R. Corina Iyoob
♦ Age: 40
♦ Address: 412 Armfield Street, Statesville
♦ Education: UNC Greensboro: BFA concentration in Sculpture and Ceramics, minor in Chinese
♦ Professional Background: I bring 8 years in public-sector development services and 10 years of small-business management. I help residents and contractors get building and trade permits faster, review commercial projects for code compliance, and fix bottlenecks in the process. I led our department’s move to Tyler Technologies’ EPL for online permitting and inspections, improving turnaround times and transparency. I’m known for clear judgment, developing efficient workflows, and cross-department coordination that keeps work compliant and on schedule.
♦ Elected experience: None
♦ Volunteer/community service experience: City of Statesville Friday after 5 Concerts, various arts and music shows in Charlotte and Greensboro.
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?
IYOOB: I am running because city government should feel simple, helpful, and fair. When people need to set up a utility account, pay an invoice, or submit a service request, they should be able to do it online in minutes and know what happens next. My top three priorities are clear: First, modernize services so every public task can be done online, not by emailing a form or waiting in line. That creates clean city-owned data we can use to spot delays, fix problems, and make better decisions. Second, support local entrepreneurs with small grants or loans, coaching, and faster approvals so good ideas become steady income and local jobs. Third, improve pedestrian connections so people can safely reach work, school, and parks without a car. The council can move the needle by passing “digital-by-default” rules, setting simple standards for online forms and payments, asking departments to use service data when they plan budgets, and steering funds to the sidewalks and crosswalks that close the biggest gaps. This approach reduces stress for residents and staff, helps small businesses grow, and uses facts to guide every dollar we spend.
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.
IYOOB: I live with my husband Brian in the Academy Hill Historic District. Like many families, we juggle full-time work, bills, and tight schedules. When we walk our neighborhood, we see where a sidewalk stops or a crossing feels unsafe. When I talk with businesses there is frustration over ordinances or processes that don’t make sense. These everyday moments shape what I want to do on council. I want clear online services that respect people’s time. I want a small business path that is easy to follow, with simple forms and real help when someone gets stuck. I want safe routes that connect homes to schools, transit, parks, and jobs so a missed ride or a broken car does not block opportunity. Most of all, I want the city to learn from its own information. Every online application, account setup, and inspection request tells us where things go right and where they do not. Using that data, we can set clear expectations, fix the right problems first, and show steady progress that people can feel in their daily lives.
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?
IYOOB: A project like this must leave lasting benefits for everyone. I would focus new revenue in three places. First, digital service upgrades so people can complete city tasks online and we can use our data to manage work better. Clean forms, simple payments, and clear status updates reduce stress for residents and help staff solve problems faster. Second, targeted infrastructure that opens access to jobs, especially sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes and safe crossings in areas with the biggest gaps. When families can reach employers, schools, and transit more easily, daily life gets more affordable and predictable. Third, competitive pay for city staff. The people who keep our streets safe, our services running, and our projects moving deserve pay that helps the city hire and keep great teams. On taxes, I support relief when it is responsible. If ongoing costs are covered, reserves are healthy, and we can protect core services, I am open to a measured rate reduction. I will not make promises with one-time money that we cannot keep. My goal is simple: Use new dollars to make the city work better, make neighborhoods safer and connected, and make sure our workers can deliver quality service every day.
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?
IYOOB: I want more families to own homes, but I do not support using city taxpayer dollars for a city-run down payment program. A mortgage is a debt we should not be responsible for funding, and other partners at the state, federal, and nonprofit level are better set up to run those programs well. The city should focus on what it can do best. First, make building homes faster and more predictable by modernizing all development approvals and inspection requests. Clear online steps and faster reviews help builders create starter and middle homes at lower cost when time is of the essence. Families who want to add a small rental unit to their property can navigate the ordinances more easily. Second, invest in local business growth so residents can raise income and build savings. Small grants or loans and practical coaching can turn skills into steady paychecks. Income and stability help people qualify for mortgages and stay owners for the long term. Third, connect renters to existing rent assistance through partner agencies, and use our data to reach people before a crisis. Finally, improve pedestrian connections so families can reach work and school without always needing a car. Lower travel costs make monthly budgets work. This is a practical path to stable homes and stronger neighborhoods.
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.
IYOOB: I care about early learning, and I take the research seriously. An NPR report on Tennessee’s statewide pre-K for lower-income children found a worrying pattern. Children who attended started ahead on kindergarten readiness, which is good. But by third grade they were doing worse than similar children who did not attend. By sixth grade the gap was larger. They had lower scores in math, science, and reading, were more likely to be in special education, and had more discipline problems, including suspensions. The lead researcher said early warning signs in third grade showed up across all subjects and both major and minor suspensions by sixth grade. In short, the program produced significant negative results. I do not want that outcome for our kids.
Because of findings like these, any city contribution must depend on a strong plan from Iredell-Statesville Schools. Council should require clear quality standards, a written strategy that aligns pre-K through third grade, and coordinated data collection with the City and County. Track readiness, attendance, discipline, special education referrals, and early grade progress, and share results in plain language. Funding should be time limited, publicly reported, independently evaluated, and renewed only if results are met. If the plan proves value, I will support it. If not, we should put limited dollars where they help families most.
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?
IYOOB: The most pressing issue in Ward 3 is safe and reliable connections to opportunity. Too many blocks do not have continuous sidewalks, safe crossings, or lighting that makes walking practical early in the morning or after work. I will work with Statesville Engineering and Planning Departments to carry out the 2019 Mobility and Development Plan and to choose projects that connect homes to job centers, schools, transit, and parks through safe non-motorized routes. We will use crash data, proximity to schools and jobs, and input gathered through our online service tools to select the priority segments. I will support designs that are affordable to build and maintain with green spaces whenever possible, and schedules that line up with other street and utility work so we spend wisely. As we improve streets and add connections, it is important that existing neighborhoods keep their historical and cultural identities, and that newer neighborhoods connect with and contribute to what defines Statesville. At the same time, I will keep pushing for modern service delivery so people can request fixes, follow progress, and give feedback online. By pairing practical corridor projects with simple online services that create clean data, we can keep attention on results that matter to Ward 3 and to the whole city. The goal is a neighborhood where daily travel is safer, work is easier to reach, and families feel the city working for them.