9 questions for Republican primary candidate for mayor, Scott Stone

Scott Stone doesn’t have a lot of experience in politics. In 2012, he ran for mayor against Anthony Foxx, losing by a 2-1 margin. It was a trouncing by any measure, but partly explained by the wave of Democrat voters who turned out for a presidential election and Charlotte’s role as host city of the Democratic National Convention.

Filing Day yesterday. Officially on the ballot for #charlotte mayor. #clt #gop #tcot

A photo posted by Scott Stone (@scottstone1775) on

For many, his lack of experience in politics is a good thing. In the tradition of other Republican mayors in Charlotte, Stone is all about business, development, lower taxes and more efficient government in a time when voters don’t have a lot of trust in their elected leaders. It’s a nice combo for any Republican running for office.

I asked him a few questions to help better understand his positions, political philosophy and favorite restaurant in Charlotte

Note: Edwin Peacock, Stone’s opponent in the Republican primary, was sent the same questions.

Why are you suited to meet the challenges of being Charlotte’s mayor?

I am the only candidate for mayor who is not a politician and has true private sector business experience. As a business owner and someone who has managed multi-million dollar budgets, I will bring fiscal responsibility back to our city government. No other candidate for mayor has this type of private sector or executive experience.

As a civil engineer, I am also an expert in infrastructure / transportation issues. My technical professional experience is something the city needs in the mayor’s office.

Here is a Throwback Thursday pic. A couple of these folks have grown a lot in 4 years. #tbt A photo posted by Scott Stone (@scottstone1775) on

What do you see as the top issue facing Charlotte?

Out of control spending is the top issue facing the city. For the past several years under Democrats, spending has increased dramatically. We need to return to fiscally responsibility. City Council continues to spend recklessly, and it is going to take someone from outside of Council to get spending under control.

You will most likely need some Democrat and Independent votes to win a general election. How can you assure primary voters your message will resonate with them?

My message is not partisan. I have a vision for Charlotte which will resonate across party lines. My message of reducing wasteful spending, responsible taxes, and ending the highly divisive and partisan bickering that is seen in all of our democratically-led local governments is what is mainstream for Charlotte.

Do you support building light rail in Charlotte? Why or why not?

I believe the voters have spoken on the light rail and now the system needs to be built out responsibly, effectively, and efficiently. The streetcar is not the light rail. The streetcar is slow, inefficient, expensive, and unsafe. Furthermore, the current streetcar funding is not coming from the 1/2 cent sales tax, much of it comes from our General Fund.

The streetcar diverts money from police and fire, and is the reason for the last tax increase. Now that we are 10 years into system buildout, we need to revisit the CATS 2030 Plan and address elements such as line priorities (blue line, red line, etc), alignment of future lines (there are no connection points – no “transfer stations” like most cities have), and the eventual east-west connection should be light rail not a streetcar.

Who do you most admire in politics and why?

Thomas Jefferson, he was a visionary and the original Republican. He had a strong belief in smaller government and that political power should be with the people not a ruling class. When he became president he cut federal spending from $11 million to $9 million.

What does Charlotte need more of?

Charlotte has become more polarized than ever before. We need to get back to the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. We need to come together as one community, and get back to the spirit of what was the Charlotte Way. We need more bipartisanship, we need more local government leaders we can trust.

Thanks to Sen Thom Tillis who headline a great event this week for the North Carolina Heroes Fund

A photo posted by Scott Stone (@scottstone1775) on

What does Charlotte need less of?

We could use fewer politicians and more business leaders in public office. We need less wasteful spending, like the streetcar. We need less – really no more – tax increases. We need less political bickering and heavy-handed political retribution, as we have seen by democrats on City Council and County Commission, when some democrats collaborate with Republicans.

Favorite city other than Charlotte? Why?

San Antonio, it’s a beautiful city with the River Walk going through the downtown. It’s seeing rapid growth like Charlotte, and yet the local government is very client service oriented. We need that type of attitude in Charlotte. I worked on a project in San Antonio recently and was amazed how easy the process was and how far staff would go out of their way to help their customers who were trying invest and to create jobs in their community.

Favorite Charlotte restaurant?

Dish, great local flavor of Charlotte. One of the best spots for comfort food!