[0:02] Good afternoon everyone and welcome to
our next installment of the Ask the
[0:06] Commissioner segment that we are
producing here during County Government
[0:09] Month, giving you all um um some eyes on
our commissioners who help craft the
[0:15] decisions and the future of our county.
So, um uh this provides this portion of
[0:21] our program provides an opportunity for
you all to hear directly from our
[0:24] leadership and gain insight into the
work being done on behalf of you, our
[0:28] citizens. We are honored to be joined
today by Commissioner Ralph Webb, who
[0:33] proudly represents District 5 on the
Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners.
[0:37] He is a dedicated servant whose
leadership supports growth, stability,
[0:41] and opportunity across our county. Mr.
Webb, thank you for being here with us
[0:45] today.
>> Thank you. My pleasure.
[0:47] » Tell us a little bit first about the
district that you represent. What areas
[0:51] do you cover?
>> Um Ms. Bess, my district covers from
[0:55] Conetoe,
uh all the way around Pinetops,
[0:59] Macclesfield, Saint Lewis, on back
toward Temperance Hall.
[1:03] » Got you. Okay.
All right. So, when you think about your
[1:06] district, what are the biggest
opportunities you see now for growth and
[1:10] improvement?
>> Ms. Bess, we live in a wonderful area,
[1:15] uh
filled with wonderful people, wonderful
[1:18] citizens, citizens that uh their roots
go deeply
[1:24] into Edgecombe County's history. Uh many
are farmers, uh many in health care, uh
[1:31] many in service fields.
Uh I think our opportunities are great.
[1:36] I think uh
our towns need all the strengthening and
[1:41] help and working together with our
county and with our state and with our
[1:46] federal government to again bring some
of them back to where they have been in
[1:50] the past and help us to be the towns and
the communities that that we truly can
[1:55] be.
>> Yes. That's That's good because it it is
[1:58] and the citizens that live in these
communities, they actually look to the
[2:01] leadership to kind of guide some of
these decisions. So, that's a a great
[2:05] way to kind of um
lead into my next question. Residents
[2:10] often want to know how decisions are
made. Um can you kind of talk us through
[2:14] what goes into making a major county
decision?
[2:19] » I certainly think that I can.
Uh
[2:23] Ms. Speight says, you know, and I think
that most of our citizens certainly all
[2:27] aware
uh we have seven districts, we have
[2:30] seven commissioners.
And my take is I believe like my fellow
[2:36] commissioners
uh again, my responsibility is certainly
[2:40] to my citizens within District 5.
But
[2:44] uh my responsibility
uh is certainly not only to District 5,
[2:50] but to every citizen within those six
other districts.
[2:54] And I'm happy to say that uh with our
board
[2:59] uh we have a great working relationship
with each other.
[3:03] Uh
when something comes up in whatever or
[3:07] whoever's district it is uh it it's not
only
[3:12] uh our thinking about ourselves, but
collectively for that particular
[3:17] community. And for all of our citizens
in Edgecombe County uh what what is the
[3:24] best thing that can happen for Edgecombe
County as a whole?
[3:29] And I and I truly do believe that each
and every one of our commissioners that
[3:33] sit right here uh always take that into
account.
[3:38] Again, in regards to a decision being
made it's seven of us, so when anything
[3:44] it comes up and is voted of course, you
got to have four votes.
[3:48] » Right.
>> And uh
[3:50] most of the things that have come before
our board of commissioners since I have
[3:55] been serving since 2019,
the majority of those votes, if
[4:01] if my recollection is correct, the
majority of those votes are are pretty
[4:05] unanimous.
We we may have something come up every
[4:08] once in a while that it's a little
fragmented vote, but most of all, it
[4:13] it's a pretty unanimous decision. And
again, I think the unanimous decision is
[4:17] based again on what is good for
Edgecombe County and its citizens.
