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Don't have time to take the tour. We have clips and quotes of many of the local newspaper articles that mention Sam throughout the 2002 campaign and beyond. Look for the highlighted text below and on the Campaign News, 1st Term Archive and 2nd Term Archive pages.

 

Watford elected commissioners' chairman

Potts to serve as vice chairman
Donnie Roberts/The Dispatch
Published: Monday, December 6, 2010 at 2:26 p.m.
Watford was voted chairman Monday morning in a special called meeting by his fellow board members, edging Billy Joe Kepley by a 4-3 vote. Watford was nominated by commissioner Larry Potts, who was elected to serve as vice chairman of the board.
Watford spent this past year as vice chairman, second in line to the recently retired Dr. Max Walser. Watford has been nominated for the position in the past, but this year's run as chairman will be his first.
“Thank you for your support,” Watford said after the vote. Pulling from the 1970s' movie, “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” Watford added, “All I'll say is that I'll endeavor to persevere.”
Watford said the board will continue to focus heavily on economic development in the county.
“The whole time I've served on the board it's been our No. 1 priority, and it will continue to be,” he said. “We're dominated by businessmen; we have five independent business people serving on the board. It gives us an edge on recruitment, to try and help business in this county survive and to bring in new business.”
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November 2011
Commissioners swear in for new term, elect chair and vice chair
by ERIN WILTGEN Thomasville Times
LEXINGTON — Davidson County Board of Commissioners officially kicked off its new regime Monday as it swore in its new members at an 8 a.m. ceremony.
Newcomer Todd Yates took his oath separately from incumbent winners Billy Joe Kepley, Sam Watford and Don Truell, who swore in as a group. Register of Deeds David Rickard also took his oath at the meeting. Commissioners then voted to appoint a chair and vice chair. Kepley and Watford were appointed for chair — Watford won narrowly with a 4-3 majority.
“We thought Max [Walser, former chair,] had run off with the gavel,” Watford joked. “Thank you for your support.” Commissioners Larry Potts and Cathy Dunn were nominated for vice chair. Potts won, again by a close 4-3 vote.
Aside from economic development, Watford’s new title presents him with the challenges to become the board’s official spokesperson, stepping out into the limelight and representing the county. Such public appearances might be hard for him, not only because he works full-time during the day but also because it’s a role he’s not accustomed to filling.
“That is a big part of this job, representing the county in the public eye,” Watford said. “Running the meetings is the easy part, I’ve done that before. Representing the county in the public eye, that’s the hard part.”
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Published: Friday, November 26, 2010 at 5:00 a.m.
Walser steps down from a life of public service
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
The chairman of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners and former superintendent of Davidson County Schools hung up his public service cap Tuesday night with the adjournment of his last meeting on the county board.
His passion is respected by his fellow commissioners, regardless of their stance on the same issues.
“He's honest and straightforward, you always knew where he stood,” said Watford, who came on the board the same time as Walser. “It surprised me when he said he was not going to serve another term. He definitely would have been elected, there would have been no question about that. It's been an honor to serve with him. He's definitely been an asset to the county and the board of commissioners. He's an educated man. I can't say anything negative about him.”
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Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 4:57 p.m.
Commissioners table farmland protection plan
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
A proposed Davidson County Farmland Protection Plan was widely criticized Tuesday night by the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, who then tabled the proposal for 90 days and advised the Davidson County Voluntary Agricultural District Board to reconvene with its stakeholders to develop a more focused plan.

Commissioners voted 4-3 to table the plan despite heavy support for it at a public forum Tuesday night. Around 40 people in favor of the plan attended the meeting, with several folks addressing the board, encouraging commissioners to pass the proposal. Commissioners Fred McClure, Todd Yates, Larry Potts and Sam Watford voted to table the plan. Commissioners Billy Joe Kepley, Don Truell and Cathy Dunn voted in favor.
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Published: Monday, December 20, 2010 at 10:40 p.m.
Council adjusts economic incentives package for Imaflex
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
The Thomasville City Council, at the recommendation from Davidson County Economic Development Commission executive director Steve Googe, waived a clause in an economic incentives package that was granted to Imaflex Inc. nearly five years ago.

