By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

David Ladewig has announced he plans to run for Place 3 on the Pelham City Council during Pelham’s Aug. 28 municipal elections.

Ladewig, the former chairman of the Pelham Parks and Recreation board, said he decided to run to help Pelham grow over the next several years.

“Our city is a perfect place to grow and prosper. I would like to see more growth than we ever imagined,” Ladewig said. “That takes a plan, and I have a plan for growth.”

Ladewig said he has developed a 16-point plan he would like to implement to bring “a better Pelham,” and said he is “experienced in marketing and recruiting issues.”

Ladewig said his plan includes actively recruiting businesses “we as citizens want in Pelham,” and said he would like to prepare and implement a plan to market Pelham’s unique aspects. He also said he would like to review the city ordinances “to ensure business restrictions are not hindering growth,” and would work to “remove any obstacles to growth.”

Ladewig said he would work to identify and act on annexation opportunities, maintain city services “in a respectful and professional manner,” recruit commissioned grant specialists to help bring more state and federal dollars to Pelham, install citywide Wi-Fi and “repair and maintain infrastructure as needed.”

His plan also includes meeting with city educators to identify how the city can help them, enacting a 50 percent reduction in water, sewer and garbage fees for all Pelham residents older than 65 and working with an architectural firm to design and build a new Pelham Public Library.

Ladewig also said he would like to enact an “employee financial bonus plan for non-supervisory personnel who create better ideas that save taxpayers money” and require those over the city’s golf, tennis and ice programs to submit a “complete market plan” for the mayor and council to evaluate within 90 days after the new council and mayor are sworn in.

Ladewig’s campaign website is at Davidladewig.com.

Ladewig will run against fellow candidates Mildred Lanier, Jim Martin and Beth McMillan for Place 3.