Jay Warren, the current mayor for the Town of Micro, says allegations made by former Mayor Jim Wiesner are simply not true.
Last Friday, Wiesner, who lost to Warren in the last town election, said he was upset with Warren and the current town board in Micro. “I’m fed up with the backwoods politics.”
Wiesner placed signs in the front yard of his home on US 301 in Micro expressing his frustration. One sign read, “Don’t Blame Me I Voted 4 Jim” and another said, “I Don’t Drink The Cool-Aid.”
Wiesner told WTSB News the Micro town board meets at 5pm so residents who hold jobs in other cities can’t attend the meetings.
“The stuff he is alleging is not true,” Mayor Warren said. “Since he got beat in the election, since last November, he was still mayor in December, until we took office. He didn’t show up anymore. I had to take over the lighting of the Christmas tree. He has been to one town meeting since he got beat.”
“As far as (the) time he is alleging, we met once at 5pm with employees. It was a closed meeting just to speak with employees we were giving raises with. The meeting was scheduled and posted on the door and not on the marquee,” Mayor Warren said.
He Doesn’t Have A Job And He Can Get There Anytime. He Didn’t Go.
“The budget meeting (Thursday) at 6pm, no one showed up,” Warren added. “Wiesner said people can’t get there. He doesn’t have a job and he can get there anytime. He didn’t go.”
“No one got a copy of the budget. He is talking about people who can’t get to the meeting. I work in Raleigh and at night. I had to take off. I’ve lost more money working for the town and on the budget. The workshops start at 6pm so we won’t have to be here so late at night. The regular meeting is still at 7pm and its posted on the marquee and in the paper just like the LGC (Local Government Commission) says we should.”
Rate Hikes
The former mayor also claimed in a WTSB News interview the Town of Micro plans to raise water and sewer rates for customers but the council is holding off on making the rate hikes public until after the November elections in hopes of securing a re-election win.
“The rate hikes he is alleging,” Warren said, “no one is raising rates except for commercial and industrial property owners. We’re going up a little on that in town and the little rate hike – it will be pro-rated. We are going up on out-of-town water customers. The reason, our water rates are so low compared to other towns like Pine Level. We are trying to get a loan from the USDA to improve our infrastructure to water and sewer and build a new town hall.”
Issues With Basketball Goal
Wienser also said the town has taken down a basketball goal at the town park so children can’t play ball. Mayor Warren said the comments were “completely false” and misleading.
Warren, who lives next to the town park, said the basketball goal was up when Wienser was mayor. After school, children from Micro would go to the park and begin to play basketball. “Crowds from other towns – 15 to 20 – would force them off the court. They would swing on the rim. They tore it down two times. The third time they tore up the backboard. We never put it back up because it was attracting a bad element. Out of town kids were abusing it. We haven’t put it back up and we haven’t had a problem since.”
“No one has complained about it not be back up except for him,” Mayor Warren added. “It’s more peaceful with it down.”
He Is Making Stuff Up. He Won’t Show His Face
As for the two signs former Mayor Wiesner has posted in the front yard of his home on US 301. “I hadn’t seen them. I don’t know where he gets his information. He is making stuff up. He won’t show his face. He will get on Facebook and go to town. It’s all rumors.”
Wienser, who lost by 12 votes to Warren in the last election, says he plans to run again this Fall. Warren says he is still undecided if he will seek another term.
“I hadn’t decided if I will run again. Some people have asked me to run but it has been a burden, both stress and financially. It has been something else since we’ve been in there. I may run again. I just hadn’t made my mind up.”
As for other issues Wiesner is alleging, “Micro is in the best financial shape since I can remember,” Mayor Warren told WTSB News. “Our town clerk has done a super super job. She has caught on so fast. She has collected a lot of money we normally hadn’t been able to collect, like late fees. We balanced the budget with no problem. Last year we were all new and had a time. This year went smooth. We weren’t overly aggressive. We’ve implemented a few things… we’re trying to get everything straightened out. I’m proud of the job the commissioners have done.”