The company pledged $10 million to the city and to employ 60 people by 2010. Currently the company has invested $14 million but only employs 40 workers. Thanks to the coined Watford guidelines (from Davidson County Board of Commissioner Chairman Sam Watford) the EDC installed contracts that prior to the grant request, would allow businesses to waive wage and job requirements if the unemployment rate is in double digits during one of the past six months, and as a result the grant would be proportionately reduced relative to the employment percentage.
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January 2011
State initiative to free money for small business
by ERIN WILTGEN Thomasville Times
North Carolina’s new Capital Access Program (CAP) hopes to address this issue and free about $800 million in capital for small businesses over the next two years. Operating as a loan loss reserve, CAP will allow banks and other qualified financial institutions to grant loans to businesses that otherwise may fall outside the normal underwriting standards.
“It’s good to see some federal money come here,” said Davidson County Commission Chair Sam Watford. “It serves as a guarantee that banks won’t lose everything that they’ve got. They’ve got something to fall back on.”
And CAP intends to foster that natural relationship between businesses and banks. A small businessman himself, Watford says the program should greatly assist small companies, especially as the economy begins to pick up.
“If the economy starts growing a little bit, that’s when you’re going to need the capital, is to buy new machinery and hire new people and grow as the economy grows,” said Watford, owner of Watford Construction Company. “I feel like we are entering into a growth period, and this should help. As a politician and as a leader of this county, anything that we can do to help our small businesses has to be good.”
A main goal of the initiative is to create jobs and chip away at the high unemployment numbers across the county, the state and the nation.
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Published: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 3:42 p.m.
Funding issues dominate commissioners’ legislative goals
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
North Carolina counties and their governing commissioners voiced strong opposition to any shift of secondary road funding responsibilities to their level and also emphasized the need for the state to reinstate the lottery and average daily membership funding sources for new school construction.

DOT’s proposal of shifting responsibility was met with overwhelming contention, said Davidson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Watford, who attended the conference. Watford said such a move in Davidson County would be a huge burden.

“There is absolutely no way we could afford that,” he said. “You couldn’t even estimate it. Some people estimated as much as (increasing) 20 cents on the property tax rate in the counties. We don’t even want that to come up as an option.”

Other priorities were to ensure again sufficient funding for the mental health system, protect the local revenue base from any further incursions by the state and to authorize all counties to enact any revenue options — such as prepared meals taxes or hotel taxes — that have been granted to at least one county already.

Watford was pleased to hear support for lottery and ADM funding, as Davidson County is at the beginning stages of work on the new middle school in the northern end of the county. More than $250 million of lottery and state corporate income tax revenues for public school capital needs were diverted by the state in the past two years to help balance the budget. In 2009, Davidson County Schools had to return $818,029 to the state.

“We plan on using the lottery funds to help us repay the debt on these new (school) buildings,” Watford said.

Overall, Watford said he was pleased with goals settled on by commissioners statewide. The conference concluded a months-long process that started in mid 2010, as more than 30 counties submitted over 200 goals for consideration. Proposals were reviewed by seven steering committees.

“Mainly, our priority was to try and maintain the existing funding that we have and to not cut the state budget on the backs of the county commissioners,” he said.
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Published: Monday, February 7, 2011 at 7:11 p.m.
Local officials defend state incentives, a GOP target
By Vikki Broughton Hodges
The Dispatch
A bill making its way through the General Assembly that would transfer some state economic development incentive funds to the general fund to help address a $3.7 billion budget shortfall next year is facing opposition from Gov. Bev Perdue and economic development officials.

Sam Watford, chairman of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, said he and the other commissioners have been glad to have some state funds to supplement local incentives to bring economic development projects to fruition because he knows neighboring states are very competitive, and everyone is looking to create more jobs.

“As county commissioners, we’ve been trying to attract all the businesses we can to Davidson County,” he said. “And there’s no question it’s going to have some negative impact, but we’ve got to cut something somewhere.”

Watford said he’s also concerned about cuts that will affect local schools, as well as mental health and social services.
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Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:20 p.m.
Commissioners hear about budget shortfall, facility needs at retreat
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
Heavy discussion, brainstorming and financial forecasting was undertaken by the Davidson County Board of Commissioners Thursday at their annual budget retreat workshop on Thursday.

As it prepares for a difficult fiscal year, commissioners got their first in-depth look at county finances, project needs, state budget issues and the future of economic development incentives. One agenda item was certain: Commissioners will address a projected $4 million county budget gap without raising the county property tax rate, currently at .54 cents per $100 valuation.

The huge loss in sales tax for the county won't be an easy fix moving forward either. The current point of sale portion of the sales tax — which keeps 1.5 cents of a 2-cent sales tax in the county where a taxable item is purchased — has exposed Davidson County's weak retail market.

IAccording to Googe, retailers focus heavily on an area's per-capita income and residences-per-square-mile demographic information.

“Our per capita income doesn't measure up,” Googe said. “We don't have the people per square mile that meet their requirements.”

