Candidate Questionnaire: Dorothy Royal for Holly Ridge Mayor

1) What 3 changes, if any, would you like to see in the community you will be representing over the next four years?

I would like to see improvement in how citizens are treated by some of the town council members and town employees. I think some of them have forgotten their duties are to the community and not to themselves. This is a very small town, and we should have small problems and lots of festivities and fun. Somewhere along the line there came a great disconnect. and that needs to end.

As with any profession, training needs to be constant to make sure our town staff is providing the best services possible to the community. Our website is outdated, we do not offer on-line features, such as permits and payments. Access to minutes from previous meetings sometimes takes months. Minutes from planning board meetings and committees need to be available as well. We need to catch up to all our neighboring communities when it comes to transparency through having all meetings live and in real time as well as accessible to viewers at a later time. These meetings need to include regular town meetings, special meetings and planning board meetings.

I would like to bring back the Holly Festival, which was held on the 1st Saturday in November and included a parade that concluded with Santa on a Fire Truck to kick off the holiday season. I would like to add a seafood festival to our town. We are now home to the world-famous Atlantic Seafood, and we need to take advantage of that. We need to celebrate the history of Camp Davis, and I would like to work together to create a historical center, perhaps as a joint venture with Onslow County, creating a Welcome Center that could be located on Hwy 17. A venture like this could be paid for with grants and business sponsorships and would give travelers an opportunity to stop and learn about our amazing area.

2) What strategy will you implement to respond to public concerns and criticisms?

I will listen to those that take the time to come to us, in person or via email or letters and I will respond with understanding. Too many people feel as they have been ignored in this community and because of that, they have lost interest in volunteering or attending meetings. This needs to change. The most valuable thing a community has is its volunteers - people willing to provide their time, skills and knowledge for free. That is what makes a community great. We need to encourage volunteers to join committees and appreciate them for their time and contributions.

3) How do you plan to measure and evaluate your success in office?

As someone who deals with the community and public daily, I am already privileged to the concerns of many residents and business owners. It will be my honor to do my best to listen and help provide them the information or guidance they require. If we have the right people in the right positions, both in council and as town employees, our work will become easier and less stressful. We need to become a town of "how may I help you? Let me connect you to the right person to help you get that done." We need to create a win-win situation for everyone.

4) Can you give an example of how you have supported a community project in the past?

In 2012 after the purchase of the "Paradise Club" dance hall that was built in the early 1940's, I found a booklet inside regarding the 50th Anniversary of Camp Davis. After noting the date, I realized we were a few years from the 75th Anniversary of Camp Davis. I went to the town hall and spoke about this at a town meeting and felt that I didn't get the response I hoped for or the help that was needed. I took this task upon myself and with my family and a group volunteers from the community, put on the 75th Anniversary of Camp Davis that included a street fair (in front of the Paradise Club) vendor booths in the town park and we were able to get the Military to fly an Osprey onto the old Camp Davis landing strip and allowed us to offer tours. With a generous donation of a bus from the Museum of the Marines in Jacksonville, we had volunteers drive the bus from the street fare across Hwy 17 and onto the Camp Davis landing strip. Jacksonville Daily News covered this event with two front page articles, and it is estimated that 3,000 people attended on that date.

In 2023 I approached the town manager with the idea of Holly Ridge becoming a Bee City, USA. After council approval, a committee was created, and I was selected as the Chairperson. In our first year, our amazing group of volunteers and town employees organized and put on the first Holly Ridge Bee Festival that was a street fair on Sound Road. Our local newspaper, The Topsail Times, featured this festival on the front page and throughout its publication. I was able to reach out to local radio stations and news agencies to spread the word. It is estimated that 2500 people attended the first Bee City Festival in Holly Ridge. Venders ran out of supplies due to the large crowds that attended. The weather was perfect, and the street was filled with friends and music. It was a great day for the Holly Ridge community.

5) What personal or professional experience do you have that makes you qualified to serve your community?

My great uncle Harvey Jones was one of the engineers that designed Holly Ridge streets. When we purchased the Paradise Club building (one of the last standing structures of WWII Camp Davis) I fell in love with the fact that the road on our corner was Cole Street, named after my great Aunt Elsie Cole. My husband and children were born and raised in Holly Ridge. I remember the amazing Holly Fest that was held the 1st Saturday of November and including a parade that required Highway 17 to be shut down for 30 minutes (could you image that today?). I know that this town is capable of so much more. We don't need another 2000 plus homes to define us; we need more festivals and family fun events. We need to encourage more retail businesses, restaurants, medical facilities, and shopping. Why does Surf City have five grocery stores, and we have none? As a North Carolina General Contractor, I hear all the other builders complain about the Holly Ridge building issues, this has to stop. As a business owner I can attest to the fact that it is difficult to bring people to Holly Ridge when we are completely avoidable by traffic going down the island or up Hwy 50 toward Maple Hill. As a community we need to work together to encourage people to visit and shop in Holly Ridge. Having a Welcome Center on Hwy 17 would be a great asset to both our military history and our small, family-owned businesses. This town was once the center of local commerce, bringing some of that back will be a goal.