Earl Smith was blunt, telling Weldon Mayor Johnny Draper it was time for him to go.

This was the most contentious moment in an otherwise quiet political forum, the first one of the year, which saw candidates running for seats in Weldon talk about issues in an event Monday night sponsored by the Halifax County Democratic Party.

Smith told Draper in the years he has been mayor the town’s population has dwindled by 6.5 percent. He said when you look at the Roanoke Rapids side of Interstate 95 it is like a mini Las Vegas. Weldon’s side, however, is nothing. “It’s time for a change,” he said.

Draper, who is running against town commissioner Julia Meacham, told Smith he was using outdated Census statistics which don’t account for annexations by the town. Explaining why there was no development on the Weldon side of the interstate, Draper said, “The largest tract of land we’ve got is owned by one person,” and the price is not affordable for the town.

Party Chairperson Jean Reaves was the moderator for the debate and led the questioning before opening the debate to several citizen questions.

Meacham said she was running for mayor because the town needed “a dedicated, strong leader with vision” to see the town progress while challenger Stanley Edwards, a former educator, told the audience he was running for a board seat because he sees the potential the town has.

Incumbent Andy Whitby said he wants to continue to serve to see Weldon progress. Incumbent Martha Alford also said she would like to continue to serve for the town’s benefit. “I would like to see Weldon better than it used to be,” she said.

Challenger Sally Adams, a retired federal personnel employee, told the audience she wanted to run to make a difference.

Draper said he wanted to be mayor to help Weldon continue to take advantage of its heritage, the river and increase its tax base.

When discussing their achievements while in office, Alford mentioned her support of the Riverside Mills project. “I’ve voted for issues such as additional police officers and patrol cars,” she said. “I have supported the need to tear down eyesores in the community.”

Whitby said he has worked to protect the town’s fund balance. “Over the last year as the economy slumped, the town’s revenue sources were affected. The general fund has $1.7 million, less than $700,000 comes from property taxes. The other revenue sources are tied to the economy.”

Meacham said she believed taxes in the town are too high and need to be reduced, If the town can increase revenues, she said, it will lead to lower taxes.

Draper said his top issue was the Small Town Economic Prosperity program, also known as NC STEP, which the town received a $30,000 planning grant for and is promised to get $100,000 once a plan is devised. “Reducing taxes is on everyone’s mind,” he said. “To reduce we have to have more income.”

Draper said the town has to take advantage of the river and he believes Weldon can also lure big companies. Wisconsin Tissue was an example which failed only because the company was bought out by Georgia-Pacific four days after it announced it was coming, the mayor said. “What that proves to me is working together we can grab the big boy.”

Meacham said the town needs to market itself and use the Internet. “We’ve got to be competitive,” she said.

Whitby explained Weldon is in a Catch-22. “We don’t have enough customers to support business and we don’t have enough business to support customers,” he said. “We need something to break out of that cycle.”

Whitby said while it would be good to reduce taxes, you have to look at what is sacrificed to do it.

The only way to reduce taxes, Alford said, is to see more businesses come. "My vision is to see tourism. We have beautiful Riverfalls Park. We have fishermen but they won’t drop their money in Weldon.

Jay Baker, who owns a business in Weldon, asked the candidates what their plan was for bringing new businesses to town.

Meacham said the town has worked with Progressive Resources and Opportunities. She used the question to advocate her belief the town needs a full-time administrator. "We need someone who works 40 hours a week writing grants and being an ambassador. Until we have someone we’re not going to achieve our goals.”

Draper said he believes the plan lies within the STEP program.

On the administrator issue, Draper said he is not against one, but the town can’t hire one until it can afford to do so. When looking at whether the town could afford to pay an administrator the average salary of $58,000 a year, plus perks, the mayor said the town would have had to take away patrol cars and firefighters. “We don’t want to do it at the expense of the people we have now.”