Ron Ross on Data Centers, Clean Water and Every Tax Dollar

Peter Pappas: Welcome to a special session of the Carolina Cabinet. I'm Peter Pappas. My guest today is Ron Ross, the Republican candidate for one of the two at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Ron lives in the Grace Creek community. He spent his career with the Boys and Girls Clubs, including running the Boys and Girls Club in Lumberton, and he's always been a community activist in Grace Creek. Four people are running for those two at-large seats, Ron and fellow Republican Greg West, along with Democratic Commissioner Veronica Jones and former Commissioner Charles Evans. You can vote for two and the top two win. Early voting is going to begin on October fifteenth through the thirty first, and election day is November third. So Ron, welcome to the cabinet. Well, thank you for having me here, Peter. I appreciate it. Well, my pleasure. I don't think we we've crossed in many circles in the GOP and we always seem to get along, so I think this is gonna go real well. but first I gotta ask you, basketball or football? Which one did the club kids care about more? Weightlifting. Weightli okay, it was neither one. Okay. Weightlifting's your thing. Well, when I was a bo I was with the February Boys and Girls Club for twenty eight years. I was in Lumberton twenty-eight years. But while I was in Febru, we had an excellent weightlifting program. It was featured ten times in a national health magazine that sold a million copies a month. Mm-hmm. So it was a very popular event. You had to do good in school and you had to learn about nutrition and health. And it kept you away from drugs also. Excellent. So what's the best advice a coach ever gave to you? Think about what you're doing first. Okay. always a friend of mine, he passed away in nineteen ninety-eight. him and I became good friends. He and he was from nineteen forty and forty one, he was Mr. America. Mm-hmm. In forty eight, he was the very first Mr. Universe. And in forty nine, Mr. USA, John C. Krimack. And J Mr. Grimmick used to tell me, Pick a weight that you can do ten times, and then once you can do it ten times, add weight to it. Okay. So keep Pushing, keep striving. Okay. Well, you've spent most of your life working with young people. so what does running a boys and girls club teach you that would make you a better county commissioner? When you work for a nonprofit organization for fifty-six years like I do, people you do fundraisers and people donate money to you. You don't waste money. You are very wise at your spending. Don't mean you don't spend money, but you're very wise when you do spend it. And you're very accountable. You always gotta be transparent in everything you do. Usually you have about fifteen, twenty board members on the board of directors and you have different opinions. It's your job as the executive director to guide people in a direction and not waste money or time. Okay. So you've been on the ballot before in twenty twenty, twenty two, and twenty four. you're back again. What keeps bringing you back and what's different about this campaign? Well, I mean, w what keeps bringing me back is first of all, I love the server people. And also, Especially this time, I see a lot of waste. I mean, but I see I see a lot of waste. I think we're fortunate to add three new board members last year to our board directors. Devier, Tyson and P Patel. I think the other ones need to go. and I say this because the event center downtown, that's a good classic example. it shouldn't never have been started. It was started, but it shouldn't never have been started. It was canceled and I'm glad it was. if you ride by there and look over there, they tore a parking lot up. I was on television and I also went to a county commissioners meeting. They spent thirty six million dollars, they say. Now I was told also that that what they did do was they s the materials that was ordered, they sold a a lot of it, just got rid of a lot of it. So in theory they only probably lost about fifteen or sixteen million dollars, but that's a lot of money. And also if they started a project years ago on the arena seven or eight years ago, I think it was supposed to cost about twenty five million. They have some structural problems now. I don't think it's not it's not I I'm not saying I don't know everything about it, but I think they can still save most of the building, I think. And it will cost it's probably gonna be eighty to a hundred million dollars or more. But there's no parking downtown. I mean, let's be honest, no. If they had built that vent event center downtown There's no parking 'cause they they stopped the project on the parking deck. But waste is the four again, the three county commissioners I just mentioned deserve a chance to take us forward. The other four need to go. Okay. So Grays Creek is where a lot of people in this county first heard the word PFAS. what did you see out there that turned you into more of an activist? well, I've I've been in Cumberland County all my life. I live out in Gre I've been living out in Grace Creek since ninety two. I drank PFAS water. I shower in it. I live right off each Buller Road. yes