Gene Houpe

Running for:county commission
Hometown:Statesville
Occupation:full-time police officer, Town of Spencer with 19 years of experience; owner/operator of KZ Systems Carpet Cleaning, a local company of Iredell County for more than 14 years
Education:1987 graduate of Statesville High School; 1991 graduate of Florida State University with a BS in criminology

What are the biggest issues facing your constituency?
We face two major obstacles: 1- Balancing and planning for rapid growth. 2 - Our struggling economy.

Of those issues, which do you feel is the most important?
Balancing our growth is the most important issue we face today in Iredell County. We need to continue making better plans for our growth. For example, the county will soon be starting a Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which will set aside areas of land for commercial and/or industrial use that are near railroads, main thoroughfares, water, sewer, utilities, etc.

What, if any, prior experience do you have that will help you if elected?
My 19 years of law enforcement experience has taught me how to deal with the public in an official capacity. Running a business in Iredell County has given me a vast amount of experience that I will need as a commissioner such as setting a budget, establishing sound policies, understanding employment issues and solving problems.

I have always been interested in local government. For the past eight years, I have kept abreast of the county’s planning procedures and stayed in tune to all of the major issues. I have attended planning sessions, budget meetings and have stayed informed of the county commissioners’ actions.

What is one particular thing you think the current board is doing right?
Our current commissioners have paved the way for our school board to improve our school facilities. Phase II of the construction will start soon. The commissioners have also continued to do long-range planning.

For example, they have purchased the property adjacent to the current landfill for future expansion while they continue to maximize our current location. By purchasing the property now, they are saving the taxpayers’ money, as the cost of this land would only increase in the future.

What is one particular thing you think the current board is doing wrong?
The current commissioners are handling more and more of the public’s business in the pre-agenda briefing, which is not televised. These briefings are held before the regular meetings, at a time when most taxpayers are in transit from work or are busy with dinner.

The original purpose of the briefings was to give the staff and the public an opportunity to state their case to the commissioners in order to help the commissioners make an informed decision when it is time to vote. The commissioners now vote on many issues during the pre-agenda briefing. The items that are approved are then placed on the consent agenda and not debated at the regular meeting, which is televised. The public deserves the right to hear the questions, concerns and topics debated, as well as how each commissioner votes.

If elected, I would propose to eliminate the consent agenda. All agenda items would then be debated and voted upon in front of the public.

What specifically would you do if elected in response to the county’s growth?
I would work with the municipalities within the county and encourage continued growth. However, I would like to see better planning by all parties to handle the problems that growth creates, such as overcrowded schools, transportation issues, water/sewer, etc.

Posted on 02/11/08 at 12:56 PM
candidates •Iredell County •County Commission • (0) Comments

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