James Pressly
♦ Age: 38
♦ Address: 929 Argyle Court, Statesville
♦ Education: BA in History, University of South Carolina (2009) ; MBA, Western Carolina University (2013) ; MS in Real Estate Finance, UNCC (2016)
♦ Professional Background: Property manager & licensed general contractor
♦ Elected experience: None
♦ Volunteer/community service experience: Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Club, Forest Park Neighborhood Watch Group, Purple Heart Homes, Children’s Hope Alliance, Iredell Council on Aging
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 council do to move the needle in these areas?
PRESSLY: What motivates me is a deep belief that our city can be much stronger, that our city and our citizens have unlimited potential, and that we can unlock that potential if we elect members to our city council with the passion, knowledge, and intellect to help us move forward.
First, I’ll always prioritize Safe Streets, meaning police and fire protection. As the city continues to grow, we’ll see stronger demand for our emergency services. Just in the past year, the number of emergency calls has risen significantly, and right now, only 58 percent of the city is within four minutes of a fire station. In the coming years we will need to budget for a new fire station, Fire Station 5, to ensure quick emergency response across the city.
My second priority is Smart Spending, or fiscal responsibility. I want to keep taxes low, and when making policy and budget decisions, the Statesville City Council must consider a cost-benefit approach and prioritize critical city services such as police and fire protection, road maintenance, waste management, and our aging electric infrastructure. Our resources are not limitless, and we must identify and prioritize the way we serve Statesville families.
My third priority, Stronger Tomorrow, means developing a vibrant, diversified local economy that attracts higher paying jobs for our citizens and families here. It also means planning for growth. One of the greatest opportunities and challenges we face is the growth we’re seeing, and it’s important we plan for growth the right way. Smart growth means discouraging sprawl and reducing traffic congestion by investing in our roads. The goal is to encourage infill development and redevelopment in older parts of town where infrastructure already exists rather than spending huge sums to extend roads, sewer, and waterlines to nowhere.
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 city council can make a difference.
PRESSLY: First and most importantly, I have a beautiful and loving wife named Jessie, who is my greatest source of strength and inspiration. She is without a doubt the best thing that ever happened to me. We have a good bird dog named Coolyn who enjoys the Statesville Greenway Trail and meeting new friends at the dog park. And we’re expecting a baby boy around November 1. That makes me even more motivated and resolved to fight for the major issues I’ve outlined above.
Second, public policy and public service are in my blood. I was taught at an early age that each of us has a vested interest in our local government, to make our local government as effective and productive at the least possible cost to the citizens we serve. I’m a fourth-generation Statesville native and the only candidate who works with a former Statesville mayor every day. So I know a lot about our local government, how it works, and how we can make it work better for the citizens we serve.
Lastly, my views on the issues haven’t just been shaped by my experiences, but by those of our citizens and families here. During my campaign, I’ve gone to many of our Statesville citizens where they live and talked to countless folks who live here. From that experience, I see my purpose is to make the lives of all Statesville citizens better starting on my first day in office. And from that experience, I know that most of our citizens believe in safe streets, most of our citizens believe in smart spending and fiscal responsibility, and all of our citizens believe in a stronger Statesville tomorrow.
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?
PRESSLY: First, we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch. Even after the data center goes through the city approval processes, those Compass folks will have a lot of hoops to jump through before the proposed data center is a reality. Next, our city manager tells the City Council that we have $279 million in needed but unfunded capital improvements over the next six years. Many of those capital improvements are necessary as we consider the strategic needs of our community and as we continue to serve the needs of our families in Statesville.
I suggest, as any responsible Statesville citizen would, first look at our debt and be certain we’re meeting the requirements of our various debt obligations. Next, run the traps and prioritize these deferred capital needs. If our roof is leaking, that’s a priority we need to fix before going on vacation.
Finally, after our required repairs and capital needs are addressed, then we can see if the data center is built and look at our revenue, expense, and the tax rate structure. I can tell you that many of the citizens I’ve talked to during my campaign are furious at the Tax Assessor’s most recent valuation, and just as mad at the city for increasing water and sewer rates by 9 percent and stormwater fees by 32 percent. I agree with those folks, and if the data center is built hopefully it will generate the estimated tax revenue the city is counting on.
IFN: The cost of housing, including monthly rent and purchase prices for starter homes, has increased dramatically in the last five years. As a council member, 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?
PRESSLY: Homeownership is the American Dream, and I want every citizen of Statesville to have an opportunity to own a home. But nowadays it’s a lot harder to achieve that goal, especially when Statesville wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living and the cost of housing in the city.
Most Statesville citizens already pay state and federal taxes, which pay for programs to support first-time homebuyers, offer down payment assistance, help with closing costs, and offer more favorable mortgage terms. Some of those programs include the NC Home Advantage Mortgage, NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment, Community Partners Loan Pool, Self-Help Loan Pool, and the Mortgage Credit Certificate.
I’d like to see Statesville embrace those avenues to home affordability and utilize what we already pay for, rather than tax citizens a third time to create another pool of money and more bureaucracy in our local government.
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.
PRESSLY: First of all, our children are the future, and I think we all agree we must invest in them. Secondly, we all need to understand the roles and responsibilities of our public institutions. The Statesville City Council has certain responsibilities as it relates to serving our citizens and families, such as police and fire protection, garbage collection, good and safe streets, clean water, and affordable and reliable utilities.
We have an independent Iredell-Statesville School System which has certain responsibilities relating to the education of our children. The two unique and public institutions have distinct and different responsibilities, and each should discharge its responsibilities and achieve its goals for serving its constituents. If there are gaps in education for low-income children, those gaps and responsibilities must be fulfilled by the school system which has the financial responsibilities and professional staff to address their goals. Our School Board has a representative elected from Statesville. If there are gaps in the educational process for Statesville children, those who are elected and who have the responsibility must address those gaps.
We have a number of federal and state grants available for pre-K/early childhood education, including those aimed at supporting low-income children. Some of those funding sources and grant opportunities include the NC Pre-K/NC Prekindergarten Program, Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five, Head Start/Early Head Start, Child Care and Development Block Grant, and NC Child Care Stabilization Grants.
IFN: There are six candidates running for two seats in this race. What makes you the best candidate to represent the interests of ALL Statesville residents during the next four years?
PRESSLY: I’m a proud Statesville native, local business owner, a hard worker, and a good listener. I build bridges, connect people from different backgrounds, make deals and find solutions in tight situations. And that’s the work of a city councilman. You’re never going to be given an easy choice. But with every decision I make, I want to lift up every part of Statesville and not leave any neighborhood behind.
We need elected officials at the local level who understand the social, economic, and political history of Statesville, who understand the context of how we arrived where we are today, and who can develop and implement policy that will benefit Statesville families today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
We also need elected officials at the local level who know how to run a business because at the end of the day, the City of Statesville is a 500-employee business that serves the needs of our citizens and families through police and fire protection, garbage collection, affordable and reliable utilities, parks and recreation, and Statesville economic development. The city council’s role is to develop public policy and plan the direction of future development of our town, and I’ll bring my business background, management experience, strategic thinking, and decision-making experience to the table.
Vote for Safe Streets, Smart Spending, and a Stronger Tomorrow. Vote James Pressly for Statesville City Council.