By Peter Biello
Wilmington, NC – The mayor of Belville's job is up for grabs this election and two town officials are competing for it.
Mayor Pro-tem Mary Jean Rhodes and Commissioner Charles Thurlow say they agree on what's best for Belville. Both candidates want Belville to remain a quiet, rural town and both want a newly hired developer to transform their downtown into something to be proud of.
But Mary Jean Rhodes says her 10 years in Belville make her more qualified than Thurlow for the mayor's seat.
"I think I have a better knowledge of Belville's history and the situation it's in," she says.
Commissioner Charles Thurlow says even though Ms. Rhodes has experience, his background in Human Resources gives him the leadership skills necessary to lead Belville as mayor.
"To me, taking a conceptual idea, for example the downtown and moving it forward, I'm better able to come up with an agreement on the right approach and then implement that approach," he says.
Thurlow has served as one of Belville's three commissioners for three years.
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