Henry Carrouth, who has been the Swepsonville mayor since 2019, is running for another term on the town council. Carrouth said he is focused on making sure the “small-town living” quality of life is kept for residents amid the rapid growth of the town. Carrouth said that during his time as the mayor, the council passed a unified development ordinance to help make sure the growth of town is orderly. The ordinance lays out land use regulations to help guide the development of the town. He said there are a couple of projects that he started to implement during his time as mayor and hopes to see come to fruition in another term.

Two key projects that Carrouth is committed to are the construction of the first ever park in Swepsonville and the development of a downtown area in a 22-acre plot of land near the Haw River that has been bought by the town.

“We don’t really have a downtown area in Swepsonville. We see this as an opportunity to create a town center, and also possibly be able to entice some retail and commercial development to come, as well as possibly some residential,” Carrouth said.

He said improving the livability of the community and increasing opportunities for commercial and retail development is crucial. Carrouth brought up the fact that N.C. Highway 54 between Graham and Chapel Hill goes into Swepsonville, so it is important to have stores and restaurants available to people.

“I think this will really enhance the livability of our community, and I’d just like to have an opportunity to serve four more years to make sure that those projects get completed,” Carrouth said.

PHOTO CREDIT HENRY CARROUTH