Matt Turner changes fields with campaign for alderman
Black Mountain candidate offers a fresh perspective to the board
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 25, 2020
Matt Turner is one of six candidates seeking three seats on the Black Mountain Board of Aldermen in the Nov. 3 election. Photo by Fred McCormick
With early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election continuing until Saturday, Oct. 31, The Valley Echo is publishing a series of profiles on candidates in the race for three seats on the Black Mountain Board of Aldermen. Profiles of all six candidates will be published weekly through the end of October.
Matt Turner is comfortable on a football field with a whistle around his neck, having spent nearly half of his life coaching youth in various sports throughout the Swannanoa Valley. In this arena, he relies on open communication and a team-oriented approach to accomplish shared goals.
In July he entered a different field, one that now contains six candidates campaigning for three seats on the Black Mountain Board of Aldermen, as Turner looks to bring his own style of leadership to local government.
“I want to be the eyes and ears for the people of this town,” said Turner, the commissioner of the Owen Warhorse Youth Football and Cheerleading organization. “I’m here to listen, be there for this community and help however I can.”
The Black Mountain native and assistant manager at Henson’s Building Materials began considering a bid for alderman in 2017, when he began to follow board meetings closely. His observations led him to file for a seat in the Nov. 3 election.
“The biggest thing for me was the citizen comments during every meeting,” he said. “A lot of people, speaking about everything from stormwater to development, would voice concerns. To me, it often felt like those concerns weren’t acknowledged.”
Turner, in an attempt to address the issue, decided to seek a seat in 2020.
“If the people elect the aldermen, then it’s on the aldermen to hear what the citizens have to say,” he said. “I know that the board can’t fix everything, but they can at least acknowledge what’s being said and look into it.”
The view from the sidelines
Turner, 32, has lived in Black Mountain his entire life. After graduating from Owen High School, he went to work in a machine shop and began helping his former football team any way he could.
“I just wanted to help,” said Turner, who has been a constant presence in the program for 14 years. “Anyone who played for the Warhorses, or is involved in any way, knows they can always use extra help. I graduated that summer and went out there and to be an extra set of hands that fall.”
He fulfilled a similar role with the basketball team for three years and got involved with youth sports when his children were old enough to participate.
“I coached my daughter and son for three or four years each in tee ball,” Turner said. “That’s the thing about coaching, once you get started, it’s hard to ever quit.”
The experience has given Turner a unique perspective of his community.
“I’ve developed a lot of relationships through sports in my life, especially during my time coaching,” he said. “Some of the kids I’ve coached are only a few years younger than me, so I know people who I coached who are my age now. I’ve gotten to know parents and coaches of all ages, so I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of how a lot of people in this community see different things.”
The strength of the Swannanoa Valley, according to Turner, is simple but profound.
“People here look out for each other,” he said. “This is the kind of community where if you have a flat tire on the side of the road, your neighbor won’t hesitate to help you out. It’s always been that way here.”
Decades of change
While the hospitality of local residents goes a long way toward the small town charm of Black Mountain, according to Turner, it also makes the community an ideal destination for many people to visit, and even relocate.
“The growth of the residential areas has increased so much in the last 20 years or so,” he said. “You see people building on lots that you would’ve never thought would be built on. You’ll see them come in, flatten a little lot and put up one or two houses.”
While development is essential to supporting and sustaining public services and infrastructure, Turner continued, it’s important to find a “happy medium” when it comes to density allowance.
“Eventually we’ll run out of room, but you can’t stop the growth,” he said. “I believe we need to consider no more than four homes per acre. We have to find a way to balance development and keep the trees and nature that people here really appreciate.”
Maintaining the aspects that make the town enjoyable for old and new residents is also a key component in attracting the seasonal guests who play a vital role in the local economy, according to the candidate.
“Tourism has really boomed in the last couple of decades,” Turner said. “When I was younger we had tourists, but today you can really see how that population has shaped downtown. Years ago a lot of the shops were more what I call ‘mom and pop shops’ geared to the locals, and we still have those today, but a lot of what’s there now supports visitors.”
The increase in tourism can test the resources in a town the size of Black Mountain, he continued, but the revenue stream has proven sustainable.
“Even during the pandemic we’ve seen people coming into downtown this summer, and especially this fall,” he said. “That’s important to the town because the money they’re spending in our local businesses helps support the community.”
Offering a fresh perspective
Turner, if elected, said he intends to advocate for the concerns of local citizens.
“I want to go in there and be all ears and listen to people,” he said. “As I learn about issues, I want to connect with the different communities and come see what they’re dealing with, first-hand.”
That approach, Turner believes, will broaden the board’s collective understanding of the needs of the community.
“I think the board needs to hear new perspectives,” he said. “You won’t find too many people who feel exactly the same way about a specific issue, and the town needs as many of those different perspectives as possible when considering how they want to address things.”
Turner acknowledges that building consensus among citizens is not an easy task, but “the ultimate goal is to have five voices for the community on that board.”
“If you have that, you have elected officials who are listening to what the people have to say,” he said. “I think we could do a better job of encouraging feedback, so I’m all for scheduling regular meet-and-greet sessions with local residents. I feel like if you do it in an informal setting, it’s a lot less intimidating for people to share their concerns.”
Prioritizing community needs
Limitations on large gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic have proven challenging for all candidates campaigning for the upcoming election, but Turner has made an effort to connect with as many voters as possible. He’s met with individual voters outdoors and communicated via phone or social media with others.
“There are some issues that have been brought to my attention that I want to look into if I’m elected,” he said.
Turner’s involvement in youth sports makes him a proud advocate for the creation of a dedicated community center.
“I think that’s something we have to find a way to do,” he said. “I know that we have to budget responsibly, and I don’t necessarily know how we would get it done or how long it would take, but we need to engage our young people. If we have a place for them to get together that offers programs for them, they’re likely to be more involved in the town in the future.”
Funding for the town’s fire department is another area of focus for Turner.
“They run a lot of calls for such a small town,” he said. “For what they do, I don’t know that you can pay them enough. But, we need to work on finding a way to pay our firefighters competitive wages and make sure they have the equipment they need to keep the community safe.”
While there is no “quick fix” to provide funding for first responders or the construction of a community center, Turner pledges to take immediate action to address transparency in local government.
“That’s been a common concern among people I’ve spoken to,” he said. “I would like the board to establish a policy for filling vacant seats for aldermen and the mayor. We’ve had a lot of vacancies in these past few years, and the community should know exactly what to expect from its leaders when that happens.”
As Turner enters the final days of his campaign for alderman, he vows to work hard to represent the interests of the community.
“If I am elected, I want to hit the ground running,” he said. “I believe this is a tough and resilient community that values a strong work ethic, and that is what I plan to bring to the board.”