To the Editor:

When is the last time you visited our county manager’s office?

If your last visit left a bad taste in your mouth, well you were not alone.

When you are met by an arrogant, pompous, superior, county servant, whose duty is to help citizens solve their issues yet all you got was a load of attitude, well most just didn’t bother going back.

I highly recommend that you take the time today, to visit our county office building. As soon as you open the door to the county manager’s office and step over the threshold, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

You will be met with a hardy smile and a big old handshake. You will be looking into the happy face of our new county manager, Jon Mendenhall. I am so impressed with him; I just don’t have the words.

I want to applaud the commissioners, for picking just the right man for the job this time. He is a caring individual, who really knows how to listen. You tell him your issues and here is a novel reaction…HE GETS IT!

He will be the first to tell you his door is always open and he means it! He believes in a TRANSPARENT government and will answer any question you have.

Almost every time I see him he is walking around carrying a yellow legal pad. Why you are wondering? Because he is continually writing down issues citizens tell him about that need to be fixed. He is a man of action and truly has the citizen’s wants and needs at the top of that list.

I am here to tell you a new day is dawning in Gates County!

If you haven’t attended a commissioners meeting in a while, you really should come and take a look. The entire atmosphere has changed. The arrogance went right out the door with our ex county manager and a commissioner. People are allowed to speak. They show each other respect where there was none before. Issues are not hidden and questions are FINALLY getting answers!

I have yet to see one question that Mr. Mendenhall has failed to answer. He does it all with a smile and respect to his superiors and the citizens. He knows the laws and follows them. County employees love him. Everyone I have spoken with tells me the same.

I pray that he decides to stay with us in Gates County and makes this his home. He has a hard road ahead of him cleaning up the mess he has inherited but with community support and lots of patience from all of us I see great things happening.

So next time you have a free second, go see for yourself. Once you take that step across his office threshold you will be looking into the light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

CountyManager Jon Mendenhall will be standing there with a smile and an outreached hand.

Kathy Malaspina

Hobbsville