they yes, the county commissioners are running water lines that they ran some out towards two elementary schools. then they tr it cost I think between twelve and twenty million dollars taxpayers' money of course. But the thing it is though, Comores slash DuPont caused a problem. They admitted they caused a problem. I think some kind of settlement was $167 million or so. The thing of it is though, if we ran water lines through the whole county right now, it would probably cost two billion dollars if we did it right now. And we're not going to do it right now. We can't afford to. Right. they DuPont should have to pick up the whole tab. It should be no s the settlement should be this you pick up the whole tab and somebody should go to jail. Mm-hmm. Well, I think I said on a previous show, we need to be more like China and execute the CEO, but that was not a very widely received and agreed to position I had. But they have they have done damage and they have hurt people and they should be held to account. Now, one thing last night was the chamber candidate forum and I do remember you saying the two billion dollars for sewer for water, municipal water, and that's a huge price tag. I thought it was maybe a half a billion, but we did it today. Well, and now the current accounting commission, they have made efforts to at least start planning and start making districts so that way they can now pursue grants for each district. And so I feel like there's stuff in motion, but one of your opponents, Mr. Evans, he did notate that he was the chair of the county commission that signed the actual initial lawsuit or whatever against Keymour's and he hasn't been on commission in quite a few years. Two thousand seventeen. So we're We're nine years past where he we even initiated. I I just wanna put that in perspective for people watching that this is not this board or the one before it. This goes back three boards essentially. And also if you live in the city, you have now the county, if you have a well, you got more P fast than your water. But if you live in the city, from my understanding P W C is gonna build a massive filtration plant that's that use carbonate carbon filters. that will is state approved, but it's gonna cost I think about a hundred million dollars. And if you live in a city or receive receive PWC water, you're gonna pay for it. Not Gamoris. But you're gonna pay for it. Yeah. Well, and so part of that I will say PWC is trying to comply with a moving target with the federal government and the state EPA regarding how much PFAS they'll allow us to ingest. and I believe that the new standard was I'm gonna use the wrong numbers here, but the current standard's like we can have eighty-five micro thousand hundredths or whatever PFAS in our and that's okay. And that's where it is now. But the new standards like four. So you're going from the eighties to the four, and that's gonna take a lot of filtering. Now, I've also heard from some electeds that the technology PWC is even trying to build is already obsolete. There's newer, better, faster, stronger. And we're still stuck in but it's been state approved though. Yeah. It's the one we got. It's the one we got. So we gotta dance with the one we got. We won't be using 'cause I live in an unincorporated area and use well water. Right. Right. Well, listen, there are four names on the on the at large ballot and voters get two. in thirty seconds. Do you think you can tell me why you should be one of those votes? Well, I'll tell you something my father used to tell me a long time ago. If you say it, do it. If you're not going to do it, don't say it. And working for nonprofit for organization for over fifty six for fifty six years, you'll learn that Ron Ross I will I will say it this way. Some candidates will tell you they're the best candidate. I'll say this I'll do my best. I'll make some mistakes along the way, but I'll do my best to do a good job. Okay. Well, let's we're gonna get a little specific now and because we did have that forum last night and I was the timekeeper. So I was right in front. I was waving the card at you if you guys were hitting one thirty, minute thirty. your first priority has been financial responsibility. The county held the tax rate at forty nine point nine cents this year, and every penny of that rate brings in about four million dollars. So what's one thing in the county budget you would like to change or cut? Well, first of all, you're right. The county went from like what semi eight point nine to forty what nine or something like that. The problem is though, and we do eve evaluate the property, our property ever homes about every eight years. some people's taxes went up over a hundred percent, mine did. And so and they did drop the tax rate, but if most people who's listening to me right now look their look at their tax bill, you're paying more taxes. I'm glad you brought that up. So I felt i as an audience member, misled by our cited seated county commissioner that was at the forum last night, claiming we reduced your tax rate, but avoiding the the the also it's kind of like it's not a lie if she don't say it. It's a lie of omission, you know. But the valuations