Elon resident Steve Exum said he decided to get involved with public office to make an impact on the town he has spent the past 20 years in.

“I’m just simply trying to get more involved civically and look forward to starting in the town of Elon, in my backyard,” Exum said.

Exum, who owns a photography business, said that his number one priority would be pushing for a wider adoption of sustainable practices such as solar panel usage and electric vehicles.

Exum said he owns multiple electric vehicles and his home in Elon has solar panels.

“I want to see the town, the municipal town buildings to have the same passion, the same commitment to sustainability,” Exum said.

Exum also said he wants to establish health and wellness initiatives for the town if he is elected to the council.

He said he has been attending town council meetings heading into municipal elections and that even if he is not elected to town council, he plans to stay civically involved.

Current Elon Town Council member Randy Orwig said he believes his job isn’t over.

Orwig is one of three candidates running for the two open seats on the Elon Town Council. During his past term on the Elon Town Council, Orwig has overseen the Sustainability Committee, which integrates sustainability initiatives into town operations.

“When I first came in, I really wanted to look at our situation with our water,” Orwig said. “Now we’re starting to actually have some possible avenues for some possible change, and I’d like to see that through.”

Orwig said if he is reelected, he plans to continue his work with the Sustainability Committee.

“I really hope that we can follow through on some of the important projects that we want to have been a big advocate,” Orwig said. “I really want to see the fruition of the development that we have, that we’ve approved, and to see how we can kind of control or help create some good development for the future.”

With new residential developments and the possibility of the Elon Town Hall moving, Orwig said the Sustainability Committee is looking at implementing sustainable practices into these new developments.

Orwig said he believes it is important to keep elected officials consistent.

“It’s good to have a predictable council in terms of knowing what they’re about,” Orwig said. “I’d like to just continue to be a part of that for another four years.”

Business owner Michael Ratigan has spent the past 10 years in Elon and is running for public office to secure one of two open seats on the Elon Town Council.

Ratigan is currently the president of Fjord, Inc. which is a company based in Burlington that creates specialized rope and edge protection products.

While the Elon Town Council does not oversee education, Ratigan said he hopes that securing a position on the council will help give him a stronger voice.

Ratigan said that his experience in business makes him an ideal candidate for town council.

“I’ve had to learn how to bootstrap things to grow my company from a basement to a multimillion dollar company, and it’s all about learning how to budget, and you have to make hard choices,” Ratigan said. “While we all want everything, you can’t do that all at once. You have to think ‘well, what takes priority?’ ‘How are we going to get to the things that we really need?’ And what tough decisions do we make?’ And so I think having to do that, it lends towards helping the town itself with budget and infrastructure.”

Ratigan also said that if he is elected to town council, he will prioritize funding for first responders and their equipment. Ratigan said that he also hopes to grow Elon’s infrastructure.

“We enjoy Elon for what it is, and I like to see it stay that way,” Ratigan said. “I want to make sure that, obviously, there will be growth, but I want to make sure that the infrastructure is done the right way.”