James Douglas “Doug” Hendrix

♦ Age: 67
♦ Address: 117 N Mulberry Street, Statesville
♦ Education: Graduate of Watauga High School, Boone, N.C.; graduate of Georgetown College, Georgetown, Ky.
♦ Professional Background: Retired in 2023 after 40 years in banking
♦ Elected experience: I have never held a public office
♦ Volunteer/community service experience:  As a banker, I was allowed and even encouraged to be involved in the community. For 36 years I have immersed myself in Statesville. I served and volunteered for over 20 local organizations, including non-profits like ICARE, Statesville Housing Authority, Fifth Street Ministries, and the Boys & Girls Club, as well as community business organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Statesville Development Corporation and the South Iredell Economic Development Corporation. I co-chaired the first three Relay for Life events for the Iredell chapter of the American Cancer Society, co-chaired the Iredell Heart Ball, and served several years on the Carolina BalloonFest Board. I was also involved with advocacy groups trying to improve the lives of our citizens, including groups like Habitat for Humanity and the NAACP. One of my proudest moments was being awarded the NAACP’s Wilson W Lee You Can Make a Difference Award in 2023.

Q&A

IFN: What motivated you to run for this office? If you are elected, what will your top three priorities be? What can the mayor and council do to move the needle in these areas? 

HENDRIX: I want to be mayor because I love this town and our diverse population. That’s what makes us great! I have spent 36 years developing relationships across our wonderful town. I love all the community groups that have been founded. These groups engage different faiths, races, and ethnicities in an effort to understand each other’s culture. Steven Covey once said, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” This is a powerful change agent for Statesville.

I have spoken to multiple citizens, business leaders, the city manager, directors and employees, and current and past mayors and city council members. My first priority will be to help the new council understand their responsibilities to our community and to each other. It is imperative that our council members respect each other and feel safe expressing the needs of their constituents. Communication is the key to these relationships. We are all different with different life experiences shaping us. My role, as mayor, would be to help develop a council that stays focused on the issues that impact our citizens.

I feel our greatest immediate challenge is to grow the average household income. When we move the income needle, housing and other necessities become more affordable. I believe Statesville’s time has come to flourish and our greatest assets are our location, expanding economy, great employers, and committed partners who want to help us increase our individual and household income.

IFN: Voters want their elected officials to understand their lived experiences as they consider policy/budget decisions. Tell us about your family (spouse/partner; children/children; parents/grandparents) and how your family’s experiences in Statesville have shaped your views on major issues where the mayor can make a difference.

HENDRIX: I was born in Asheville and spent my early years in Asheville, Canton and Waynesville. We moved to Boone in 1969, and I graduated from Watauga High in 1976. My parents were from Candler and Canton, N.C., and my father was the first Hendrix to graduate from college. He used the GI Bill and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill after serving four years in the Air Force. After college I moved back to Asheville, and that is where I met my wife Carole. We were married in June 1985. Our daughters, Haley and Mary Whitted, attended Iredell-Statesville Schools and both graduated from Statesville High. Since moving here in 1989, my banking and volunteer work exposed me to the entire community. I have poured my heart and soul into making our diverse Statesville a better place for everyone to live, work and play.

IFN: The City Council has or will soon approve the rezoning and annexation for the massive Compass Data Center project. This project will add an estimated $1 billion or more to the city’s tax base and generate millions of new tax dollars for the city. What will your priorities be for spending this money? As part of your plan, will you support a reduction in the property tax rate to give homeowners some relief? 

HENDRIX: I am excited about the possibilities provided by the Data Center. Once completed, we should have about double our current tax revenue of $27 million. This will certainly allow us to consider lowering the tax rate and will also help us complete all the projects on our $279 million, five- year capital budget ahead of schedule. Once these priority items are satisfied, we can begin to deal with much-needed road and infrastructure replacement and will have the capacity to serve our most at-risk citizens with additional education programs and workforce development training to help increase or median household income, which will help us address the current housing affordability issue.

IFN: The cost of housing, including monthly rent and purchase prices for starter homes, has increased dramatically in the last five years. As mayor, would you support the use of taxpayer dollars to help first-time homebuyers? If so, what is your vision for such a program? If not, do you have any ideas for helping residents struggling to pay rent or buy their first home?

HENDRIX: Housing is a complex issue which will require a multiple solution approach. Downpayment assistance is frequently mentioned and may help a few folks. The real issue, due to high rates and housing cost inflation, is income. The 7,500 new homes that are approved and will be built over the next few years are mostly in the $300,000 to $500,000 price range. To borrow $300,000, a borrower needs income of about $76,000. That’s $21,000 more than our current household median income. So, it sems the real answer is using all the tools we have to encourage workforce development and entrepreneurship to help increase our average personal and household income.  While we deal with this issue we will need to provide workforce housing using all of our existing and planned multi-family apartments, upper story residential downtown, and less expensive one- to four-family infill construction in our existing neighborhoods within the city limits.

IFN: Iredell-Statesville Schools previously asked the City Council to help fund a pre-K classroom for low-income children to ensure that they are ready to begin kindergarten. The cost was in the neighborhood of $200,000. The council declined to provide funding. If elected, would you support such an initiative? Explain your decision.

HENDRIX: I believe the City Council decision not to fund the pre-K program was based on budgetary priorities. Should there be adequate funding available, I believe the council would certainly consider supporting the five schools within the city limits. I-SS Superintendent Jeff James has provided information which confirms the major disadvantage for children entering kindergarten with no pre-K experience. It takes years for our schools to help these children make up for this lost time. With the anticipated industrial development on the horizon, our tax base should increase drastically, which should enable us to consider support for our schools within the city limits without raising our tax rate.

IFN: The city has begun addressing some major capital/infrastructure needs in the past two years, but there are many projects still out there. Some fall into the category of “needs” and others are “wants.” What are your priorities in this area? How do you propose paying for them?

HENDRIX: Our five-year, $279 million, capital expense budget includes $100 million for the General Fund (which includes Parks & Recreation, Fire, Police and Streets), and $179 million for the five Enterprise Funds: $3.3 million for the Airport Fund, $43 million for the Electric Fund, and $125 million for the Water Fund.  Obviously, public safety comes first. So General Fund items like additional Fire Stations 5, 6 and 7, and replacing Fire Station 2 are high priority as are additional safety equipment and vehicles for our Fire, Police, Street Maintenance and Sanitation Departments. Also under the General Fund is Parks & Recreation, which has $24 million in capital expenses budgeted over the next five years. This includes a new swimming pool in South Statesville, exercise and lawn maintenance equipment, building and park renovations and improvements, etc. With our existing annual tax revenue of $27 million we will have to continue to prioritize these capital expenses. However, if we can increase our tax base with the anticipated industrial development, the items on the Capital Budget can be completed ahead of schedule, and, we will be able to add additional items important to our citizens!

IFN: There are five candidates running for mayor, each with different backgrounds and experiences. What make you the best candidate to represent ALL residents of Statesville?

HENDRIX: Our hometown is an extremely diverse community. Every citizen regardless of age, race, party affiliation, sex, language, or ethnicity deserves a sincere leader who listens to all. I feel that I am uniquely qualified to serve as the next mayor of Statesville. I have 40 years of banking and finance experience to bring to the table. I have poured my heart and soul into this community for 36 years and am prepared to continue. I will work with the new council to retain their trust. Mutual respect and attention to the city’s issues will be expected.  Communication is the key to a strong relationship. My door will always be open and your thoughts, questions and concerns are always welcome.