went up a hundred it was a hundred and forty percent, I believe is what the average was for residential. Commercial only went up like twenty three because they'd already gotten their hit beforehand. I I think it's kind of a lie. that the city and county commissioner is spreading. For sure. Anytime you pay more taxes, no matter what anybody says, something went up. Also the burden the we're gonna have a s severe burden on our on our people, city and county, 'cause people in the city pay county taxes. the waters the water line's gonna be a burden on because you're gonna have they're gonna have to pay for The company caused a problem and the and we're gonna pick up the tab. and that's city or county. Also, Somewhere along the lines, you know, education's very important, but the school system, the Board of Education, for years neglected our schools. We closed down some schools. That means those little kids are gonna be out in the road a little bit earlier in the morning time, a little bit later getting home at night at night. A lot of the schools twenty, thirty, forty years of milk. And I th I hold them at fault because it there they if they didn't have the money. Evidently we didn't know about it. Mm-hmm. And we're gonna have to pick up the tab. Okay. Let's switch to data centers now. You did tell City View that data centers are energy hogs and until they're environmentally friendly, the answer from Ron Ross is no. What would a data center actually have to look like for you to vote yes? Well, first of all, there's over five thousand data centers across the United States of America. our city the city council of Febru went to Loudoun, Virginia, what, about a month or so ago. came back, I didn't hear anything I didn't hear anything negative. But in Lounge, Virginia, there's a city called Sterling Sterling. They're having major problems with data centers. Problem with data centers is they can be in some cases 150 foot from our nearest home. I guess if it's not your home, you're not worried about it. Right. But 150 foot is very close. The way they're designed and everything, they the the design have would have to change because they're they're energy hogs. They if water they use, in my own personal opinion, would have to come in as clean or cleaner than when than when it goes out. they use diesel fuel. I mean that's diesel fuel. So anyway, that the without getting to a long discussion. Data centers would have to be more environmental friendly for me to say yes. Yes, we do need data centers, but they'd have to become more environmental friendly because right now the answer is no. No moratorium. The answer is just no. Okay. well, that's pretty straightforward. I know there's no wavering with you on that one. what so earlier this year, State of the Union address, and I I actually brought this to Mr. Devier's attention and he shut me down pretty quick. So I'll I'll just I'll I'll caveat that 'cause he's normally smarter than me when it comes to that. But he s I said, Hey, President Trump said in his State of the Union address that we're gonna make every data center bring their own power and water. And Mr. Devier says, okay, where's the legislation? I'm like, damn it, you got me. It was stated that we need that for data centers, but there has been no follow up. I believe the state has made rules for these data centers that if they want more power, they gotta build the transmission lines and they gotta pay it. So it would not affect the tax rate payer or or the utility rate payer. But have you s are you familiar with any of that legislation at the state level? I'm gonna say this way, you know, when a when a when a company wants to come to our county, of course we have county commissioners meet over it, we have hearings on it. And why can't we require it? I mean I I mean i it's it's as maybe not as simple as it sounds but why can't we require it? I mean it's like it's like this. Here's a we want companies and and believe believe it or not, they don't hire a lot of people data centers on them. They are lot of people to build them. They all hire a lot of people to work there. we need more companies that will come to our county that pay when I say a livable wage, we need a companies that pay a good salary. that also will pay, have benefits and all for our people. it's like this. Years ago, Sanderson Farms wanted to come to Cumberland County. Mm-hmm. County commissioners said no. So they what did they do? They went they went to Robson County. Mm-hmm. They pay I was working in r little Robson County at the time in Lumberton. They pay a very good salary. Also, we were a nonprofit and they contacted me one day and said, Hey, we want to at Christmas time now, we weren't the only ones, by the way. We want to give you $5,000. So, and they didn't do it just to us, they did it to many of them. Sure. So and also they pay a great tac they paid a great tax rate. Now I'm not talking talking about poultry plants, but the thing is though, what we want to do is attract and we have to good have to good have to have a good answer for infrastructure to attract businesses. But we want to bring businesses here that pay a livable wage that our people can earn a living off