Tracy Wesolek Waxhaw Commissioner

12/09/2025

It's been an honor to serve Waxhaw! This was my final speech presented at the Nov. 10 Board of Commissioner meeting. You can read it here, or listen at the 1 hr. 50 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Ypb86NP0w&t=4538s

"When I look back at my palm cards from my elections in 2017 and 2021, I’m filled with pride, not just for the town, but for the incredible team that worked to turn those goals into a lasting legacy. For eight years, we set out to achieve specific things, and I’m proud to report that those goals were met.

One of my core commitments was to strongly support Waxhaw-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs. We didn’t just talk about it—we built a framework for success.

Throughout my terms, I was deeply supportive of the Main Street program. The town received multiple accolades, including the Award of Merit in 2022 and 2024, and we celebrated a Main Street Champion in 2025. In 2022, we took the next step, forming the Downtown Waxhaw Association (DWA), where I have proudly served as a board representative. Today, Waxhaw is a vibrant destination with thriving businesses. That is a success story for all of us.

I promised support for smart growth development—the right fit for our town. I’m happy to say that every major decision was anchored in the 10 Principles of Smart Growth.

During the challenging times of COVID-19, the board, under Mayor Ron Pappas and the incredible staff led by Jeff Wells, took on the challenge of writing a new Land Development Code. We tightened our ordinances to require better design standards, protected greenspace with a mandatory 30% tree save, and implemented requirements for parks, trails, greater buffers, and traffic mitigations. This work ensured that as our town grew, it grew smarter, more responsibly, and in a way that preserved our character.

We also focused on the physical improvements that enhance daily life:
A More Pedestrian-Friendly Town: Through grants like the TAP grant, we improved downtown sidewalks, safety features and parking. We’ve secured grants to improve and extend the Carolina Thread Trail and established a separate Pedestrian Fund specifically dedicated to new sidewalks and trails. We created the first Capital Improvement Plan for completing much needed projects.

Parks and Recreation: Early in my first term, we approved the first Parks Master Plan. While I never expected it, the previous board succeeded in building the beautiful Downtown Park. We also seized the opportunity to purchase and renovate the Rec Barn, significantly expanding our programming space.

A New Town Campus: After 15 years of different boards talking about building a new public service building and town hall, our board completed the new Town Campus —a project I honestly never thought we’d see through to completion during my tenure.

The Learning Center: We advocated successfully to keep the Waxhaw Library presence here. After it moved, we funded the Learning Center in the old library building, slated to open in February. This will continue to provide the services used by the local residents.

Earlier this year I partnered with Chief Wilson to update the animal welfare ordinances to protect the living conditions of domestic animals.

The four years of the Pappas board were truly one of the best and worst times of my life. We were a cohesive team, and the staff felt like family, but during Covid I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. Our interactions were only through Zoom meetings, but I will never forget the incredible support I received from my Waxhaw family during that period.

That same spirit of teamwork and camaraderie earned Waxhaw the 2023 Top Workplace Award from the Charlotte Observer.

To Jeff Wells and every single member of his Waxhaw staff, including those who have since moved on. Thank you. You are the engine that achieved these goals. You are truly the best at what you do, and I will miss working with you. I do believe you will continue to have the same success with the new town manager, Scott Dadson.

The success we achieved is the very reason Waxhaw grew, nearly doubling in size from a population of 15,000 to 24,000 during my tenure. Unfortunately, with that growth came a toxic cultural shift.
We went from being a town of warm Southern hospitality to a town full of online hatred and bullying. This behavior was directed at the very people who were dedicated to making this town so great that others wanted to move here. To be called corrupt, liars, witch, crazy, disgraceful human beings, frauds, cheaters. And even worse, to have the same things said about our family members. It’s unacceptable.

Never in my life did I think that public service in Waxhaw would require being escorted out of Town Hall by Police or needing officers to regularly drive by our homes due to stalking, cyberbullying, and harassment—instigated and encouraged by members of this board and community.

That is not the Waxhaw my family moved to, and it is why I decided not to run again and am choosing to focus my time and energy on my successful career and my family. My peace is not worth the price of this kind of service.

