Campaign Issues
PLAN AHEAD. ACT BEFORE PROBLEMS BECOME CRISES.
Transylvania County is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. But protecting what makes this county special requires more than reacting to problems after they become emergencies. It requires planning, cooperation and the willingness to make difficult decisions before the cost of waiting becomes even greater.
For too long, some of our biggest challenges — our schools, courthouse, community college, infrastructure, solid waste and housing — have been discussed for years without timely resolution.
Delay has a cost.
My approach is straightforward: identify problems early, plan responsibly, work with the people and organizations necessary to solve them, and follow through.
County government should be looking five, ten and twenty years ahead — not simply trying to manage the next crisis.
STRONG SCHOOLS & RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
Our public schools are one of the most important investments we make in the future of Transylvania County.
Voters approved $68 million in school bonds in 2018 to renovate and improve aging school facilities. Years passed before the first bonds were issued, during a period of substantial construction inflation. Today, bond-funded projects are finally moving forward under a joint County–School System committee.
We cannot recover the purchasing power lost while construction costs increased. We can learn from it.
As Commissioner, I will support responsible investment in our schools while insisting on careful project management, transparent budgeting and accountability for taxpayer dollars.
Our students and teachers deserve safe, functional buildings. Our taxpayers deserve to know that the money they approved is being used wisely and efficiently.
Maintaining our schools should be an ongoing responsibility — not something we address only after buildings reach a crisis point.
AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING
The people who teach our children, care for our families, protect our communities and keep our local businesses operating should have a reasonable opportunity to live in the community they serve.
Transylvania County's Affordable Housing Plan recognizes a growing imbalance between housing needs and housing availability and establishes a 10-year strategy focused on attainable and diverse housing, workforce housing and preserving the character of our community.
Now comes the harder part: turning a plan into results.
County government cannot solve the housing problem alone, nor should it try. Progress will require cooperation among the County, Brevard, Rosman, community organizations, nonprofits, employers and responsible private developers.
I will work to bring those groups together.
We can expand housing opportunities without sacrificing the rural character, natural beauty and quality of life that make Transylvania County special.
Those goals are not mutually exclusive.
INFRASTRUCTURE & LONG-TERM PLANNING
If we want housing people can afford and businesses that provide good-paying jobs, we must have the infrastructure to support them.
That means planning for roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure before opportunities for responsible development arrive — not years afterward.
The County does not operate municipal water and sewer systems, which makes cooperation with the City of Brevard and Town of Rosman essential. Recent county projects demonstrate what can happen when local governments work together, including investments in water and sewer infrastructure in both communities.
We need a long-term infrastructure strategy that identifies where responsible growth makes sense, what infrastructure will be needed and how we can pursue state, federal and private funding while protecting local taxpayers.
Economic development requires infrastructure. Infrastructure requires planning. And planning requires cooperation.
SOLID WASTE: PLAN FOR WHAT COMES NEXT
Our landfill is another example of why long-term planning matters.
Solid waste disposal and its future funding remain significant capital issues for Transylvania County, with commissioners receiving a presentation on those options as recently as May 2026. The County's own long-term financial planning also identifies future solid-waste capital projects as costs that are not yet included in the current major-project financing plan.
Waste does not stop arriving because we have not decided what comes next.
Major solid-waste projects require years of engineering, permitting, financing and construction. Waiting until capacity becomes critical limits our choices and can increase costs.
We should be planning for the next phase now.
BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Blue Ridge Community College is a critical part of Transylvania County's future.
It provides higher education, workforce and vocational training, and opportunities for local students to earn college credit while still in high school. It also plays an important role in preparing workers for the kinds of businesses we want to attract and retain.
The County has identified Blue Ridge Community College as one of its major long-term capital needs. In March 2026, the County listed a potential new BRCC campus at an estimated $68 million among its priorities for state advocacy and grant funding. Current county financial planning, however, does not yet include financing for a major new BRCC campus.
