Grey Mills
Running for: N.C. House, District 95
Hometown: Mooresville
Occupation: Attorney
Education:
Mooresville High School, 1984;
Appalachian State University, B. S., Social Science and Education, 1990;
Regent University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1994
What are the biggest issues facing your constituency?
The biggest problem we face is a lack of a strong and effective voice in our state government. In Raleigh, our county is the weakest county in the entire state. We cannot afford to keep sending the same individual to Raleigh in hopes that things will somehow magically improve. We cannot afford sending the same ineffective person up there who has failed to deliver for Iredell. We definitely cannot afford another two years of business as usual.
The only way to improve our standing in our state government is to send someone who can effectively represent us and our interests. From unfair treatment in road and school funding to unfair treatment in economic development & illegally drawn House and Senate districts, Iredell County has been ignored long enough. That is why I am running.
Of those issues, which do you feel is the most important?
Iredell County’s needs are ignored in our State Legislature. No where is that clearer than on the roads we travel everyday. Our infrastructure, especially our bridges and roads, should be one of the top concerns of our next Representative. I oppose any attempt to take money out of the Highway Trust Fund and putting it into the General Fund. I will push for a new method of prioritizing how the state spends its road dollars. The present system of funding road construction simply is not fair to Iredell County. There needs to be a new method of funding road construction that takes into consideration a county’s growth rate and the actual number of cars on the road. Iredell needs a Representative who will fight for fair funding for Iredell roads.
What, if any, prior experience do you have that will help you if elected?
Political Experience
I have been active in Republican politics for over 16 years. I have served in nearly every position in our local Republican Party. I have political experience ranging from serving as a precinct vice chairman to interning in Washington D.C. on Capitol Hill in U.S. Senator Jesse Helms’ office. I served four years as Iredell County Republican Chairman. I am a graduate fellow of the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership.
Professional
I graduated from the Mooresville school system and taught in the Iredell-Statesville school system so I am familiar with both public systems. I have also taught on the community college level.
I served as an assistant district attorney and am endorsed by the local Iredell County Fraternal Order of Police. I founded a local law firm and we are currently celebrating our 10 year anniversary as a business. We currently have 16 employees so I know what it takes to run a business and meet a payroll.
What is the one thing the current legislature is doing right?
The current legislature recently voted to expel Democrat Representative Thomas Wright which was the correct thing to do under the circumstances. North Carolina needs a government run by honest individuals, not by self-serving politicians. Unfortunately we have been plagued by the latter. I believe what North Carolina needs is a government led by committed, conservative individuals who will put North Carolina first. Iredell County deserves to have a social and fiscal conservative, committed to putting the county’s interest and North Carolina’s interests first, representing its citizens in Raleigh.
What is one particular thing you think the current legislature is doing wrong?
The current legislature does a good job of taking our hard earned tax dollars and sending them somewhere else. Not only does the legislature do a really good job of funding road projects in other parts of North Carolina, they do a real good job of steering lottery school money to other counties as well. This is not only unfair, but unethical and plain wrong.
I oppose the lottery, but I oppose even more the fact that Iredell County does not get its fair share of the funding that the lottery provides. I will support efforts to re-write the lottery distribution formula. It only makes sense to base funding on a per-pupil basis, not based in part on a county’s tax rate. Also, I worry that one day the politicians in Raleigh will try to do with the lottery money what they have done with the road money – divert it to the General Fund. I would oppose any such attempt. Until we can get rid of the lottery, we deserve a Representative who will fight for Iredell’s fair share of the lottery funds.
What specifically would you do if elected in response to the county’s growth?
I would give Iredell what has been missing – a strong, effective voice in our state government. That is the one thing that a State House member could do to help Iredell meet its growth and needs.
In our State Capitol, Iredell is the weakest county in the entire state. I believe that the way Iredell is carved up into 3 Senate Districts and 4 House Districts is actually illegal, and therefore, I support any effort to remedy the situation be it through the courts or through legislation. In the past, Iredell had two resident members of the NC House and one resident member of the NC Senate. Today we have only one resident member in the entire General Assembly and we deserve more.
Unfortunately my opponent actually supported Jim Black’s House Redistricting Scheme that weakens us today. I will do the opposite – I will push for a redistricting plan to strengthen us by increasing the number of Iredell citizens who can serve. After the 2010 census we will have one shot at changing this terrible situation. Iredell needs a representative who is not on record as supporting a scheme like Jim Black’s plan.
We cannot expect things to change unless we elect people to the General Assembly who will put Iredell County first. We cannot expect any assistance from Raleigh in meeting our growing demands and needs, unless we have a representative dedicated to changing the fact that we are the weakest county in the entire state. From unfair school and road funding to unfair economic development and incentives, Iredell County has been ignored long enough!
Posted on 02/11/08 at 08:58 AM
candidates •State Politics •
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