from. Also need to really talk to our school system. Used to when I was in school many years ago, there was tra there were we had we had trade schools where a k young person see if you hear the thing, when you get out of high school, you may not want to go to college. You may want to go and some young people walk in a place, okay, and here's what they're gonna say, I have no experience. Pay me twenty dollars an hour. It ain't gonna happen. And it shouldn't happen. Because you have no experience and you and you wanna make start at the near the top. Not gonna happen. So what we do need to do is come up with more have encourage our school system to have more trade schools. So these young men and and women, when they get out of school, they'll have a trade. They'll have something. They may want to go to college or community college, may want to go to service, but they'll have something there for I agree. Not everybody's college bound, not everybody should be. No. I Had an experience this weekend with a gas leak on one of our properties and these plumbers are not really shy about what they charge. Right. So and good for them. I mean, you know, good on them, but I can't do the work. So it's either don't get it done or you're gonna pay. Right. So so moving on here, speed cameras, license plate readers. You said hold open meetings, then let the people of Cumberland County vote. How would the their vote work? Are you talking about putting it on the ballot? Well, first of all The open meetings are good and I tell you why. It's like I was talking to a lady a couple of days ago. She said, she was talking about speed cameras, speed cameras and everything. And and I said, What would happen if you went out one day, you went shopping, came out and your car was gone? She says, I would want to know who took it. And I said, You're right. See, it it's like this I think people should be more educated towards the speed cameras. They're coming, but what but here's the th being fair. We need more open meetings to educate the people on w what they do. Mm-hmm. And then we need it on the ballot. Okay. So you educate you should always let a person know because you're there's always rumors on this and rumors on that. But we should have educate people on on what's going on and then have have a b have it on a ballot and let them decide whether they want it not. Okay. Okay. So a farmer in Grace Creek wants to sell to a developer. And the neighbors wanted to stay rural. Whose side are you gonna be on? Well, now let me say something to you. I talked to a guy years ago, I'll this is sticking with the subject. it's probably ten or fifteen years ago. Here's what he told me. I was at the convenience store. He said, Ron, man, there is a smelly farm right beside of me. And I don't know what I can do about it. I said, So when you built your house there, this guy came in, he said, No, Ron, no. He said, I built my house beside a farm. Right. I said, So you built your house beside a farm. All areas change. I mean we can't help it. I mean if you go by the Cross Creek Mall, at one time people were many years ago used to go hunting out there in the woods and everything. well but here's the thing, there's smart growth. I mean, there is smart growth. up in New York State, there's plenty of farms and stuff. Pretty area. Mm-hmm. But the thing is though, in Cumberland County, we need smart growth. Now that doesn't mean that doesn't mean the area will stay the same, but what we want to do is retain the environment closest to the way it was before we went and developed it. Okay. It may cost a little extra up front, but I think people are willing to save them, if they're willing to work and save the environment, I think it'll work. So it was Representative Wheatley, I believe, last night at the chamber forum that did mention that they're working on l legislation to regulate the data centers from the state level. And I think that will eventually trickle down and aid the counties to I I she's a very big proponent, it sounded like, of putting these things in an industrial park, which I don't see the fault in that. First of all, data centers are coming. It just depends on how we what do you okay? So it's like a business. It when you open a business, you're gonna open a business to bring customers in and serve customers, but also you wanna serve customers that want you in the area. Sure. So you may have a company in another state and you come here and you say, Well, I'm gonna have to do it a little bit different. Mm-hmm. And there's nothing wrong with asking a company to do it a little different. Okay. You're running as a fiscal conservative Republican. A data center can add a huge amount to the tax space without putting a single child in a classroom. So absolutely saying no is to me just leaving money on the table that could hold down everyone else's taxes. Like like I brought up earlier, All in Virginia, forty five percent of their budget comes from data centers. And if you listen, what I said was I said and and until they're more environmental friend friendly, the answer is no. So never s I never said that don't want I'm saying that when they come here we need to have a honest, open