Scottie Brown

♦ Education: Some College
♦ Career: Self Employed, owner of Zootastic Park

Q&A

IFN: What inspired you to run for a seat on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners? What experiences have prepared you for this role?

BROWN: I was born in Iredell County, and I own the largest tourist attraction in the county. This county is my life. I have held the title of county commissioner for many years.

IFN: In your opinion, what has the current board done well during the past 3-4 years and in what areas could it have done better?

BROWN: The current board has kept a balanced budget and made sure we were able to retain our employees that we paid to train. We can always strive to do better in all aspects.

IFN: Commissioners have received some criticism for not making a significant reduction in the tax rate after property values increased dramatically in the last property revaluation. What are your thoughts on this? If you believe the tax rate could have been reduced further, would you have balanced the budget by drawing down money from the fund balance, cut county services/staff or some other means?

BROWN: No, if we lower taxes too much, we will have more people moving here and our biggest problem right now is growth. We are trying to do all we can to hold back taxes. I would never cut county services because our population continues to grow — we need to protect our taxpayers!

IFN: Current commissioners have declined to release additional property in the county’s zoning jurisdiction to the municipalities in an effort to slow high-density residential development. Do you support this strategy or do you believe the municipalities should have more say in development outside of their current jurisdiction?

BROWN: I completely support this strategy because adding this to what we are already doing helps to slow down growth of population.

IFN: As you have been speaking with voters in the past few months, what issues are they bringing to your attention? If elected, what will you do to address these issues? Will your solutions require an increase in funding?

BROWN: I will never vote for a tax increase as long as I am your commissioner. We don’t do things one year in advance. We look five years into the future. We are in good standing to pay cash for all of our upcoming builds. Voters are very happy that we are moving forward with improvements to the county without raising taxes.

IFN: Do you believe any of the services currently provided by the county should be reduced or eliminated? If so, which ones and why?

BROWN: No, I do not believe that we should reduce or eliminate any of the services provided by the county.

IFN: What is your assessment of the various departments of Iredell County government? Are there departments that could do a better job?

BROWN: We ask our departments to strive for 100% and hope we get 95%. We don’t shoot for 90% and get 80%. All departments have been doing a great job thus far with giving their all.

IFN: Do you think the Iredell County Board of Commissioners adequately funds Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded Schools and Mitchell Community College? If you would increase funding, where would the money come from? If you would decrease funding, what cuts would you expect these entities to make?

BROWN: We have guaranteed our school districts that we will not reduce their funding. Both Mooresville Graded School District and Mitchell Community College have expressed satisfaction with the funding levels currently provided to them. While Iredell-Statesville Schools may not always be fully satisfied with their funding, we remain committed to working collaboratively with them to address their needs and provide the strongest support possible for their students and staff.

At this time, the only viable option to increase funding would be to place a quarter-cent sales tax referendum on the ballot. This proposal would allow voters to decide, and approximately 70% of the revenue generated would come from individuals traveling through or visiting our state.

IFN: Anything else you want voters to know about you as they consider all of the candidates in this primary election?

BROWN: The voters of this county have told me how they feel about me and appreciate what the other incumbents and I have done. I strive to do the best I can to make sure our county is safe whether it be fire departments, the Sheriff’s Office or Iredell County EMS.