Politics

Thompson to run for second term

Tommy Thompson will seek a second term as Henderson County Commissioner.

By , Published: February 11, 2014

Thomas H. "Tommy" Thompson announced today that he would seek a second term as the Henderson County Commissioner for District 4, meaning all three incumbents have announced their intention to run again.

"I have been honored to serve this term as one of Henderson County's Commissioners," Thompson said in a news release. "We have worked diligently for the people of Henderson County to bring in industry, expand County services, build a rainy day fund, and not increase taxes."

While this would be his second run for the Board of Commissioners, it his 10th overall. He was elected county Clerk of Superior Court eight times and served for 32 years before he ran for the county commission in 2010.
During his time as Commissioner, Thompson has served as chairman for one year; he is currently in his third term as vice chair, having served as the second-in-command to Michael Edney and then Charlie Messer.

Thompson currently serves on the following committees and boards: Henderson County Transportation Advisory Committee, French Broad River MPO Transportation Advisory Committee, Governmental Finance Corporation, Juvenile Crime Prevention, Joint College Facility Committee, Agriculture Advisory Board, Local Government committee of Cooperative Action, Nursing Care Home Community Advisory Committee, Board Member for Council on Aging, and Board Member for Pardee Hospital.
Thompson also represents the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners on the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. He is an active member of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Economic Development Task Force and the Justice and Public Safety Steering committee.
Over the last four years the Henderson County Board of Commissioners have been instrumental in bringing in a number of businesses to our area, have been responsible for millions of budgetary dollars, and have grown our community's economy as a whole, he said in the news release,
Other accomplishments include increasing Henderson County's parks, establishing an area agricultural promotion department, bringing in Wingate University's campus for continuing education, and developing the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority. In 2012, a state of the art Waste Management and Recycling Center was added to serve Henderson County residents. All of these things were accomplished while consistently supporting the local schools and Blue Ridge Community College. The current board also helped orchestrate UNC Health Care into an affiliation with county-owned Pardee Hospital.
"Henderson County is blessed with hard working diligent people," he said. "The citizens of Henderson County are of utmost importance to me. I have always weighed the issues and voted for what I believe is the most beneficial for all concerned. Without the great people of this community Henderson County would not be what it is today."
Thompson is no stranger to public service. He has been elected by Henderson County citizens on nine separate occasions He served as the Henderson County Clerk of Superior Court for 32 years prior to being elected as a County Commissioner.