When the Guilford County Board of Commissioners meets in early December to elect a new chair, the majority of the board will be saying, “Out with the old and in with the – well. In with the same chairman we’ve had for years.”
Chairman Skip Alston told the Rhino Times he intends to run for the seat again – which means he will win the seat again.
The Democrats on the board hold a firm majority, and they’ve shown no willingness to break ranks with Alston on something as important as who leads the board.
Alston said this week he has yet to make his case to his fellow commissioners, and he added that whether he ends up as chairman again will depend on their votes. He said he does want the job and hopes he can convince the others that he’s the right one to lead the board into and through 2026.
Which is a nice thing to say but there is no universe in which Alston wants to be chair and doesn’t win the seat.
Another year at the helm will add to a record-setting streak that’s already made him by far the longest-serving chairman in Guilford County history.
“I’ve always tried to set the example of how we can work together as a whole board rather than trying to behave as Democrats or Republicans,” Alston said. “It’s not about party to me. Those are still citizens of Guilford County, and they deserve the same services no matter who represents them.”
Alston has served as the board’s chair ten times already – much more than any other commissioner in county history. In fact, he has been chairman more than twice as many times as those in second place.
So, this will mark his eleventh term in the role. By comparison, former Commissioners Wally Harrelson and Bob Landreth each served four terms as chairman, making Alston’s total stand out even more. In effect, Alston has lapped them.
Asked why he likes the chairman’s seat so much, Alston laughed off the idea that it’s about the few thousand dollars in extra pay. Instead, he said he values the opportunity to lead in a way that highlights cooperation across party lines.
“When the pandemic hit, people forgot about party and started talking about how we could help each other and the people,” Alston said. “That kind of grew from there. We realized we can accomplish a lot more working together than always talking about Democrats and Republicans.”
He pointed to examples from earlier years when he worked with Republican commissioners to avoid tax increases and restructure the county’s leadership. He said that spirit of cooperation has carried over into recent boards, including the current one, which he believes has been very nonpartisan.
“I think this board has been as nonpartisan as any board I’ve served on,” Alston said. “We very seldom vote on party lines. Republicans have gotten things for their districts just like Democrats have. They told me what they needed, and they got them.”
He’s referring to the board’s only two Republicans: Commissioners Pat Tillman and Alan Perdue.
While he acknowledges that leadership can be challenging – with chairs often targeted for criticism – Alston said he enjoys the role because it gives him a chance to keep the board focused on results rather than arguments.
“Being a leader can be tough because you take the hits,” he said. “But what makes it enjoyable is working with a board that puts people ahead of politics.”
While it’s true that Alston and the late former Republican Commissioner Steve Arnold got together in 2008 during the financial crisis and managed to make some big cuts in county government – and keep property tax bills level for several years following – in recent years the county, with Alston as chair, the board has been spending a whole lot of money and now the county is facing a bill for school bonds that exceeds $3 billion when interest is figured in.
Looking ahead, Alston said his priorities remain consistent. He continues to emphasize housing needs as the county braces for rapid growth fueled by major job announcements.
President Donald Trump may not get those additional terms he’s been talking about; however, Skip Alston may indeed be, as the Rhino Times often refers to him, the “Chairman for Life.”
I guess term limits are out of the question. If he’s a shoe in again, why have a vote; just make Skippy chairman for life and be done with it.
Skip Alston, King of Guilford County, not by election via the people, rather King of Guilford County by reason of voter apathy.
More than likely by reason of blackmail of the other County commissioners. Skip away with your money Alston most likely has enough dirt on all the rest of them that they are terrified to stand up to him. Why he is even still a county commissioner is beyond me. I wish we had Billy Yow back!!! He was the only one with guts to stand up against Skippy boy and fight back against his communism and stealing money from the county. He kept Skippy in line and that’s exactly what we need now. Unfortunately our so-called County commissioners are too terrified of him to stand up against him and his racism and natzi ways! Skippy wants to be the man in charge so he can steal money from every taxpayer in Guilford County and he is succeeding at it big time!