AHOSKIE – A successful businessman vs. a respected man of the cloth and current Town Councilman…those are the choices Ahoskie’s registered voters have on the ballot for mayor.

In Tuesday’s (Nov. 3) election, Jimmie Rowe and the Rev. C. David Stackhouse are seeking to fill the seat of outgoing Ahoskie Mayor Brien Lassiter.

Rowe, who moved to Ahoskie at the age of 25, said he raised his family here, advocated for agriculture in Ahoskie, started businesses in the town, constructed buildings in Ahoskie, and built streets here.

Thusly, Rowe’s fingerprints are quite literally all over the Town of Ahoskie.

For 20 years, Rowe served as a representative with the Federal Land Bank system where he was local president, covering Northampton, Bertie, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Dare, and Hertford counties.

“I was able to work with our farmers and agricultural workers to help them obtain financing, in order to grow their local business and stimulate the local economy,” Rowe said.

Since 1992, Rowe served as a construction manager with Commercial Ready Mix Products, where he worked with clients in both the public and private sector, including several projects for the Town of Ahoskie, including the new Ahoskie Creek Recreational Complex and the town’s new wastewater treatment facility.

“Being familiar with the conditions of Ahoskie’s infrastructure, I consider the improvement of roads, water, and sewer to be a top priority if elected as mayor,” Rowe remarked. “With direct experience in this area, I feel I have the expertise needed to implement a plan for constant and lasting change to improve Ahoskie’s streets and utilities.”

In addition to his work with Commercial Ready Mix Products, Rowe is also a licensed real estate broker and has successfully built and sold many homes and buildings throughout the town and county. He also has experience starting several small businesses in the past, including a muffler and brake shop in the location of what is now Precision Lube. He also started a fertilizer and chemical business and has also built and managed other commercial properties.

“I understand that it takes a personable and influential citizen to serve as the mayor of Ahoskie – one that can represent the people of Ahoskie in front of town administration and one whose phone line is always open to concerned citizens,” Rowe stated.

“If I am elected mayor, I encourage the people of Ahoskie to not hesitate when approaching me about issues that are important to them. Is there a dangerous pothole on the streets of your neighborhood? Is your water bill getting out of control? Is there a police officer or fireman who went out of their way to serve you? I want to know all of these things,” Rowe stressed.

He stated that his management style is simple, “Keeping a finger on the pulse of the job at hand, to include being a mayor, is how I manage things,” he said. “You pay attention to the details…I feel that is what made me successful in the business world and the same will serve me well if I’m elected mayor of Ahoskie.

Stackhouse, currently in the middle of his first term as an Ahoskie Councilman, announced in July that he wanted to serve his town as its mayor.

“Why do I want to be your mayor; well my commitment, my concerns, and my community involvement exemplify the special love I have for Ahoskie,” said Stackhouse, pastor at New Ahoskie Baptist Church. “This passion motivates me to continue to help transform lives, therefore transforming communities.

“I fill my days in Ahoskie by mentoring in our schools three days a week, delivering Meals on Wheels, driving citizens seeking employment, providing a computer lab for the community to access and sharpen their skills, and championing an After School Tutorial Academy for the youth of Ahoskie. I gladly dedicate myself to being a community servant,” he added.

Stackhouse said his vision for Ahoskie is to improve the streets, bring more employment opportunities to the area, revitalize the downtown area, and create safer communities by establishing neighborhood watch programs.

“We will partner with our community groups, schools, and Chowan University. Together we can erect a new library, ensure more avenues of positive change for our children, and forge a more desirable quality of life for us all. Together we can transform lives. Together we can transform community,” Stackhouse noted.

Stackhouse said the transformation process began earlier this year with the Unity in the Community group, which he is a founding member.

His other community interests include Right Moves for Youth Coordinator/Facilitator; a member of the Board of Trustees at Roanoke-Chowan Community College; member of both the Ahoskie Kiwanis Club and Ahoskie Rotary Club; NAACP Executive Board Chairman; Social Services Collaborative Board member; fifth and sixth grade basketball coach; and community activist.

He has received the Elks Community Leadership Award, Hertford County Public Schools Community Service Award, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. MLK Drum Major for Service Award.