To the board I served with —Brenda McMillon, Jason Hall, Ron Pappas, Ann Simpson, and Pedro Morrey: we were all strangers, each elected on our own individual merits, who later became a powerful team with shared goals. Thank you for showing the world what a great board can accomplish when they stand together.

To all my supporters. You are the reason I ran, and the reason I stayed. Thank you for your encouragement and kind messages when things were tough, always reminding me that we had more support than we realized.

To the citizens of Waxhaw: the three of us helped create something wonderful over the past eight years. The very reason many of you decided to move here. And to those who focused their energy on tearing down the people helping to build this wonderful town: I hope in time, as you enjoy the parks and trails, the downtown and events, the parkway when it is completed, you will realize the great things we accomplished. It is now your responsibility to make sure the future board continues to protect the quality of life and displays an honorable tone of discourse. Our legacy is secured here … and it will speak for itself. I am very proud I was able to be a part of it!" See you around town!

Agenda HTML: https://waxhaw.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/240840?handle=641CF70318B34C928DF61574E5B27957Agenda PDF: https://waxhaw.civicweb.net/filepro/docu...

09/02/2025

Young professionals and our service industry workers cannot afford housing in Waxhaw. Apartment homes provide attainable housing until they can afford to buy. The national median rent is $1402, and 35% of US households rent. 47% of those live in apartments. 23% of renters are under 30 starting careers. 32% are 30-44 year olds 28% are 45-65 yr olds, and 17% are over 65.

The median income of renters is $50500, which is around the salary of those starting careers and those on retirement.

Renting a home is cheaper than paying a mortgage in all 50 states. The average mortgage costs 38% per month more than the average rent. In Union County, 22.34% of the population are rent burdened.

Single family housing is worse for traffic and the environment as service workers have to travel further. Exclusionary zoning like we see in Waxhaw reduces supply which drives up housing costs.

Apartments bring a surplus per unit, whereas residential dwellings bring a deficit per unit. The basic savings from apartments comes from reduced education costs from fewer school aged children. Denser development generates 10 times more tax revenue than conventional suburban development. Denser development saves 10% on the cost of delivering public services such as police, ambulance and fire. Denser development lowers the energy intensity.

The average number of school age children per 100 units of housing is 61 in new single family housing vs 22 in new apartment units.

The data does not support the argument against apartments.

Sources: USA Today, American Planning Association, Cato Institute

09/01/2025

Leadership isn't about making everyone happy. It's about making the right decisions and standing by your choices, even when they are unpopular. A true leader does not need to earn universal approval.

If your goal is to keep everyone happy, you are managing. If your goal is to plan for the future, you are leading.

08/30/2025

🇺🇲 The Waxhaw America 250 Committee has reserved “Making Our Voices Heard: North Carolinians Fighting for Civil Rights”. The exhibit tells the stories of seven everyday North Carolinians who petitioned, protested, and organized to expand democracy. It explores change, freedom, civic responsibility and overcoming challenges.

The exhibit will be on display at Town Hall 9/4 through 10/28.

Make sure to also check out the Charters of Freedom display located by the flag poles. 🇺🇲

08/29/2025

During our recent board meeting, Commissioner Wedra said people have told her they would rather sit in more traffic if it meant keeping their taxes lower. Do you agree with this statement? Listen at 1:47

Waxhaw's Board of Commissioners Meeting - August 26, 2025 6:30pm

08/26/2025

08/19/2025

As with all plans and projects, nothing is guaranteed or happens overnight.

📣 Downtown Waxhaw Draft Master Plan — What It Really Means

Over the past several months, residents, business owners & community leaders have come together to shape a vision for the future of Downtown Waxhaw.

The result is a draft Downtown Master Plan — a roadmap for the next 5-10 years designed to protect what makes Waxhaw special while preparing for the growth already happening around us.