discussion and tell what we expect. See, here's the thing. If your company and you go into a area and you think, well, we did this in another state this way. So you come here and want to do the same thing, maybe maybe they think th we expect it some to do the same thing they would there. But what does the people who live there expect? That's the key there. Have communic communication, a lot of times people assume too many things. We want commu always have communication with the people that live in the area and the data centers. Because the people who live in the area are very important. They're number one. I have some exception to that, only because being around these circles, you know, and we've traveled the same circles. There has to be a little bit of community curiosity and voluntary engagement because you can't force every you can you can take them to the river, but you cannot make every citizen drink and every citizen show up to every meeting because they got lives to run. They got families to support. So I think still though, when I hear the allegation of transparency, transparency, were they not, or did you just not go and listen to the meeting? I don't feel like all this stuff is happening in the dark. No, I I th I agree with you. Now they elect representatives to serve them. And they've got to and whoever they elect in office, they've got to trust that person. Or they should trust that person. they should trust that person. The the thing sometimes a politician, not all politicians, I'm glad to say, get in trouble with is my f it's like working at the boys club. I always made these decisions based on the youth I serve. Not based on Ron Ross. You can't make it if I'm elected to office, decisions I make will not be based on Ron Ross. Okay. It'll never be based on that. It'll be based on the people that you serve. And truthfully, and this is the way it should work, I'm running as a Republican. But if I get elected to office, I'm supposed to serve everybody. If somebody came up to me and said, Ron, you got elected to office, I didn't vote for you, but I got a problem. You know what I'm supposed to say? What's the problem? And can I help you? That's what I'm supposed to say. Yeah, the can part is important because I think a lot of people running don't understand what they can and cannot do, or they don't understand they don't realize what they don't know. And they feel like they can promise the sun, the moon, and the stars. But there's there's only a limit to your office. So let's talk about the commissioners did just vote to send two new water and sewer districts, Cedar Creek and East Central to a public hearing. what does a homeowner in one of those districts need to hear before they would support it? we're on water lines. Well, first of all, we're gonna have to run water lines. Here's the thing, fifty years ago, the federal government was gonna pay eighty cents on a on a dollar. Cumber County said no. Robson County said yes and other counties. Okay. But if we're running if borderline's gonna be running your area, first of all Here's where I have maybe some it's gotta happen. It's gotta happen. Absolutely. But but my own personal opinion is, and I hope we're not they're not off the hook yet, Camora should pick up the complete tab. I here's what I think. I think Camor should pick up the running all the ward. It may cost them a couple billion dollars. I don't know, and I really don't care. It may cost them a couple billion dollars, but they should be required, since we had gotta do it because of what they done. run water lines through our county and pay for the connection fee. Not the water bill now, but the but the water lines and the connection fee. And if I get elected, you'll never hear me say anything but that. Okay. Okay. Well and I do want to say fifty years ago, I think it might fifty forty, whatever it was, I know what you're talking about. And back then we didn't know what we didn't know that DuPont was dumping the stuff. Robson County Robson County had ran the water lines all through the county and they didn't know that neither, but they did it because it was going to cost twenty cents on the dollar for them rather than a dollar on the It was well thought out from their county commission at that time to take advantage of it. But we were ours also considered at that time a rural county. We are no longer considered, that's why we don't qualify for the same urban. Now we're urban. Right. Three hundred forty thousand people in the county. We are urban as much as we want. but no, and I think Robeson and other counties that took advantage of it, I think they've seen economic development because of it, because our largest constraint for economic development is from According to Fable, Cumberland Economic Development, utilities. Bring me the utilities and I'll bring you the industry. Well, that that's true. And also I know a couple some of the I well, of course I know some of the county commissioners in Robson County. And some of the things that we do here, the the event center that we canceled and stuff, millions of dollars, taxpayers' money. You don't do that. You don't waste money. And I'm glad w I'll be honest with you, I'm