1. Why do you wish to serve or continue to serve in the NC General Assembly?
We need more business minded people to have a voice in Raleigh. As a businessman I understand the importance of bringing jobs to my community and North Carolina as a whole. I want to provide a voice for the rural parts of North Carolina and ensure that the decisions made are going to benefit everyone and not just the metropolitan areas.
2. What are the top three challenges facing North Carolina and how do you propose to address them through your office?
1. We need to create more jobs and have someone who can help work around the bureaucracy that is slowing down our economic growth.
2. We need to work with transportation officials and DOT engineers to come up with comprehensive ideas that will improve our infrastructure.
3. We need to make sure we continue to keep our families’ safety one of our top priorities.
3. There is a statewide issue with unmaintained roads in neighborhoods recently referred to as “orphaned roads.” A bill was introduced in the General Assembly this year but did not move forward. What are your thoughts for solving this problem?
There needs to be a reintroduced bill with stronger language pertaining to this matter. As a representative from a rural area I have a full understanding of this issue and know the importance of passing legislation to upgrade these unmaintained roads.
4. What NEW ideas or incentives can you suggest to attract business into the region?
I’ve seen the importance of making North Carolina more competitive in competing with South Carolina to attract businesses to our area. As a small business owner close to the state line I’ve seen firsthand the amount of businesses that choose our southern counterpart when it comes to
locating a business and the effect it can have on a community. In order to become more competitive, we will have to offer incentives similar to what South Carolina does.
5. Do you support a further extension of a tax on services in North Carolina? Why or why not?
No, as a multiple business owner I believe we can’t continue to fund solely through taxes. We could look into putting a committee together to study alternatives to funding outside of extending service taxes.
