe doesn’t have one.

“You can’t say I want to do this and this and this and this and then find out the town’s budget is $15 and the town truck just had a flat so we’re down to $4.”