[4:22] » It is important for our citizens to know
that our commissioners are thinking
[4:27] through these decisions and it's not
just, you know, they get, you know,
[4:31] someone that comes in and says, "Hey, I
want to do this." But that we come back,
[4:34] we vote the next time or or
making sure that, you know, all avenues
[4:39] are considered, all, you know, points of
view are considered before making a
[4:44] decision.
>> Yes, ma'am. And And if I may add that
[4:48] most of the things that we a lot of
things that we take a vote on, uh for
[4:54] instance, things that have to come
before the public.
[4:57] » Mhm.
>> Uh the public has uh
[5:01] the ability and the right to come and
voice their opinions.
[5:06] And that is where I gain a lot of my
knowledge from is what do the citizens,
[5:13] what is their thought process, what do
they think? And I think that's what we
[5:18] as a commissioner is charged to do is to
represent our citizens.
[5:22] » Yeah.
Good. What about the progress through
[5:26] that the county is making? So, we all
are aware of our Get Off the List
[5:29] initiative, where we had the former
county manager,
[5:33] Mr. Carmen, who used to say he was tired
of Edgecombe County being at the top and
[5:37] bottom of every good and bad list. And
so, now, as you know, the county manager
[5:41] the current county manager, Mr. Evans,
has kind of gotten these
[5:44] task force and these groups that are
getting together to address these
[5:48] issues. How do you think um
getting off the list from your
[5:51] perspective is getting off the list
making an impact on our county?
[5:54] » I do believe getting off the list is
making a tremendous impact. Uh again, uh
[6:00] as you just said, uh
many forums have been opened, many
[6:06] committees have been formed. Uh
any individual that is absolutely
[6:13] interested in whatever aspect of getting
off the list, the opportunity is there
[6:19] for them to serve on that particular
committee.
[6:22] And uh
I I just see great things happening. A
[6:25] great example is
uh I serve on uh STEP, which is
[6:31] Strategic Twin Counties Educational
Partnership. And I'm not again, as the
[6:36] example, I'm not really sure
everyone within the county realizes the
[6:42] efforts that STEP attempts
uh
[6:47] to to forward in regards to education
for children basically from from cradle
[6:53] to career.
And so one of the things that uh getting
[6:57] off the list has kind of brought forward
is like not only STEP, but we we have so
[7:02] many things to offer within our county,
but citizens don't really realize where
[7:08] to go for help. And so now
getting off the list is is is helping us
[7:15] be aware of that, first of all, and then
helping us to connect the dots where we
[7:22] can greater and better inform our
citizens as to what is out there to make
[7:28] life better for for them,
uh for their children, and for all of
[7:32] us.
>> Great. And that kind of leads to the
[7:35] question I had about um residents who
feel disconnected. They may feel
[7:40] disconnected from local government. They
feel like
[7:43] uh the the national government or state
government, but they don't have a
[7:46] connection to what we do on the local
level either at the county commissioner
[7:50] level or with our towns. Um what's the
best way for those residents to make
[7:55] their voices heard or to get involved?
>> Miss Space, I I I honestly believe uh
[8:02] first of all,
uh
[8:04] if it Look, all seven of us
have a phone.
[8:09] » Mhm.
>> Uh we have email.
[8:12] Uh
my door is always open to and I think I
[8:16] speak for every other commissioner here,
all six.
[8:19] Uh
you can give us a call.
[8:22] I I'll be glad to talk with you
at your convenience. Uh we we'll get a
[8:27] convenient time for both of us.
Uh
[8:31] I will sit down and and and and speak
with you
[8:34] until my wind is gone.
Uh I I will meet with you personally
[8:39] wherever. Uh
I and I believe I say and speak for the
[8:44] same for each and every one of our
commissioners. Uh but I will certainly
[8:48] invite uh any and all of our citizens
that has never
[8:53] been to uh a commissioner's meeting. Uh
6:00 the first Monday of every month. Uh
[9:01] you are more than welcome and we would
treasure to see to see more people here
[9:06] at our meeting. Uh and I understand
because
[9:10] I I maybe I shouldn't say this, but I
need to say it. I've been serving since
[9:13] 2019 and and this is still a learning
process for me. It really is. And I've
[9:18] I've gained a lot of insight
and uh I've got a lot more to learn, but
[9:23] I enjoy serving for my citizens.
