John Staford
Age: 66
Address: 603 Walnut Street, Statesville
Education: Drafting, Design, Architecture, Real estate law, Contract law, Accounting. Graduated summa cum laude at the School of Hard Knocks
Professional Background: Contractor/Builder, Electrician, Realtor, Property management, Business owner
Elected experience: Elected to serve the citizens of Statesville as Council Representative for Ward 5 (2017-2022)
Volunteer/community service experience: Statesville Historic Commission, Habitat for Humanity, founding member and currently on Board of Preservation Statesville (Steve Hill Collection)
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?
STAFORD: My wife and I plan to live out our lives in Statesville. We want this City to be all it can and should be. Great progress was made during my first term, shifting from predominantly residential tax base towards commercial, soliciting higher wage industries, lowering our tax burden, and improving our existing housing and neighborhoods, but that headway is waning. I wish to see these trends continue.
My priorities are: a) Fiscal responsibility with your tax dollars; b) Grow but know when to say “NO”; and c) Entice high wage jobs and quality retail.
a) Prioritize needs over wants. Operate as a business, set goals, and measure success and failure. Demand accountability.
b) Statesville has experienced and will continue to see huge growth. Gone are the days when some may have said that any growth is good growth. We must preserve our resources for high wage industries and smart residential growth.
c) Statesville is on the “radar.” When I served on Council, we laid groundwork for $1 billion in commercial investment. Thanks to a low tax rate and the ability to provide needed utilities and labor force, Council will be able to entice high wage employers. Retail will follow disposable 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 city council can make a difference.
STAFORD: Deb and I moved to Statesville in 1998. We were “getting out” of California and could have moved anywhere in the country. We chose Statesville for many reasons and have never regretted the decision. As newcomers, we were always asked “What church do you attend?” We began attending, heard the word and truth, and both gave our lives to Christ. So, as to shaping our views, the most important view, was shaped here in Statesville.
My sister and brother-in-law moved to Statesville about 10 years ago. Our daughter bought a house a few blocks from us this year, leaving New Port Beach, Calif. Our niece plans on moving out next year. They have all visited us over the years, fell in love with our wonderful city and made it their home too.
My wife and I are property managers and landlords. We have worked exceptionally hard, sacrificed, and (praise the Lord) after 40 years, prevailed. We have always tried to keep our rents low, especially on existing tenants. When I first came on the Council, I campaigned with the promise to eliminate the City’s $120 Solid Waste Fee. Cloaked as a waste management fee, this basically represented a 50 percent average tax increase, punishing lower- and fixed-income citizens. That year was the first time we were forced to raise our rents across the board. It hurt us to do so, but we are a business and must make ends meet. Higher taxes hurt everyone, but they hurt the low- and fixed-income folks the worst. You don’t tax a corporation or business; that tax is passed on to their customers.
What I want from my local government is quality police and fire protection; dependable, reasonably priced utilities; sound infrastructure; and responsible use of my tax dollars; thereby creating an environment that contributes to our individual, inherent rights — Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Key word “pursuit.”
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?
STAFORD: Oh, far more than $1 billion. The Data Center has potential to double the city’s tax base!
Please remember Statesville has already approved 7,500 new homes. For every home that is built with an assessed value of less than $400,000, the city loses money in providing services. So, in truth, a lot of the money has unfortunately already been spent in that it will be needed to cover costs generated to serve these residential developments. The city will need additional police, fire stations, sanitation, parks, road maintenance, increased (and expensive) capacity to provide water and sewer, etc. Thank goodness this windfall has come at this time.
It does provide a fiscally responsible Council a rare opportunity to provide 30 to 50 percent tax relief and still address many of our current issues. A low tax rate and quality services are critical in enticing additional high-wage employers to our city.
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?
STAFORD: NO!!! Using municipal taxpayer dollars to help first-time home buyers is not the job or scope of a municipal government.
When I was on Council, I did suggest a program to provide city employees, below a certain wage rate, a grant to purchase or improve an existing home within the city limits. It went nowhere. Our citizens are our first priority, and our city employees must be our second. Far too few of our employees live in the city, and my idea would have encouraged more city staff to live in the city while also improving our tax base and housing inventory through investment. I also believe that whenever possible, department heads should live within the city limits.
When on Council previously, I initiated the city’s policy of selling city-owned property to facilitate opening up buildable lots within our existing service area — NOT to provide free rent or housing! Infill is critical to the health and vitality of a growing City. When we moved here in 1998, the population was about 25,000. About 20 years later, it was still about the same, but the city footprint had grown substantially. This told me our city core was emptying out. Council must focus on revitalization of our older neighborhoods and encourage home ownership in those areas.
My idea for helping those struggling -– higher wage jobs and better employment opportunities!! Statesville is 25 percent below Iredell County in wages and 25 percent higher in poverty. Does anyone else see a connection?
We have multiple, privately funded programs in addition to various County, State, and Federal programs to assist renters and first-time home buyers. Municipal taxpayer dollars must be allocated to the provision and maintenance of city services and, when appropriate, quality of life amenities for the people who live here. Statesville has the only unrestricted homeless shelter in all of Iredell County. Our city alone has absorbed 68 percent of all subsidized housing in Iredell County in the past decade. This is a countywide responsibility; Statesville cannot continue to be the low-income magnet for Iredell and surrounding counties. The long-term consequences to our citizens are devastating, negatively impacting our ability to provide quality public services, amenities, and an attractive location that draws in new industry and commercial interests that can provide better, higher-wage jobs and tax base.
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.
STAFORD: Data shows children rarely catch up once behind. A large portion of I-SS funds are spent attempting to catch these students up and the pre-K cost is negligible in the bigger picture. That said, what is being taught and how? Everyone needs the ability to read, write, and do basic math. If the matrix was established to truly teach the fundamentals, I would have to find the resources to provide funding for city students, while demanding accountability of performance for our tax dollars.
IFN: If you are running for a Ward seat, what is the No. 1 issue in your community and what are your ideas for addressing it? How will you ensure the council is laser focused on this issue?
STAFORD: I believe what is good for one Ward is good for all Wards, but each Ward does have specific needs. Currently, the most pressing issue in Ward 5 is we are lacking in adequate fire coverage. This is but one of the many tangible, real issues this new Council must deal with.
Laser focus on the most pressing issues can be attained by placing “needs before wants.” I know infrastructure repair and fire stations don’t feel as good or look as fun as some other projects. It’s like putting on a new roof instead of remodeling the bathroom, but it’s decisions like this that either create stability or hardship for taxpayers down the road.
Statesville’s citizens deserve forward-thinking, fiscally responsible leadership to guide our city into a future of sustainable prosperity and growth. May God bless each and every citizen of Statesville.