SELMA - The town elections here bring a slate of new and familiar candidates, including two challengers looking to dethrone incumbent mayor Charles Hester. Some candidates are longstanding figures in town politics, while others proudly proclaim themselves "fresh faces."

Many aim to reverse what they see as Selma's negative image, and most spoke of the need to bring Selma together as a community.

In total, five candidates are vying for two open council seats, and three hope to be the town's next mayor. Jackie Lacy and Debbie Johnson, current owners of the contested council seats, are both running for reelection.

Hester, Lacy, Harris Lee Jenkins Jr., Eric Jackson and Dornal "Boone" King attended an election forum last Tuesday. Mayoral candidate Timmy Wayne Strickland and council candidates Debbie Edwards-Johnson and Tommy Holmes were not in attendance.

Strickland did not respond to requests for interviews before press time.

Charles Hester

Running for: mayor.

Occupation: real estate.

Address: 409 E. Griswold St.

Experience: two terms as mayor, 22 years in the Marines and service on boards and organizations such as the Selma Development Partnership.

On the budget: Hester wants to keep the budget steady and sound. During his time as mayor, the town dug out from an $800,000 budget hole and now has a surplus of $800,000, he said at a recent forum. Should Selma fall on harder times, administrative personnel would be the first on the chopping block, he said.

On services: The town must improve its water and sewer system, Hester said. "It's very old and it's very tired, and it will take a major effort to raise the money to do that."

On the schools: Teachers want help "not so much with money" from the town but with volunteer work, Hester said.

On downtown: The town should support the antique district, but push hard for new development near I-95. A Bass Pro Shop could be a major destination, he said.

On change: Hester isn't a "change" person, he said; the biggest change he wants is a bigger tax base.

On drug enforcement: Selma is not as bad as other towns, but it should continue the efforts it has already undertaken. "It's not something that we sit and focus on constantly," he said. "We have other matters."

On leadership: "I'm a military person," he said. "I'm too aggressive at times, I'm too overbearing at times, but that's my nature, and I'm sorry for that." But, he added, he has served the community in many ways and mixes well with its various groups.

Harris Lee Jenkins Jr.

Running for: mayor.

Occupation: teacher at West Johnston High School.

Address: 605 S. Webb St.

Experience: 27 years in the military.

On services: The town's electric rates are too high, and Selma should consider more man-hours and funding for police, he said at a forum. "We don't get fast enough response in every area," he said.

On the budget: The town should avoid cutting the budget and raising taxes; instead, it should appropriate money from its funds and rearrange the budget.

On cooperation: The town should work with neighboring towns and network more. "We need to capitalize and plug in to what they're doing," Jenkins said.

On downtown: Selma should put up more signs around town to draw visitors to the antiques district. It also should diversify downtown.

On community: "There needs to be one place where people can come together and mingle and mix," Jenkins said. "We don't have enough interaction or intermingling."

On leadership: "I'm looking forward to working with the citizens of Selma for the hopes and things, the dreams they want to do," he said. "There are a lot of things I think we can do as a team to transition our community into the place we want it to be." He would poll citizens to determine his agenda, he said.

Eric Jackson

Running for: council.

Occupation: personal chef.

Address: 1105 S. Pollock St.

Experience: has worked for various non-profits.

On services: The town should work to lower electric rates.

On the budget: If the economy worsened, administrative positions and services would need to be cut, he said.

On neighborhoods: He would "revitalize our neighborhoods by encouraging renters to become homeowners," he said at a forum. A positive image for Selma would come from improved residential areas, not just downtown, he said.

On drug enforcement: "I think we are in crisis mode," he said in reference to drug crimes. He said the town should encourage more youth mentoring and volunteer programs. "Law enforcement can only do so much," he said. "We as private citizens can also help them."

On downtown: "We need a really good restaurant or two," he said, adding that the town should also pursue unique retailers like a hobby store or hardware store.

Tommy Holmes

Running for: council.

Occupation: retired, but owned a Selma business.

Address: 1010 N. Webb St.

Experience: several years on the town's Planning Board. "I know how the town operates," he said.

On growth: "Right now, the way the economy is, I think there's not a whole lot [the town] can do," he said in a phone interview. Therefore, he said, the town should not spend money on visual improvement programs or any other type of revitalization program until the economy improves.

On the budget: The town should neither raise taxes nor cut services. Instead, he said, it should take the money from "wasteful" programs, like proposed efforts to spruce up downtown.

On schools: Holmes said the population of the town's schools is "off-balance," but was unsure what could be done to improve local education.

On drug enforcement: "The dope is the main thing," Holmes said. He suggested more monetary support for the police department, if needed.

Dornal "Boone" King

Running for: council.

Occupation: Retired school bus driver.

Address: 305 Dogwood Drive.

Experience: "It would be a first time for me," he said at a forum.

On leadership: King said he would serve as a conduit for the people. "I'm interested in what the taxpayers and citizens of Selma would be interested in," he said, downplaying the importance of his own opinions.

On law enforcement: The town and police need to pay more attention to the youth, he said, in order to prepare them for the future. "There's not a whole lot that's got the youth attention," he said. The police should focus on gang areas, he added.

On taxes: If the citizens want better services, an increase in taxes could be in order, he said. "You get what you pay for," he said, adding that the money could be used to expand fire protection and emergency services.

On his qualifications: "By being a citizen and tax payer ... I think that's qualification enough," he said. "You've got to have the love for your town." He said he would bring community perspectives to the council.

Jackie Lacy

Running for: council.

Occupation: retired educator of more than 30 years.

Address: 610 S. Webb St.

Experience: two terms on council.

On recreation: "Our youth are our future," Lacy said at a forum. "We have a substantial amount of recreational facilities, but I think we need to do more for our young people."

On senior citizens: The town should consider setting up a transportation system for older residents, she said.

On Selma: Lacy said the town should work to boost its sense of community and civic pride. A visual improvement of the town's entryways could help bring in economic development, she said.

On schools: Residents and town officials should be more involved in the school system. She said she is connected with the schools and can bring their needs to the council.

On taxes: The town's police and fire services are sufficient, so the town should expand revenue only by growing its tax base, she said.

On drug enforcement: "We are a melting pot here, and many of the problems we have are the problems that people bring in," she said. More community involvement in neighborhood watch and citizen police academy programs would reduce drug use, she said.

Debbie Johnson

Running for: council.

Occupation: real-estate broker with Carolina Realty.

Experience: council member since 1999.

On the town's image: "I think our biggest thing is changing the perception of Selma to surrounding areas." That, she said, requires improvements to the appearance of the town, such as streetscape projects.

On downtown: "I honestly think it's on the right track. It doesn't just need to be antiques; we need to have variety." She supports the town's efforts to join the Small Town Main Street program, and she wants to get creative in trying to get business in several vacant buildings.

On growth and development: Johnson said she's proud of the town's work on getting several certified commercial sites to attract new industry. "We can be competitive by blocking in potential properties for them to locate to."

On the town's infrastructure: Johnson said the town's chief need is new sidewalks, focusing on areas between downtown and the U.S. 70 corridor. She said water and sewer are in good shape and need to be a priority only if new businesses need greater capacity.

On drugs and crime: Johnson supports the police department's undercover drug investigations, which she said had done a lot to keep drugs out of Selma. "I think our crime has decreased, and statistics would probably support that," she said.