NAME: David Camacho
AGE: 48
OCCUPATION: Custom home builder
EDUCATION: B.A., economics, UNC-Chapel Hill
POLITICAL PARTY AND EXPERIENCE: Republican; six years as Wake Forest town commissioner; two terms on the Wake Forest planning board
CIVIC ACTIVITIES AND OTHER AFFILIATIONS: PTA member, booster club member, Angel Flight volunteer
WHY SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? As a 37-year resident of Wake County and a 15-year resident of Wake Forest, I know the area, history, and current issues. As a two-term member of the Wake forest Planning Board, and a current Wake Forest commissioner, I have proven ability to manage all aspects of town business. I am a team player and a logical decision maker. I work well with other elected officials, town staff, and concerned citizens, regardless of any philosophical differences. I educate myself on the pros and cons of decisions on all affected stakeholders.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Home phone, 554-4882; dpcamacho@worldnet.att.net
1. Wake Forest has touted its initiatives to bring homes and businesses to the downtown district, but White Street has several vacant storefronts, and the old Winn-Dixie is still vacant. Is there anything else the town can do to bring growth closer to the center of town?
Wake Forest leaders have been trying diligently to revitalize downtown since the college moved to Winston-Salem. In the six years I have been on the board, we have commissioned a study called the "renaissance plan" for downtown, helped hire a downtown manager, and become a Main Street USA city. We are spending millions of dollars to implement this plan. It will take several more years to pay off, but this is a high priority of mine. Once these improvements are in place, high-quality residential development, and then high-quality commercial development/redevelopment, will soon follow.
2. Other parts of town thrive more than the northeast. Beyond the plan Wake Forest adopted in July, is there more the town can do to improve the northeast?
The northeast community plan that Wake Forest adopted last month will be our map for success in this part of town. While other parts of town have seen more new development in recent years, the northeast community is ripe for redevelopment. This community is an integral part of our town and our heritage. In developing the community plan, we had numerous open meetings, solicited input from the residents, and formulated both short-term and long-term action items/strategies. With the town and the residents working together to implement the plan, this part of town will once again thrive.
3. Wake Forest buys water from Raleigh, and it's running out of water allocations, due mainly to heavy lawn irrigation. Does Wake Forest need to impose development or water restrictions over and above what is now has in place?
The amount of water that the town of Wake Forest estimated it would need has turned out to be substantially less than our actual requirements. This has been the result of higher-than-anticipated-water usage per household (i.e. heavy lawn irrigation). Municipal water resources should be used mainly inside households, such as for drinking and washing, and irrigation should be supplied by other means such as reclaimed water, captured rainwater, ponds and wells. I am opposed to using municipal water for irrigation, and I have worked to restrict such uses in new developments.