In November 2017, the Town of Waxhaw Residents unseated three incumbent Commissioners with three newcomers who all happen to be women. This will be the first time that the Town of Waxhaw’s Board of Commissioners will have a majority of women as members. Newcomers Tracy Wesolek, Kat Lee, and Brenda McMillon join current members Fred Burrell and Brenda Burns.
Brenda McMillon was sworn in as a Waxhaw Commissioner on December 12, 2017. She moved to Waxhaw almost ten years ago, along with her children, after looking all over North Carolina. Once here, she became an active member of the community including as a member of the Waxhaw Planning Board, three local school site management teams, PTSO member and committee representative, and more. McMillon knows that this experience will help her succeed explaining, “I listened to disapproving voices and grumbling of the town’s residents; experienced the redistricting process and the growing pains of the town.” She continues, “I am not a politician, but a caring resident of Waxhaw who knows there are no easy fixes. We are all different and we will disagree. But we can disagree without being disagreeable. We can come together knowing that each one of us loves Waxhaw. We can put aside self- interest for the interest of the Town of Waxhaw. We can implement the vision of the people together with policies and procedures to help us moving forward.”
McMillon’s background is in law, policy, and management. Growing up, she enjoyed watching legal TV and listening to family members discuss their jobs as attorneys. Eventually, she began teaching at the community college level before going into corporate law working with compliance and regulatory law. “As Commissioner, there are rules and regulations, procedural issues and legislative matters that we will have to review and follow. I have the educational knowledge and the working background to handle them properly for the town.” This includes working with the other commissioners and the Town of Waxhaw while being guided by the Uniform Development Ordinance (UDO) and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). “We have been operating too long without plans that effectively address the needs of the town. Over the last ten years there has been tremendous growth, but there must also be vision and planning. Past decisions have been made that are having a direct effect on the town now. We need to make decisions, not just for today, but with the knowledge and foresight of what will happen in the years to come. We must understand that with growth there is an impact on our infrastructure, roads, traffic and schools that also need to be addressed. We must further understand the importance of incorporating residents’ voices in the strategic, responsible growth and planning process for our town.”
McMillon concludes with, “We can resolve challenges by working together effectively and efficiently and coming together as a team to succeed. A team of Commissioners working with the whole team of Waxhaw residents. Effective lines of communication must be opened to allow residents the ability to have adequate information regarding the town. We need to implement open lines of communication with religious and community leaders and HOA Presidents to reach all areas of the town.” She also says, “We must update our UDO and stop operating with out of date information. To move forward with planning and vision, the necessary policies and procedures must be in place. We must stop talking and revising and start doing.”
McMillon concludes, “We must continue working with the NCDOT to alleviate traffic and parking concerns and install needed sidewalks, traffic lights and widen roadways. We must support and develop our Downtown, our restaurants and businesses; keep our library in Waxhaw, develop our parks, create dog parks, recreational activities and centers for our children/youth and families which are the heart of our town. As a town, we can plan for how the town will grow and encourage economic growth while preserving small town quality, for the betterment of all in Waxhaw.”