glad it wasn't built, not because the council of the parking deck. From my understanding, it was gonna be a flat level entertainment center with fold up chairs. Mhm. Now that to me, it was gonna be a multi purpose building is what it's gonna be. Yeah. No government project gets better with age. I have said it before. I will say it again. Any municipal project that you, if once you're if you're elected, if you don't turn dirt in eighteen to twenty months, I want you to cancel it. Because if you don't start it, I think one of the problems with the event center was the age of the idea and the ADA lawsuit that told us we needed to have an alternative. It it's it's been many years coming. Well, let's say this. You know, it's like the Maiden Lane Library. Mm-hmm. I think it back in the early 80s or late 70s, early 80s when it was built. Believe it or not, that was on the ballot. It was a bond issue. Was it? 55% of voters turned it down. Really? So what happened was a large group of people got together and raised over a million dollars to build the library. Once it was built, they turned it over to the county. Yeah. So a lot of times when you really want something, and you know, you can say, well, and now we're glad we got the library. I mean, probably even people who voted against it are glad they got it. so a lot of times That's crazy that we would vote against even a public. Fifty five percent of voters said no. But over a mil but not f not federal dollars now, not state dollars. Money was raised, over a million dollars were raised to build a library. Now and then it was turned over again to the state. Let me back up. I think fifty-five percent of people that were taxpayers who voted said they didn't want another tax. Yeah. Because that's what the bond would have been. So because that's the only way the government can raise money is through a tax or a bond in that case. you said you championed programs for young people in safe neighborhoods. So what does the county, not the city, the county, actually do for a teenager in Grace Creek or Stedman on a Friday night? Well, to be well, of course they have usually football games and stuff like that. But I'd like here's what I'd like to see, because you know, you have y it's when you have a y a six year old child. It it wa it's cheaper or cost more cost efficient to help a young person 'cause when if you if you guide in the right start guiding in the right direction. 'Cause when you get sixteen, if you have a problem with it's gonna cost a lot. So what we need to do is more affordable programs for our youth in the county. It could be different things. See see a lot of times I I can't go to Eastover or Linden or someplace like that and say, You need this. Here's what should happen. there should be not outside study, but it should be inside county commissioners have open meetings and say, We want to help your area, your youth. What do you need? Now then when you then when you get the project, then you have to look at how to pay for it. I mean that's fair. but the thing is though, let the area people take you know steer where it goes. Yeah, because I mean it'd be unfair to say you need a basketball court. I mean, you know So you want to let the people tell you. Mm-hmm. And so that's I believe Representative Wheatley mentioned that last night. She says whenever budget season comes around, essentially, and I'm paraphrasing, I call each one of the mayors of those municipalities and say, All right, what do you need so I can put it in the budget? And that's what it should work. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But then of course, now this morning her opponent has been making some videos regarding, well, she never asked So and so because there are unincorporated areas that fall outside of Grace Creek and all that stuff. Well, there is like it well, Grace Creek said it's unincorporated. But the thing is though, I think what Mrs. Wheatley was saying it was very simple. she was calling people in the areas and she used the mayor of East Ever, for example. What are you what do people in your area need? But she's calling the county commissioners that cover the unincorporated areas. So it's not like they're not getting input. Well, if they're not let me say this way, I don't know the answer to it, but if they're if the county commissioners are getting input, it falls on them. Yeah. Okay. Okay. so you have you definitely got a stone in your shoe about that event center. So before I ask this next one, full disclosure for anyone watching, I do Peter serves on the Cumberland County Civic Center Commission, which oversees the Crown. So please keep that in mind as I ask you this. So Ron, you said the county wasted thirty million dollars to create a parking lot when the Crown Event Center was canceled and that the county is now headed in the best direction with the Crown regarding renovating. what should happen next and what would you do differently? Well, first of all if th the crown arena and stuff like that. Here's what I'd like to see. Not somebody in California. I like to see a design to improve the arena, et cetera. Because we need it. Mm-hmm. I like to see the park 'cause the parking, yeah, you