Newton city manager: I look at everything as an economic development issue

Newton’s new city manager is focused on growth. Every project, strategy and plan comes down to economic development.

Jonathan Franklin stepped in as city manager in May, after Todd Clark left in December 2021. Franklin came into the job with three goals: expand wastewater treatment, finish the city’s downtown streetscape project and focus on economic development efforts. But he says even the first two goals are aimed at economic development.

“I actually look at everything as an economic development issue,” Franklin said. “Anywhere from having an industrial site to making sure the city is walkable. I mean, it’s all economic development. Folks who are industry people, folks moving in for retail, whatever it is, they’re going to look at what the community looks like, the quality of life and all the things that make up key core city services.”

Under Franklin, the city already secured $34 million from the state for a new wastewater treatment plant. The city is applying for a grant for $15 million more, Franklin said. If that money comes through, he hopes to get construction started within two years.

He thinks the expanded wastewater capacity will be a draw for new business. “Businesses will look at Newton much harder than they have in the past,” Franklin said. “The new wastewater plant is going to play a huge role in that.”

At a basic level, Franklin sees local government’s role in growth is to provide the best services, including water, sewer and electricity, at the lowest possible cost.

Franklin has also made moves to complete the streetscape project, his second goal. The city already finished several phases of the project, which involves putting in new water, sewer and electricity infrastructure, repaving roads and adding sidewalks and other features to improve the look of downtown. To complete the final leg of the project, the city recently approved use of about $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.

As part of his goal of increasing economic development, the city is planning to move several departments to a building downtown to help new businesses, Franklin said.

Newton is already on a good path toward growth, Franklin said. He said he believes the downtown area will grow more dense over the next five years, with many buildings getting second-floor apartments.

Franklin also said he thinks more housing will be built in Newton. With N.C. Highway 16 being widened, Newton is getting interest from developers.

“In the past we had been begging for residential growth and basically got zero,” Franklin said. “Now we have about 1,200 housing units in the planning pipeline.”

Though growth is coming, Franklin said he hopes to maintain the small-town feel by working to help small businesses. “One of the cool things about Newton is … it’s almost like downtown has been preserved as like the mom-and-pop business destination,” he said. “If we can keep focused on that and keep trying to figure out ways to help small businesses, that’s what I’m most interested in.”

This is his third stint as a city or town manager, he said. Though he’s head of the organization, he tries to let city employees with expert knowledge take the lead on projects.

“I want to let folks who are truly talented do their things,” Franklin said. “My job is just to make sure they have the resources they need. … I’m the lucky one in this scenario because I’m coming into a great organization full of great people.”