Iredell County Commission Candidate Fred Coggins responds

Dear Readers,
I sent 17 questions last Friday to candidates seeking seats on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners. I asked them to respond by 5 p.m. today. I have spoken with several candidates today, and understandably, they are all strapped for time; the primary, after all, is this Tuesday. So I extended the deadline for their responses and hope we'll receive more. Some of them could not make promises, but at least they were courteous enough to let me know. And I appreciate that.
Still, in fairness to those who moved their schedules around to respond to our questions, I will begin posting the responses in separate blog entries. If and when others respond, I will post theirs, too.

Three seats are open on Iredell County’s Board of Commissioners – including the seats currently occupied by Sara Haire Tice, who is not seeking re-election this year, Statesville’s Godfrey Williams and Mooresville resident Ken Robertson.

Joining Williams and Robertson on the Republican ballot are Statesville’s Gene Houpe, and Mooresville residents Brad Howard and Scott Keadle.

Five Democrats are also hoping to win the seats, including Statesville’s Chuck Gallyon and Mark Vanek, Union Grove resident Eugene Shuffler, and Mooresville’s Fred Coggins and Barbara Orr.

In Tuesday's primary, Republicans and Democrats will whittle their respective field of five candidates down to three. And the six candidates left standing – three Republicans and three Democrats – will face off in the Nov. 4 general election for the three open seats.

Mooresville resident Fred Coggins was the first to respond to your questions:

1. What is your position on the CATS 83X bus line and specifically the need for the county to contribute funding to help support this service for the residents of Mooresville/South Iredell?

No -- not in favor of it. Support no funds for it.

2. What proposed funding solutions do you have to address overall traffic issues in Mooresville/South Iredell?

Use moratorium on all building from one end of county to other end of county. Should have done 10 years ago. If you don't need it don't build it.

3. What is your funding solution and solutions in general for bringing commuter rail into Mooresville/South Iredell? Just as a side note, I am very tired of generic, divisive and non-definitive answers - they are no longer acceptable – we need solutions now.

Against commuter rail. Only about 200 of 1,000 riding it from Iredell County. Let Lowe's build it and pay ... to get it to Mt. Mourne.

4. What is your position on our school districts in Mooresville/Iredell County? We currently have two. Do you support keeping both districts? Why or why not?

Need only one school system -- save a lot of money this way.

5. Provide your definition of quality of life for Iredell County residents. Is it different for those in Mooresville/South Iredell vs. the rest of the county?

Should be the same in both ends of county. Mixture of schools, houses and shopping centers without over development in the area.

6. Do you believe transportation issues have an impact on the quality of life for Mooresville/Iredell County residents? If so, what are your proposed solutions?

Yes -- overgrowth/too many developments. Put moratorium on building in this area.

7. How would you go about facilitating a more collaborative and productive working relationship with the Town of Mooresville? What you would do to ensure this is a results-driven relationship? Please be specific in your recommendations.

Think Iredell County and Mooresville stay as two separate pieces. Needs are different for each area.

8. Why should a resident of south Iredell vote for you? What makes you different from the existing commissioners, and how will you represent the interest of the residents of Mooresville/South Iredell?

Vote for me because
A) need to lower taxes -- no tax hike of any kind
B) need to get rid of land transfer tax
C) any fee pertaining to environmental issue -- get rid of
D)tax break for working, middle class, retired and older people
E)against light rail & express bus
F)reevaluate school system -- too many buildings not used and waste of taxpayer money
G) moratorium on all buildings needed unless absolutely necessary
H)against biodiesel plant
I)work for people not against people like current commissioners

9. Who do you support for N.C. governor?

Undecided

10. Should the County partner with other entities such as municipalities like Mooresville & Charlotte (CATS) to provide for Regional Transportation Initiatives such as Commuter Rail and 83X (Commuter Vans). Why or why not, & which is a priority?

No. A majority would not live in Iredell County. The taxpayers will be paying for people that don't even live in Iredell County.

11. Should the county release ETJ (Extra Territorial Jurisdiction) to municipalities such as Mooresville, Troutman, & Statesville so that their more “urban” planning codes can control the rapid growth, especially in southern Iredell? Why or why not? What is your position on releasing ETJ of the Highway corridors such as NC Highways 115, 21, 150, 801, 70, 90, etc so that the county’s municipalities can more effectively manage the growth and traffic patterns leading to our urban centers?

No, the commissioners of Mooresville and Iredell have already screwed up this area. They do not know how to do road study, growth and road planning. Let the people that live in that area decide how they want the landscape of this area.

12. How can the county best partner to meet regional recreational needs such as parks, programs, etc.? Are there effective partnering opportunities with municipalities? If so, what are they?

Let each neighborhood decide whether they want a park or recreational area for their neighborhood. If they don't live in area, they shouldn't have vote on it.

13. Do you support the county’s current 2 School system, or should the Mooresville Graded School System be eliminated and rolled into the Iredell-Statesville School System?

Prefer ONE school system. Would save money and duplicate on some things.

14. What are you going to do to deal with the near gridlock traffic conditions?

Only way to do this
1) control growth by putting tighter restriction on buildings. Fewer houses. Once again, moratorium would be the answer.

15. How do you plan to control the rampant over-development of our area?

If you don't need it do not build it. Limitations on everything being done in this area -- once again, use the moratorium.

16. Taxes continue to rise. Where does it stop?

Taxes are too high. STOP NOW.

17. What will you do to get our area our fair share of transportation dollars? (Am I the only one who wonders why there are 6-lane highways in BFE North Carolina but not in Mooresville-Davidson-Cornelius?)

There is no more room to widen it. If you check with the state, there is no room to make a bigger bridge through here -- work with Raliegh every way I can -- the eastern part of N.C. controls this money.