Davidson County Board of Commissioner Chairman Sam Watford expressed the same concerns about Davidson County's issues in drawing retail.

“Our per capita income has always been a problem in our county,” Watford said. “Until we get that up, we won't be very attractive.”

Not much progress was made Thursday on a new jail complex. Commissioners have budgeted around $30 million to construct a new facility, but Davidson County Clerk of Court Brian Shipwash told the board those funds would not cover the cost.

“There needs to continue to be capital planning for a new courthouse/jail and sheriff's office and we only ask that be considered in the next five years,” Shipwash said. “I don't know how you're planning on debt funding but I do not think $30 million would cover the needs of both a combined sheriff's office and jail from figures we have received over the last two years.”

A potential site for the jail has yet to be identified. Discussions have been ongoing about whether to expand the current facility or to move the complex elsewhere.

Commissioners don't debate the need for new facilities but said estimates for a new middle school, high school and a jail complex could total close to $120 million.

Projections show the need for a 1.5-cent property tax increase in four years, according to Hanner, to pay for these needs.

“Long range, those are most important things,” Watford said. “But we're just trying to take it year-by-year right now.”

Commissioners took no action on issues discussed. County staff will follow the board's instructions on moving forward and voting on issues during future meetings.

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Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 2:46 p.m.
Family, politicians recall Joe Hege’s contributions
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
Joe H. Hege Jr.’s roots were deep in Davidson County. He was a public servant, private pilot, military veteran, avid church member and family man. Sharing stories about Hege’s influence is easy for those who knew him well and comforting for those who now miss him.

His daughter, Karen Watford, remembers his tenure of legislative service well.

“On Mondays he would drive down to Raleigh, and he would stay Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” Watford said, “and he would come home on Fridays. He did that for all those terms. That’s what he enjoyed. He was very interested in doing what he could on the state level to help his constituents.”

Watford is the wife of Davidson County Board of Commissioners’ Chairman Sam Watford. The couple has been married for 33 years. For Sam, those years created quite a relationship with his father-in-law.

“We ate lunch together every Sunday for years,” Sam said. “Learned and talked all about politics and business and flying airplanes.”

Watford, who is a private pilot himself, credited Hege for his interest in becoming a pilot. Watford said some of their Sunday lunches were followed by a few hours up in the air.

“He liked to talk,” Watford joked. “He was a good man. You couldn’t help but learn from him. A lot of others would say the same thing.”

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Published: Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 10:30 p.m.
Commissioners issue millions in bonds to pay for new school
By David Bodenheimer
The Dispatch
Funding for the new middle school in the northern end of Davidson County took another step Tuesday as the Davidson County Board of Commissioners approved county Finance Director Jane Kiker to sell $13 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds.

The QSCB bonds were made possible by the federal stimulus act of 2008.

“It really helped. It was a good deal for us,” said board chairman Sam Watford. “We got about all we could have to help finance this school. That’s what really moved this ahead.”

The remaining funds to cover the $24.5 million price tag of the new miiddle school will come from the county’s general fund and N.C. Education Lottery revenues.

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Published: Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 4:22 p.m
Commissioners tour bridge construction sites;
sign off on TIMCO deal
Eric Abernethy/The Dispatch
.Commissioners' chairman Sam Watford, commissioners Fred McClure and Billy Joe Kepley, county manager Robert Hyatt, assistant county manager Zeb Hanner, county planning and zoning director Guy Cornman and Hanna Cockburn with the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments attended.

“This is just something you don't get to see every day,” Watford said. “I'm extremely pleased with the progress and the quality of work with both projects. I've been on several large projects but not a bridge. It seems to be really well-managed.”

Before heading on the tour, commissioners approved economic incentives for TIMCO by a 5-2 vote. Kepley and Todd Yates voted against the contract.

The approval finalizes a deal that took more than six months to reach. Commissioners agreed in principal in September to approve $1 million toward the purchase of the Tyco plant, where TIMCO will operate. The Town of Wallburg has also pledged $500,000 as part of the deal. In return, TIMCO will pay $75,000 annually on its 20-year lease of the facility with the county receiving $50,000 yearly and Wallburg collecting the remaining $25,000.

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April 2011
County amends abortion policy on employee health care plan
by Lisa Wall, Editor Thomasville Times
LEXINGTON — Davidson County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 Tuesday to change the coverage of abortions in the county employees’ health care plan. Commissioner Fred McClure brought the item into discussion prior to the board approving terms and premiums of the 2011-12 health care plan. Commissioner Don Truell cast the dissenting vote.
“My only concern is that we get the wording right, so that we didn’t endanger anybody’s health,” Commission Chair Sam Watford said.

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