>> And and
[9:27] per- You're just answering these
questions perfectly to the next segue
[9:30] because my next question was what
inspired you to serve and what continues
[9:34] to motivate you in your role as county
commissioner.
[9:39] » I follow a gentleman who served and
represented District 5 in a wonderful
[9:45] way
as this commissioner's room is named
[9:49] uh in honor and in memory of Mr.
Jonathan K. Felton. Mr. John
[9:54] uh was a personal friend. Uh his family
was was was a was friends with with with
[10:01] Mr. Mr. Felton's family was friends with
everyone.
[10:04] And Mr. Felton represented our district
in a wonderful way.
[10:08] I If I can be
just a fragment
[10:12] of the individual and the representative
that he was for our county
[10:17] then when I decide to step down
uh which will not be 28 years. I I can't
[10:23] break his record cuz I'd be old as
Methuselah if I did. But really and
[10:27] truly Mr. Felton did a great job and and
his leadership and his style and who he
[10:32] was absolutely inspired me and and
continues to inspire me today.
[10:38] » Awesome.
Awesome. So do you do you have anything
[10:41] else you want us to know about your
district? Um what are some I We I think
[10:46] we talked a little bit about your
district, but what are some areas for
[10:49] growth in your specific district that
you
[10:52] have seen?
>> Well, it's best One of the wonderful
[10:58] things that
I see in regards to our district is
[11:03] first of all our people
is places of worship, our churches, uh
[11:09] our our community involvement.
>> Got Abrams?
[11:13] » Uh absolutely. Abrams.
Uh I may stay in Pine Tops which uh
[11:19] we do commercial there for them. They
they're wonderful family, wonderful
[11:22] restaurant, wonderful food. And that's a
that's a mighty big gathering place for
[11:26] an awful lot of people all during the
week and especially on Sunday after
[11:30] church.
>> Yeah. Big gathering spot. So,
[11:33] uh
that, its citizens,
[11:37] uh
the fact that
[11:39] I believe I'm a a perfect example in in
in looking at uh
[11:44] my my wife's careers after we were
married in 1978 residing right there in
[11:49] the south end of the county uh pretty
much between Fountain and Macclesfield.
[11:54] Uh
Wilson
[11:58] as a respiratory therapist uh
work in different health care agencies
[12:01] to finish my career at Edgecombe
Community College, 31 years there.
[12:05] But, my first job was at Wilson Memorial
Hospital. Would you believe that from my
[12:10] back door to Wilson Memorial
was uh 18.3 mi. From my back door to
[12:17] Pitt County Memorial Hospital or now
East Carolina University Medical Center
[12:21] is 18.3 mi.
Over to Rocky Mount is about 19.5 mi and
[12:28] here to Tarboro is is is less than 15
mi. So, if you kind of connect the dots
[12:34] there, if you reside in our area, it is
within a very
[12:40] short driving distance to wherever you
may seek employment opportunities.
[12:46] » Awesome. So, kind of a crossroads. I
know there's a area there somewhere that
[12:49] they call going to crossroads and that's
kind of what it is. Yeah.
[12:51] » Yes, ma'am.
>> Well, I have a you know, enjoyed our
[12:56] discussion here today, Commissioner
Boswell. Is there anything I'm sorry,
[13:00] Commissioner Webb. Is there anything
else you would like to know or any
[13:04] message you'd like to leave with the
residents of Edgecombe County?
[13:07] » I would just like for all of our
residents to know that I appreciate the
[13:11] opportunity to serve on the Board of
Commissioners here for you. And if you
[13:15] ever have any words that of input in
regards to any decisions that you know
[13:22] that the Board of Commissioners will be
making,
[13:25] uh I am absolutely open to a
conversation with you in whatever way is
[13:29] best for you to get up with me. I stand
ready to to to listen with open ears.
[13:35] » Thank you. Thank you.