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Boone Candidates Answer Questions on Howard Street, Flooding, The Standard & Meters in Downtown

By Jesse Wood

The Boone Area Chamber hosted a “Meet the Candidates” forum on Tuesday evening to educate the public on the upcoming municipal elections. Early voting began last week.

While the mayoral race featuring Rennie Brantz isn’t contested, six candidates are vying for three seats on the Boone Town Council. Incumbents include Charlotte Mizelle, Jenannine Underdown-Collins and Quint David, and the challengers are Marshall Ashcraft, Sam Furgiuele, Quint David, Jill Reeves and Connie Ulmer.

Mizelle couldn’t attend the forum because of a family emergency. Jill Reeves confirmed she isn’t running for council anymore, although her name is on the ballot.

The forum included questions compiled before the forum as well as those submitted in real time by the audience. The forum began with an opening statement and ended with closing statements.

Below are videos of all the candidates answering four questions pertaining to continuous flooding problems in Boone, the completion of the Howard Street improvement project, paid parking in downtown Boone and opinions on The Standard development along Highway 321.

The event took place at Casa Rustica Catering Co.’s Fairway Cafe at the Boone Golf Club. 

See the candidate’s opening statements here.

See the candidate’s closing statements here.

To listen to the entire forum, click to this Soundcloud page by Boone Chamber Director David Jackson. 

Q: What would be your plans to shore up flood control across Boone? 

Q: What can you do to help finish the Howard Street project? 

Q: How do you feel about parking situation in Downtown Boone and the current parking meter system? 

Q: What are your feelings about how The Standard apartment complex came to be built in Boone?