Issues

As a Mecklenburg County Commissioner, I pledge to never vote for an increase in taxation, whether it be on our citizens, or on our businesses, for the next two years unless they have been previously approved or are mandated for increase, leaving me no option for personal discretion.

I firmly believe that taxation is a necessary component that all government entities must employ to provide vital services for their citizens. However, I believe that taxes must be limited, and reduced to an absolute minimum for the financial prosperity of the people. Lower taxes puts more money back into the pockets of our citizens, which in turn, will generate revenue, make local businesses more profitable, encourage business expansion and job creation, and ultimately lead to an increase in economic benefits for residents and businesses alike.

As a Mecklenburg County Commissioner, I pledge to vote “no” on new spending programs and the awarding of bonuses until our budget priorities have been properly reestablished, and the current economic situation improves.

Like many of you, last year I was anxious about my job security and financial stability when the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners cut $35M from the CMS budget, forcing the district to freeze wages, cut programs, and lay off employees. By contrast, Wake County made similar cuts in the neighborhood of $3M, and Guilford County was even lower than that. I watched as many of my friends and colleagues were laid off because of the “dire circumstances” that Mecklenburg County was facing financially.

Yet, since last spring, the same Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners has voted to approve new spending on projects and in areas that have not been previously funded. In addition, the same Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners recently voted to award a $38,000 bonus to the County Manager.

I don’t know how things are at your house right now, but I imagine that many of you can identify with my frustration. My wife and I both had our salaries frozen, but we were thankful just to hold onto our jobs while so many others were out of work. $38,000 would have kept a well-qualified teacher in a CMS classroom, and could have spared a few programs from being cut. I am not of the mindset that throwing more money at a specific area (like education) is the right remedy, as that would be like trying to use a band-aid on a wound that required stitches. Yet, I would venture to state that awarding bonuses and creating new spending programs in light of the current economic situation is an ill-advised strategy, and hardly justifiable when drastic cuts were made to the school budget and many of our neighbors have been looking for work.

As a Mecklenburg County Commissioner, I pledge to support all programs and initiatives that hold our board accountable to the citizens of the county, and that promote transparency in all areas of county government.

Last year, it was discovered that the Mecklenburg Department of Social Services had either mishandled, misused, or misappropriated county funds for “The Giving Tree” project. While we may never know what happened, or whether or not any wrongdoing occurred, it is quite obvious that the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners needs to work harder to guarantee complete transparency and accountability in all of its dealings.