MILTICH

Dec. 1 More potential nominees for the fifth Cornelius Town Commissioner seat may emerge at tonight’s public meeting (7 p.m. at Town Hall), but support seems to be lining up behind Bruce Trimbur. One potential nominee from The Peninsula has pulled his hat out of the ring. Dr. Michael Miltich, the sixth-highest vote-getter in the 2013 elections, seems to be waging an uphill battle. Click here for a letter to the editor.

His endorsement a year ago by the Widen I-77 anti-toll group has not set well with board members who value teamwork over ideology.

While some people say experts are former drips under pressure (think ‘ex-spurt’), the experts are indeed saying the only way to get I-77 widened in our lifetimes is through toll lanes built and operated by a private company.

Miltich says this: “During that campaign, my position was that the State should be tasked with re-ranking of the I-77 widening because of the changes passed by the NC General Assembly earlier in the year.This position was from my own determination. I assume it was this position as to why “Widen I-77” endorsed me.”

This past summer as more information on the toll project was disclosed by the state, local elected officials tried to delay the approval of the toll contract. It appears to have been too little too late around an unpopular project.

“My suggesting the State to slow down and re-examine the process was nine months prior to when the current Commissioners requested it themselves. I’m not sure why that is a negative in being appointed a Commissioner. It does show that I bring independent critical skills to the table which allows me to better serve the citizens of Cornelius,” Miltich said.

Meanwhile, Trimbur, the lead nominee, has been quiet. He was appointed to the board last year when former Commissioner Lynette Rinker was elevated to the mayor’s slot by her peers, with no help from former Mayor Jeff Tarte.

The board is expected to decide Dec. 15 who will replace Commissioner John Bradford who was elected to the N.C. House of Representatives Nov. 4. He expects to be sworn in by U.S. Sen.-elect Thom Tillis who began his career in elected office on the Cornelius Town Commission.

Miltich has Commissioner Dave Gilroy’s backing for the fifth seat on the nonpartisan town board.

Click here for Miltich’s statement on becoming the fifth Cornelius Town Commissioner.