A Message from Quint David:
Four years ago, when I was just 27 years old, I had the honor of being elected to serve on the Boone Town Council. My background in sustainability initiatives learned right here at Appalachian State was put to good use and I was proud to play my part moving our town forward as a conscious and progressive community. Since my retirement from the political spotlight after serving my two-year term, I have enjoyed keeping our wheels turning as a member and now current chair of Boone’s Sustainability Committee as well as the Appalcart, and as the Co-Chair of the newly created Watauga Food Council. As a full-time employed 13 year resident of Boone, and a homeowner, I care deeply about the issues that not only impact our environment, but issues that affect workers, property owners, neighborhoods, and businesses as well.

I retired from politics before: While not even 30 years old yet I felt a little too soft to survive the hardened back-stabbing life of a politician, but I realized after the 2016 election that if regular working folks did not stand up to the bullies and take back the leadership of our town and country, that we would all be setting ourselves up to have a bad time. I cannot allow that to happen ever again.

We need responsible and rational leadership at all levels of government, who are dedicated to helping ALL of our citizens, not tweeting bullies who spread misinformation and only work to help themselves and their campaign doners.

I sincerely thank the current town council members for appointing me back to the vacant council seat to once again serve as a representative of the people of Boone, and I hope our voters will feel the same for the upcoming election this November 7th, 2017.

About Quint:
I am 31 years old, full-time employed homeowner here in Boone. I completed a BS in Construction Management, and a BS in Appropriate Technology from Appalachian State University, specializing in green building certification and solar energy. I currently work for IONCON (It’s Only Natural) Engineering. In recent years I’ve worked on strawbale, earthbag, yurts, and shipping container homes as well as the design of renewable energy and rainwater collection systems. I have certified homes for Energy Star, LEED, and the Home Builders Association National Green Building Standard. I currently serve as the chair and founding member of Boone’s now permanent Sustainability Committee, as well as the Appalcart board, and as the Co-Chair of the newly created Watauga Food Council. I care deeply about the issues that not only impact our environment, but issues that affect workers, property owners, neighborhoods, and businesses as well.

I have watched our community grow and change tremendously since I arrived in 2004. Boone has always been a beautiful place to live and a popular destination to visit for many reasons, and today that is more true than ever. While there are benefits to this popularity there are also stresses and strains associated with the growth and change around it.

Balancing our resource use and planning for the long-term instead of the short is critical to protecting the reasons why we choose to live in this amazing place. Lately I have become increasingly worried that some of our leadership is focused on the short-term dollar instead of the long-term investment in our community and our next generation’s future. I want to ensure that we continue to focus on our local investments and our long-term visions of our community.

Priorities
My priorities for 2017 are the same as they were back in 2014, with the addition of working to retain middle-class home ownership, a crisis I believe is critical to Boone’s future as a family town rather than a vacation town:

Retaining the middle class:
More and more of our hard working families are being forced outside of town due to unaffordable housing. Over 1,000 have left in the last few years. Boone needs to prioritize ownable, lower-medium density cottage style housing like many of our traditional neighborhoods already have over rent-by-the-bedroom mega apartments and empty, vacant, 2nd homes. People must be our #1 priority.

Neighborhood Protection:
As our population continues to grow the investments our local homeowners have made must be protected from developments and usage that lower property values.

Increasing and Protecting Green Space:
Boone’s green spaces are not just something that serves to better the appearance of our town, but serve to connect and increase the livability and enjoyment of our natural environment.

Walk-ability and Bike-ability:
While many of our areas are now accessible by walking or bike, many areas continue to suffer from dangerous traffic congestion or lack of sidewalks in reasonable locations. With nearly 20% of our workers reporting walking to work, alternative transportation must be a #1 priority.

Small Business:
Our small business owners are the reason we enjoy such a variety of shops and restaurants that can only be found in our town, and the reason many come to visit our area. Ensuring that their needs are met will help ensure a vibrant and varied local market into the future.

Long-Term Planning:
Balancing the needs of today with the needs of tomorrow is critical to Boone’s future. We have already experienced what a lack of planning can create, and we must work together to ensure that those mistakes are not repeated. We must be pro-active and not re-active when planning the future of our community.