Special to Iredell Free News
Mooresville native Will Aven filed paperwork with the Iredell County Elections Office on Monday to run for the Ward 2 seat on the town board.
Aven is challenging incumbent Thurman Houston, who has held the seat since 2006.
In his official campaign statement, Aven said he believes that looking to the future is the key to regaining control of the town’s unbridled residential growth and traffic.
“We need to think ahead and build a good foundation for the future growth of our town, and we have already gotten behind in this process,” he said. “We have an obligation to the future to secure needed infrastructure before projects are approved.”
The town should also be proactive in its approach to traffic and the state’s response to local issues, Aven said.
“We have to stop standing behind the statement, ‘That’s a state issue,’ ” he explained. “We need to push hard for things that can be done and hold town staff accountable in their interactions with Raleigh.”
Aven currently serves on the town’s Historic Preservation Commission and The Mooresville Museum Board of Directors. He’s proud of his family’s deep Mooresville roots. His great-great-grandfather, Charles Victor Voils, moved to the area prior to the town’s founding in 1873 and served as mayor from 1900-1905. Aven’s great-grandfather, Claude U. Voils, was a dentist in town who had a Main Street office Aven’s grandfather, Claude U. Voils Jr., was Davidson College graduate who became a chemist in Salisbury and sat on many local boards.
“I’m the sixth generation of my family to be born in Mooresville,” said Aven, who currently lives in what was his grandparents’ home in Ward 2’s historic downtown district.
“As the owner of a historic family home, I realize that our property has increased in value over time, and I understand the need for a strong tax base, but I do not want to see families losing their homes that they have no intention of selling,” Aven said. “I have a great love of history and the preservation of our town. We need to work on preserving our historic properties.”
When deciding whether to seek public office, Aven said he asked himself one question: “Can I make a difference?” In other words, he said, “Can I affect change that is meaningful to our town and our lives?”
Aven said he will champion transparent and effective government — and he will do it without overstaying his welcome.
“I am not a politician, and I do not believe politics should be a career,” he said. “Being involved in government is a service to our community. We the people are not beholden to our government; instead, our government has the responsibility to serve us.”