got plenty of parking there. But we need we need it to be updated. To me personally, I like to see a state of art Dependent Center. Okay. I mean, and here's something else too. You're on the you're on the board, right? Let me let me say something to you. People, the people of Cumran County, and and here's something else too. We want to we want more than just the people of Cumran County to come there. But we want to talk to the board. I mean, that's a fair you know statement. because you may come up with somebody who or some company that'll re design the building. And we may say, Well no, but we don't know till we talk to you. Sure. And and also I'd like to see something that I could if I lived in in another state, say, man, I want to come to that place. And also what I don't know, and it maybe maybe it's not the proper time to ask, but why if we do all that, why not find a company that'll put their name on it? You know, why not why not find a company and put their name on it? Well, we got Sagra Stadium. Right. Exactly. And and and also the board members of the events that are you know, I think this. I think any time you have something like that, when you h you should have maybe at least once a year, not everybody's gonna come to it, but have a large I call it an open house and let them meet the board members. Put a face put a face with everything. We can agree with that. Yeah. Well, I can say, I of course, I'm speaking for myself and my board members, I speak for myself, not them, but we have nine fairly intelligent looking at people on that board. I do aggravate them a lot. whenever it's we review the minutes or we review the financial part, they see me scribbling. So immediately our chairwoman says, Mr. Pappas, like like a kid in class. And she know I was like, you know I got comments, but we are watching it. On the civic center board. And we we don't like waste either. And we certainly don't like the optics of what happened with Daniel Tosh canceling his his show. although that to me was more Daniel Tosh being Daniel Tosh and just stirring up things to maybe make more ticket sales for Asheville. Good for him. and I'm sure he'll come back. We'll we'll spin that into the reverse FA at Vulture or something. You know, we'll we'll make fun of that. So Ron, if the county's new data center ordinance passes and a project meets every single rule in it, would you vote to let it be built? Yes or no? If the county's new data center passes, new data center ordinance passes, and the project meets every single rule. I'd have to see rules. Okay. I mean I that's like saying I'm gonna say yes or something. I hadn't seen the rules. Okay. Well I'm hoping you're gonna approve the rules and then you know bring it in, but we'll see. So Last one I'll let you go. if somebody watching agrees with me on about everything and maybe just thinks you're wrong on anything, although we agreed most of the time, what's the one thing that you'd want them to take out of the last half hour we spent together? First of all, I like for you to do this. Any candidate you vote for, on with a you can Google or websites and stuff. You can well my website is Ron Ross CC dot com. Ron RossC dot com. Think about who you're voting for. No and please don't s you know, say that among if people are gonna make mistakes. Mm-hmm. My father told me this when was a kid. You do something once, it could be considered a mistake. If you repeat it over and over again, it's no longer a mistake. Right. But all I can tell you is this if you vote for Ron Ross, I'll do the best job I can. If I make a mistake, I'll try not to. And also I'll keep you informed. We'll I here's what I really believe, and I I'll say it this way. We have every month the county commissioners have meetings. That's good. But I like to see what I'd like to see every quarter across our county open meetings. You still have a moderator and everything. Well, you go and particularly your area, you say, you know what, I want to s I get you got three minutes. You want to express yourself. Now Don't maybe it's something that we hadn't heard about. Maybe something we ain't even thought about. But you won't know until you express yourself. Okay. And I and I want to sit but close by saying this. your vote is important. And I would like for you to do this too. Whether you vote for Ron Ross or somebody else, you get to vote for two people out of four. Go out and tell your friends. Make sure they don't sit home on non presidential election year, make sure they don't sit home. And also, this show is a good show. I mean, to be honest with you, we need more shows like this because to me, they're very they inform you what's going on and they make you think. Well, thank you. So that's the kind of conversation people keep telling me doesn't happen anymore, and we certainly always find a way to do it. So so where people find you is Ronroscc.com. And folks, go look it up yourself. That's the point. you know what Google is for. Ron, the door is always open. Come back after the next the new board's first meeting in December, win or lose, and tell us what you do first. Okay. With that, have a good afternoon. Thanks for being here. Thank very much.