Kernersville’s rapid growth took center stage Tuesday night as all nine candidates for mayor and Board of Aldermen spoke at a forum hosted by the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce.

Each candidate, whether incumbent or newcomer, emphasized that managing the town’s continued expansion will be one of the community’s defining challenges in the years ahead.

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Alderman John Barrow said the town must be careful not to approve unchecked development without accounting for traffic and infrastructure.

“We feel the awful traffic,” he said. “One thing we can’t do is build a bunch of apartments all over Kernersville and dump 300 people here and 500 there and 300 over here and expect it not to impact our traffic.”

Fellow incumbent Chris Thompson said the town’s focus should remain on “reasonably managing current rapid growth through thoughtful and comprehensive planning,” noting his experience as a contractor and real estate broker, along with his terms in office, has given him a “deep understanding of zoning, land use, and fiscal management.”

Michael Enscore, who currently serves on the Kernersville Planning Board and is seeking a seat on the Board of Aldermen, said his campaign is “built on listening to the people’s voices” and pledged to “work closely with my fellow aldermen to manage the town’s growth responsibly, ensuring that we have the infrastructure to support our expanding population while preserving the small-town charm that we all cherish.”

For his part, Alderman J.R. Gorham called for “strategic” growth that protects Kernersville’s character.

“We’ve got to do it,” he said. “But at the same time, we’re going to keep that hometown effect. We struggle with that constantly in our decision-making process.”

Alderman Bill Apple also spoke about balancing expansion with fiscal responsibility and respect for local traditions.

 “That’s always been our biggest challenge, and it’s evolving,” he said. “Housing needs are changing; people need affordable options. Realtors want inventory, and citizens need places to live. We must manage that responsibly.”

Mayor Dawn Morgan highlighted the business community’s confidence in Kernersville’s expansion, noting that companies of all sizes continue investing in this community.

“John Deere’s undergoing a major expansion — its second in recent years,” she said. “Amazon, FedEx, and XPO are all part of our community. XPO’s revitalizing the old Roadway Express terminal — expanding from 200 to 800 jobs.”

Her challenger, Kevin Hansford, applauded the work of the current town government but stressed that future growth must be guided by the community’s long-term needs.

“I want to raise my son here and continue to have a good, safe, small community for him to live in — as small as we can possibly remain amid inevitable growth,” he said. ” … I also want to ensure we manage our growth responsibly — in ways that meet the needs of everyone.”

Sarah Jane Sabanis, a candidate for alderman, pointed to infrastructure as a top priority.

“Our town is growing, and infrastructure needs to keep up,” she said. “We need to work alongside [the North Carolina Department of Transportation] … that’s a beast of its own. They have their own ideas, but I’m ready to fight for our town.”

Candidate Randall Pegram echoed that theme.

“Traffic’s horrendous,” he said. “I’d like for us to see what we can do to offset that. There’s too many cars on the road, and I’d like to see us explore some sort of mass transit, especially around some of these apartment areas.”

This race also marks Kernersville’s first partisan election, a state-level change several candidates addressed directly. Thompson said he was “saddened by the division this has introduced to our local political climate,” noting that “municipal government should be rooted in community values, not party politics.”

Click here for Scope News’ voter guide for candidates’ responses to our questionnaire and follow us on Facebook for full clips of their remarks at Tuesday’s forum.

Pictured in featured image (L-R): Hansford, Gorham, Morgan, Sabanis, Enscore, Thompson, Barrow, Pegram, and Apple. Photos by Nicole Whetsel for Scope News Kernersville.

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