Economic prosperity, job growth, and the resolution of a few simmering issues from 2006 are among the wish list area leaders expressed for the new year.

Littleton Mayor Mason Hawfield said he expects to see a number of new jobs created in the town in 2007.

“We’re going to get Window Fashions industry up this year. That will be a wonderful lift for Littleton, and should help us create jobs, increase our tax base,” he said. “We hope by sometime in April the building will be renovated and the business in operation, Over the period of a year that will create up to maybe 100 jobs.”

He said with that many more people in Littleton working or traveling to the town to work, other service related businesses such as restaurants and shops may eventually open in the town.

He’s also hopeful that a grant application to the USDA will result in extensive repairs and upgrades to the city’s water line system.

“We relined all the sewer lines in town, and that has cut down on the expense of the wastewater treatment plant,” he said. That work, at a cost of more than $2 million, was done primarily with a similar grant.

“We’re having a tremendous problem in the system with water leaks,” he said. “It’s very expensive to fix these leaks. If we can get a grant and put together a package we will be able to update our water system.”

Hawfield said the town is working with engineers now to arrive at a cost for the work and to finish the grant application. “I think we will submit the grant application within the next 60 days,” he said.

A simmering controversy over the county’s library is atop the list for Warren County Manager Linda Jones.

“I just hope we can get focused and come to terms with what we’re going to do with our county library. I think that’s one of the major issues that’s dividing the community now.”

That division has come in large part because county commissioners have been talking about replacing the county’s small, out-dated library for quite some time, going so far as to approve a building site at the former A&P store location and a building plan for the site.

All of that’s been thrown into question by recent action of the board looking for another site, which has been led to some controversy and hard feelings on both sides of the issue.

“If we can get over that, we can get over anything,” Jones said. “We just need to agree to disagree, arrive at some consensus, and move on.”

She also hopes 2007 is the year the state legislature assumes the cost of Medicaid.

“North Carolina is the only state in the nation that has counties participating in the Medicaid cost,” she said. For Warren County she said that’s meant $1.6 million in local expenditures for the program. “That’s about 17 cents of our tax rate,” she said. “I hope they can address that issue and provide some relief for counties.

“What we’re hoping is that they will eliminate altogether the counties contribution to it, but the fear is that if they take that away they will give us something else (to pay for).”

“I think those (the library and Medicaid) are two biggies. If we can get those resolved, it will be smooth sailing in 2007. “

From the business community, Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Almira Papierniak said her goals and wishes revolve mostly around the economy.

“The chamber wants growth and prosperity for everyone in the area,” she said. “Economic development is definitely something we support  and hope for.

“I were wishing personally, I’d like to see more public service like support from the counties, maybe a new library in this area. You hear a lot of discussion about that,” she said.

As for specific projects for the new year, she said the chamber is aiming for several things.

“We are developing scholarships for local area students, working on more awards and recognition for outstanding people and business people who have performed in an outstanding manor,” she said.

“We’re just looking for more ways to support the community as a chamber, with service projects.”

Halifax County Manager Matthew Delk said his immediate goal for 2007 is to get the county through its tax reassessment process.

“The state says we have to do that every eight years, and this is the last year we have to do that and stay in compliance with the state,” he said.

He also said economic development is at the top of his wish list.

“We want to attract jobs to the region and keep the economy vibrant. And, we want to do the basic things a county government should do and do them well. Everything from providing public utilities to providing for law enforcement and public safety and everything we do here in county government.”