NORMAN — The mayoral torch will be passed in the next election and one man has decided he wants to carry it.
Adrian Robson told the RO on Friday that he intends to file to run for mayor in Richmond County’s northernmost town in July.
Current Mayor Kenneth Broadway has said that he will not run again.
“l think it’s time to let someone else try it, maybe try to move the town in a different direction,” Broadway said. “The support l have had from the people outside of this town and inside Richmond County and all around has been tremendous.”
Starting Norman Fest 10 years ago is Broadway’s personal biggest accomplishment since becoming mayor in 2011.
He will soon be 61 and said he works on organizing the October festival throughout the year.
Broadway also worked to try to get a retail store, either Family Dollar or Dollar General, in the small, calling Exit 35 the “Gateway to Richmond County.”
“l remember when l was a child around 6-years-old, my grandpa and several landowners signed a petition three miles outside Norman, in Montgomery County on Mountain Creek and a few did not sign,” he said. The developers wanted the water to make the lakes, now that broom sage field is now called Seven Lakes — just think what Norman would had been.”
The town just held its second annual Chick-n-Pick-n Music Jamboree, another effort to bring people to Norman.
Robson said he admires everything Broadway has done in his time as mayor.
“Just the magnitude of what he’s built … he always goes above and beyond the expectations,” Robson said. “He’s always tried to do what’s in the best interests of the people.”
And that’s something the 25-year-old EMT hopes to continue.
He said he would like make those events even bigger and bring more tourism to the town, which only has 51 registered voters.
“I’ve always had a passion to serve … to help people,” he said, adding that his years as a first responder are evidence of that.
Originally from Rockingham, Robson recently moved to Norman — where his father’s side of the family is from — after living in nearby Ellerbe for the past several years.
Robson said he first became interested in politics in the seventh grade and served in student government throughout school.
His real inspiration for getting involved, he said, was working on Sen. Tom McInnis’ first campaign.
“You learn a whole lot” meeting people and hearing ideas, he said.
He recently made the decision after a lot of thinking, praying and support from family and friends.
“As the saying goes, you put God first and everything falls into place,” he said.
Filing for the election will be from noon July 5 to noon July 19, according to Elections Director Connie Kelly.
All municipal elections are nonpartisan and the seat is for a four-year term.
If elected, Robson said he would like to hear ideas from residents and make them happen, as well as work with county leaders to make the town better.
“It would be nice,” he said, “for people to say, ‘Let’s go to Norman.’”
