Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney

Let’s hit this topic head on: The crux of the no-growth argument contends that by stopping growth, current residents can keep things stable and unchanged. Although avoiding change is impossible and unhealthy, they ignore this decision’s devastating results proven out repeatedly across the country such as skyrocketing taxes, shrinking access to housing, the inability to attract the best talent to fill needed service positions, business failure, even a disconnect from funding at the state and federal level. Towns age out, infrastructure deteriorates, young people stay away, and regret sets in.

In this vein we were pleased to invite Chris Carney, Mayor of Mooresville, to our sound booth this month. He is both a leader, guide, and an equalizer. Contending with these passionate sentiments daily, he is slowly and surely helping his Town Commissioners and residents cooperate at the ground level promoting solid financial strategies. With deft charm, logic, and irrefutable facts he explains how crippling the no-growth outcome is to any area. How? Listen to this enjoyable episode and find out.

By way of background, our guest, Carney never set out to be in politics. However, he proclaims during his interview that he is the product of parents whose political beliefs were on opposite ends of the spectrum, exposing him to a myriad of issues with a sense of scale and humanity. Elected to the office of Mayor in November 2023, he previously served on the town board as Ward 4 Commissioner. He was elected to that position in 2005 then reelected in 2009 and selected as mayor pro-tem. Carney was a North Carolina Senator from 2011-2013, serving on several key committees including education, healthcare, and finance. He was also vice chairman of the transportation committee. Carney, who has been a supporting voice of REBIC during many previous events, is himself a business owner of Strategic Capital Solutions. He and his wife, Francie, have three children – Rachel, Maddie, and Will.