Waxhaw Deserves Better: Development Loyalists Abandon Their Post
Tuesday’s Waxhaw Board of Commissioners meeting was supposed to be a pivotal moment for our town. The 315-unit Olivia development — yet another high-density residential project — was up for a vote. Residents packed Town Hall, ready to speak their minds.
But the vote never happened.
Why? Because three commissioners — all holdovers from the last pro-development administration — deliberately refused to attend, breaking quorum and preventing the Board from conducting official business.
A Pattern of Serving Developers, Not Residents
These same three have a long track record of voting in favor of more residential growth, no matter the strain on our roads, schools, and infrastructure. Waxhaw already has nearly 4,000 residential units approved and waiting to be built. Our town is bursting at the seams, yet they keep greenlighting more.
Now, they’ve taken it a step further.
By skipping Tuesday’s meeting, they effectively handed the Olivia developer exactly what they wanted — a delay. The developer had already asked to push the vote to August 26th, conveniently after school starts, when public attendance and opposition might be smaller. Last night’s quorum bust gave them that delay, no vote required.
No-Shows
Last week, one of the development loyalists said she couldn’t attend on August 12th. That would have left the decision in the hands of The Waxhaw Wall 1.0 – Commissioners Wedra, Daunt, and Mayor Robert Murray (who could break a tie). (The Waxhaw Wall 2.0 is ready to join us in November!)
Facing the prospect of losing the Olivia vote, the other two pro-development holdovers suddenly found “reasons” not to attend — one the day before the meeting, the other on the day of.
The result? The people’s business was stopped cold.
Ignoring the Will of the Voters
Let’s be clear: Murray, Daunt, and Wedra were elected by an overwhelming majority because residents are sick of unchecked growth. These three holdovers have not filed for re-election — perhaps because they know the voters will hold them accountable for years of rubber-stamping residential projects.
But they’re still using their remaining months in office to seemingly shield developers and avoid taking difficult, public votes.
It’s Time to Show Up Again
The Olivia development will now be back on the agenda Tuesday, August 26th. That’s exactly what these commissioners and the developer wanted — a quieter meeting with fewer angry residents.
Don’t give them that gift.
Show up. Speak out. Let them know that Waxhaw will not tolerate elected officials who abandon their duties to serve special interests. We deserve commissioners who show up, face the public, and vote in the open — not ones who hide from accountability.
📅 Mark Your Calendar:
Waxhaw Board of Commissioners Meeting
📆 Tuesday, August 26th
🕖 6:30 PM
📍 Waxhaw Town Hall
Let’s fill the room again and send a clear message:
No more quorum-busting. No more overdevelopment.