So far, 2020 has been a memorable year for many reasons, some of those not good at all.  However, I want to tell you about one of the bright spots for 2020, and how it is working to be a positive force for you as a resident of Weddington and western Union County.  The Western Union Municipal Alliance, or WUMA for short, was officially formed this past August.  The members include Weddington, Wesley Chapel, Marvin, Stallings, and Mineral Springs.  Membership is open to any municipality in Western Union County, and we hope for more in the future.  Our goals are threefold:

 - To improve communication and coordination between our municipalities.

 - To advocate for, and pursue, common goals and areas of interest when dealing with county, state, and federal governing bodies and agencies.

 - To educate and inform our residents on current issues affecting our region and to encourage their support.

After the first two meetings, we are initially focusing on two areas: proposed zoning in the unincorporated areas of western Union County and seeking alternate funding for critical road improvements.  WUMA members are currently working on a proposal for the Union County Board of County Commissioners to allow the appropriate municipality to exercise zoning and land use plan regulations on these unincorporated areas as part of the proposed Union 2050 Plan.  In addition, due to the negative budget impacts on the NCDOT, we are investigating possible alternate funding sources available from county, state, or federal agencies, to initiate critical road improvement projects.

WUMA is a formal board and all meetings are open to the public.  We meet on the fourth Thursday of each month (except for November and December, which are held on the third Thursday), at 4 pm at the hosting member’s town hall.  Due to COVID restrictions, we will also be hosting the meetings on ZOOM.  Our next meeting is on 22 October at Wesley Chapel town hall.  We are working on a social media site to post the most current information for our residents. Details will be provided when that is up and running. Find the meeting calendar here

Weddington’s representatives on WUMA are me and Councilmember Anne Pruitt.  Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns that we can answer for you or present to WUMA.  We are available and would appreciate the opportunity to make presentations to HOAs or any interested groups regarding WUMA and our current projects.

Thank you for your time. Stay safe and stay well.

Jeff Perryman

Councilman, District 1

Weddington