Incumbent Ted Biggers faces challenger Larry Bumgarner.
Ted Biggers

Web site:

http://www.minthillmayor.com/

1: In your opinion, what makes you unique from the other candidates running for the same office?

Experienced leadership. My experience on the Board of Commissioners as well as serving as Mayor for 10 years is invaluable. I have held positions of leadership in the community (Boy Scouts, church, schools, etc.) and have been active in community organizations for years. I have formed very good working relationships with other local and state officials. I believe that I have developed a trust with the citizens of Mint Hill.

2: Why did you choose to run for office?

To continue to serve our community and the citizens of Mint Hill. I believe we need to keep Mint Hill on a course of controlled growth and quality development.

3: What is the highest or most important issue you have on your agenda while running for office?

Fiscal responsibility. Now, more than ever, the board needs to control costs. Revenues are down due to the recession and we need to continue conservative budgeting in order to maintain our low tax rate.

Larry Bumgarner

Web site:

minthill.org

1:  In your opinion, what makes you unique from the other candidates running for the same office?

Our current office holder has been a decorated pilot and his commitment to this town has been outstanding.  But as a pilot, his work scope and schedule are already decided by others, and his job is to remain vigilant in keeping the schedule which has been handed down to him.
In my commercial lending years, I financed equipment including aircraft.  Dealing with these companies, I would find among them former pilots and almost all of them yearned to be back in the safety of the cockpit.  The years of leading a company and directing the cash needs were much different than what they did when they were pilots, and often they were reluctant to make forward thinking decisions.
It is much the same with our town.  We have allowed several excellent opportunities to slip by us, perhaps because our elected officials were being reactive instead of the business approach of being proactive.  I am an investor at present.  Before that, I was a business owner.  And before that I was a commercial banker.  But most important to you is that I am going to be the kind of mayor where we have a good idea of what we want for our town by creating a master plan for the future and creating benchmarks to make sure we are on schedule for that future.

2:  Why did you choose to run for office?

Ego is always the first thing you think of when anybody is running for office.  In fact studies show that most people running are only looking for approval from as many people as possible.  But if you have ever heard of me, you will know that I don’t always go with what is popular, so ego is not my reason for running.  I just want my tax money handled as well as I would handle it myself if I were using it as an investment and that creates really two reasons I am running.
So my first reason is that, I will not offer Mint Hill up as a verifiable yes vote to the city and county or the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System when they do things that we all know are wrong.  And the second reason to run is to give Mint Hill a stronger voice in our area and state when it comes to quality of life and what affects our property values.

3:  What is the highest or most important issue you have on your agenda while running for office?

The future of Mint Hill and making sure we are the Mint Hill we all want in 10, 20 or 30 years from now.

4:  What would you do differently in the office you are running for than those already serving in the office?

On our major projects I would have established a full time town liaison to make sure all those projects were given every green light we could do and to make sure all elected officials in the state had Mint Hill as a priority in getting these projects done.
I suggest we buy some of the land at the moribund Mint Hill Bridges and build our new town hall there.  We then entice the federal government to build a new post office and give us our own zip code.  We would then turn the old area of Mint Hill into a quaint historic shops and restaurants area.
But no leader is good without a great team.  I think we need the expertise of the new people running:  an attorney, an IT professional and a Deputy Chief of the Matthews Fire & EMS Department are currently offering their time and talents to Mint Hill.  Can you imagine the expertise of these people all working in conjunction for the best of Mint Hill?
Our current elected slate of a barber, an employee of a funeral home, an administrator and a former teacher along with our mayor pilot have done well but like anything perhaps times have changed and we need to have people in office who know the new laws and the new computers/programs which will help us save money for our town along with someone we can depend on to act as a go between if we have a major emergency.  I am hoping that each one of these fine Mint Hill citizens enjoy the next two years in office on the Town Council along with me as mayor and I ask that you consider also casting your vote for them.