✅ WHAT THE PLAN IS

This is a roadmap — not a construction schedule. It highlights opportunities to:

✔ Strengthen our small business economy (not bring in big box stores)
✔ Preserve Waxhaw’s history and character
✔ Improve parking and walkability
✔ Create welcoming public spaces
✔ Balance our tax base so residential growth doesn’t carry the entire load

It’s a framework to help leaders, property owners & partners make smarter, more coordinated decisions — often through partnerships, grants, and incremental steps.

🚫 WHAT THE PLAN ISN'T

✘ Not a commitment to fund every project
✘ Not a “build it tomorrow” list
✘ Not a residential development plan
✘ Not a plan to “modernize” downtown or lose our small-town charm
✘ Not a traffic or transportation plan (those challenges are being addressed separately)

For example: yes, you’ll see a parking garage concept. That doesn’t mean it’s being built tomorrow — it’s simply there as a possibility so if leaders ever decide it’s needed, we have a design that fits Waxhaw’s scale & character.

👥 HOW WE GOT HERE

As the Downtown Waxhaw Association, we’ve partnered with the Town of Waxhaw on this effort. Our role as a nonprofit Main Street program is to strengthen downtown by balancing preservation with progress.

The Downtown Master Plan was a priority set by the full Board of Commissioners — across different viewpoints — because everyone recognized the need to preserve downtown while planning for growth.

The draft reflects months of community input from residents, business owners, and local leaders, plus the work of a volunteer steering committee. Consultants provided the technical expertise needed to turn those ideas into a workable guide — but the vision comes from the people who live and invest here.

💬 WHY IT MATTERS

Downtown is Waxhaw’s economic engine. A healthy downtown fuels more than commerce — it strengthens our tax base, protects our heritage, and creates spaces where neighbors connect & visitors feel welcome.

➡️ Without a plan, growth happens to us.
➡️ With one, we can protect what we love, improve what we need, and guide change on our terms.

—

📄 The draft is still a working document, and the final plan will be shaped by community feedback before adoption in September.

💬 Share your thoughts by Aug. 26 to help ensure the plan reflects Waxhaw’s priorities and values.

🔗 Review the draft & comment here: downtownwaxhaw.com/master-plan

Once finalized, it will guide future decision-making — helping prioritize projects, secure funding & measure progress.

08/18/2025

This post came up in my memories today. These are the principles I ran on in 2017. I am proud to say I have, and will continue to make decisions based on these core principles of Smart Growth.

08/15/2025

I am excited that Waxhaw will once again have stable leadership. I am confident Mr. Dadson will provide the knowledge and experience needed to strategically plan for the inevitable growth and development of Waxhaw.

The Town of Waxhaw is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Dadson as its new Town Manager. He will officially begin his duties on August 25, 2025.

Dadson brings more than 30 years of public service experience to the role, with a strong background in managing high-growth communities and overseeing capital improvement projects.

The appointment follows a months-long executive search facilitated by Centralina Regional Council, an independent, public organization working to strengthen regional collaboration and improve quality of life across the nine-county region.

“After a long and exhaustive search, I am proud to say that our Board of Commissioners has unanimously selected Scott Dadson as our new Town Manager,” said Mayor Robert J. Murray III. “Not only does he come with a wealth of knowledge and experience he also has an outstanding track record of success and a solid leadership style. We are all very excited to welcome Scott into the Waxhaw team.”

Originally from Virginia, Dadson has held both Assistant and Chief Administrative Officer roles in city and regional governments throughout the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. He most recently served as Executive Director of the Council of Governments in Salem, Oregon.

His extensive background in public service, particularly in fast-growing communities and capital project management, aligns with Waxhaw’s priorities as the town continues to experience rapid development and investment.

“I believe there are great opportunities for service here in Waxhaw with a dedicated Board of Commissioners and excellent Town staff,” said Dadson. “I hope I can be of assistance to the community as it manages growth, provides excellent public services, serves great neighborhoods, and builds a strong and vibrant downtown.”

Dadson holds a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and an MBA from Mercer University. He and his wife have two adult children. He will take over for Interim Town Manager Richard Hicks who has been dutifully serving the Town of Waxhaw since November 2024. We thank Mr. Hicks for his service and wish him the best as he returns to his well-deserved retirement.

08/05/2025

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08/01/2025

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