Lance Herndon has announced his candidacy for the District 8 Robeson County Board of Commissioners seat.

Mr. Herndon is a resident of Parkton and a graduate of St. Pauls High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he obtained a degree in Geography. He is employed as a farmer and was selected as Robeson County Young Farmer of the Year in 2004. He currently serves as a member of the Robeson County Extension Service, and is the Robeson County representative for the NC Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher State Committee Advisory Council. He is a member of Green Springs Baptist Church.

Mr. Herndon provided the following statement to The St. Pauls Review.

“I am running for County Commissioner to help ensure that the citizens of the 8th District have a strong voice for their concerns. I believe that I can provide leadership on issues that will help our district and county move forward.

“I am proud to have lived in this community my entire life and feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to come home from college and start a business on our family farm.

“My pledge is to work to keep our taxes as low as possible. The lower the tax rate is in comparison to surrounding counties significantly affects the ability to lure and recruit industry to our county. The sluggish economy is a hot topic right now, but I believe that our District and county have a unique opportunity to attract military families and related businesses due to the expansion of Fort Bragg.

“I believe that education is a key ingredient for our county to move forward. Statistics have shown that the higher the education level is in a county, the higher the per capita income. A good education system leads to sound economic development.

“It is important for a County Commissioner to not only listen to the people in this district, but also to communicate to them pertinent information about the county that affects them, I propose a quarterly meeting in a central location in the district to have a free exchange of ideas. An informed public is of great importance to me.

“I would appreciate your vote and support which would allow me, if elected, to be a voice for the people.”