Editor’s note: following is a proclamation presented to outgoing Tryon Mayor Alan Peoples during council’s Dec. 17 meeting for his 12 years of service to the town. 

Whereas, Lieutenant Colonel J. Alan Peoples, Ret., a full-time teacher and coach at Polk County High School and former Polk County Commissioner (1996 through 1999), was elected Mayor of Tryon in November 2001 and has served diligently in that office for 12 consecutive years; and

Whereas, J. Alan Peoples was born on a tobacco tenant farm in Franklin, NC, served in the U.S. Army rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves before his military retirement and spent 40 years in education, 10 years as principal or assistant principal and 30 years as a classroom teacher, 31 of those years with Polk County Schools until his retirement in December 2010; and

Whereas, J. Alan Peoples earned a bachelor’s degree form the University of Tennessee, a Master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and had completed further postgraduate work at the University of South Carolina; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples assumed the position of mayor during a time of municipal financial crisis, and, working with the Tryon Board of Commissioners, accepted the challenge of restoring the town’s fiscal solvency; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples helped select and worked with skilled town managers, consultants and staff to resolve Tryon’s financial crisis through innovative funding from federal and state low-interest loans and grants; through significant in-house reorganization; through the centralization of financial accounting for the Town of Tryon, Harmon Field and the Tryon ABC Store reducing accounting and auditing expense; through the restructuring of the town’s accounting system, internal controls and budgeting; and through investment in town equipment and infrastructure for improved efficiency and lower maintenance and operating costs; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples set a primary goal for Tryon’s government to serves the needs of the citizens, including well-equipped, professional law enforcement officers; an organized, highly-trained fire chief coordinating volunteer firefighters for safety and efficient emergency response; friendly, helpful administrative staff assisting utility customers, taxpayers, citizens and visitors and maintaining accurate Town records; efficient, motivated streets, sanitation, and utility workers; and well trained water plant and sewer plant staff; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples supported long range planning for water and sewer, which included completion of a capital improvement program, sewer inflow and infiltration study, GIS mapping for sewer, leak detection program to address sewer overflow issues, and supported the $3.6 million Tryon Water Plant upgrade and the $3.4 million Saluda-Tryon-Columbus joint emergency water interconnect project to ensure adequate safe water supplies for Tryon’s citizens; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples and the board of commissioners supported and participated in the development of an updated strategic plan and vision for Tryon’s development in 2010; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples supported projects resulting in sidewalk Streetscape improvements on North Trade Street, South Trade Street at New Market Road and McCown Street, the renovation of the Tryon Depot that received the 2011 Economic Restructuring Award from the NC Small Town Main Street Program, and development of public plazas with $200,000 Main Street Solutions Fund grant funding and substantial private investment partnerships at the Depot and at 62 North Trade Street in the central business district according to the long-range Streetscape Plan developed by the Tryon Downtown Development Association Joint Finance Construction Committee and Tryon’s Small Town Main Street Committee; and

Whereas, Mayor Peoples has served many day and evening hours as board of commissioners representative on town advisory committees including the Small Town Main Street Committee, the JL Larsen Cemetery Committee, the Town Hall Restoration Committee and the Museum-Visitors Center Committee, as well as serving on the Board of the Upstairs Artspace; and

Whereas, Mayor People’s legacy is a town that is fiscally sound, with municipal services restored, new equipment purchased, long range planning completed for essential water and sewer infrastructure, an improved downtown Streetscape, an outstanding sports/recreation complex at Harmon Field and an efficient, effective administrative staff in place to carry on that legacy; and

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Tryon Board of Commissioners recognizes Mayor J. Alan Peoples:

For his professionalism, dedication and service to citizens of the Town of Tryon, and

For his leadership in the restoration of the financial integrity of the Town of Tryon, and

For his positive support and guidance of Tryon’s Board of Commissioners; and

Be it further resolved:

That the Mayor Pro Tempore, Commissioners and Town of Tryon Staff wish J. Alan Peoples great success in his activities outside of public elected office.