This is exactly the kind of challenge that requires leadership, partnerships and long-range planning.
We should be working with BRCC, state leaders and community partners to determine what Transylvania County needs and how we can make it happen without placing an unreasonable burden on local taxpayers.
Education and workforce development are investments in our economic future.
A COURTHOUSE THAT MEETS OUR NEEDS
The need to address Transylvania County's courthouse is not new.
County records document discussions and studies stretching back roughly two decades. After years of consideration, the County is now moving toward construction of a new courthouse at the Public Safety Facility site. As of September 2026, commissioners are considering installment financing of up to $40 million for the project.
The lesson here extends beyond one building.
When we know that a major public facility will eventually need replacement, postponing decisions does not make that need disappear. Construction costs change, buildings continue to age and taxpayers ultimately bear the consequences.
Going forward, the County needs disciplined capital planning that anticipates major needs well before they become emergencies.
We should learn from the past and do a better job planning for the future.
A STRONGER, MORE DIVERSE LOCAL ECONOMY
Tourism is an important part of our economy, and our mountains, forests, waterfalls, trails and downtown communities bring visitors from around the world.
We should support those economic drivers.
But we also need an economy that provides more opportunities for the people who live here year-round.
That means supporting existing businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship, strengthening workforce development and attracting responsible employers that provide good-paying jobs.
It also means making sure young people who grow up here have opportunities to build careers and families here if they choose.
Economic development should complement Transylvania County's character — not destroy the qualities that make people want to live and work here in the first place.
PROTECTING OUR NATURAL HERITAGE
Our environment is not simply something beautiful surrounding us.
It is one of Transylvania County's greatest assets.
Our forests, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife and extraordinary biodiversity contribute to our quality of life, tourism economy and identity as a community.
Economic development and environmental stewardship should not automatically be treated as opposing goals.
We should pursue responsible growth that protects water quality, respects environmentally sensitive areas and preserves the natural resources future generations will inherit.
Once these resources are lost, some cannot be replaced.
Growth should make Transylvania County stronger without sacrificing what makes Transylvania County special.
TRANSPARENT, RESPECTFUL & ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT
Citizens have a right to understand what their county government is doing with their money and why important decisions are being made.
Major proposals should be explained clearly. Financial information should be understandable and accessible. Citizens who come before their elected representatives should be treated respectfully — whether commissioners agree with them or not.
I believe good government requires more than simply complying with the minimum requirements of an open meeting.
It requires a genuine commitment to openness.
As Commissioner, I will work for:
- Clear explanations of major expenditures and decisions
- Meaningful opportunities for public input
- Respectful treatment of citizens
- Accessible information before major votes whenever possible
- Transparency about how and why decisions are made
Trust in government has to be earned. Transparency and accountability are how we earn it.
ONE COUNTY. MANY COMMUNITIES.
Brevard, Rosman, Pisgah Forest, Lake Toxaway, Cedar Mountain, Balsam Grove and our many other communities may have different needs, but we share one county.
County government should not approach those relationships as a competition for resources or influence.
We should listen.
We should cooperate.
And we should recognize that a stronger Rosman, a stronger Brevard and stronger rural communities mean a stronger Transylvania County.
That same principle should guide our relationships with our schools, municipalities, community college, nonprofits, businesses and community organizations.
We will accomplish more by working together than we ever will by working against one another.
PEOPLE — NOT POLITICS
Potholes aren't Republican or Democratic.
Neither are leaking school roofs, affordable housing, aging infrastructure, solid waste, workforce development or protecting our rivers and mountains.
Local government works best when we stop looking for partisan answers to practical problems and start looking for solutions.
I have spent much of my career leading organizations, solving problems and helping turn around organizations that were struggling. I believe those same principles apply to public service: understand the problem, listen to the people who know it best, develop a plan, make a decision and follow through.
We will not agree on everything.
But we can disagree respectfully, work together and keep our focus where it belongs:
On the people of Transylvania County and the future of the place we all call home.
