Rachel Tourdot, candidate for town council in Garner, NC
READ MORE
Candidates for Garner, NC, Town Council
Who are the candidates running for the Garner Town Council? Get to know your candidates with our Voter Guide.
Expand All
Three candidates are competing for two seats on the Garner Town Council.
Incumbents Kathy Behringer and Gra Singleton are both looking to keep their seats. Newcomer Rachel Tourdot rounds out the field.
Early voting in the Nov. 2 election begins Oct. 14 and runs through Oct. 30.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit wakevotesearly.com or contact the Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 or voter@wakegov.com
Name: Rachel Tourdot
Age: 44
Residence: 210 Jones St.
Occupation: Current SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) and Chaos Coordinator
Education: B.A. in Political Science/Economics from East Carolina University
Political or civic experience:Current vice president of the Downtown Garner Association; board member of the Garner Small Business Resiliency Fund; Governor’s Hurricane Redevelopment Team; Governor’s Intern, N.C. Community Colleges Public Relations; Boys Scouts of America intern; training at the United Nations through the UNA-USA to develop model United Nation education; developed and created the Model UN Program for East Carolina University; Lectured and educated throughout Eastern NC on international government affairs and diplomacy
Campaign website: www.racheltourdot.com
In August, Garner Mayor Ken Marshburn ordered a mask mandate unlike some other Wake County towns. Do you agree with this decision?
Yes, I am very much against government overreach into private businesses. I believe business owners can make decisions that best suite their clientele and patrons can choose where to spend their dollars. With that being said, there was a unanimous bipartisan agreement from Town Council along with the mayor for the mask mandate. I believe they were responding under our current situation to what they deemed the safest choice for citizens here in Garner. This pandemic is a public health issue not a partisan issue. My heart breaks for those severely affected by Covid19 and there are citizens who are genuinely fearful. As a woman of faith, regardless of different opinions of mask efficacy, if me wearing a mask helps alleviate someone else’s anxiety you will find me wearing one.
Do you plan to vote in favor of Garner’s $69 million bond package for parks, streets and sidewalks, public safety and stormwater?
Yes, the current Garner bond referendum on the ballot in November is a step in the right direction and will address a number of issues and allow the town to move forward in getting things done. We have many issues with traffic and infrastructure as growth is quickly accelerating here in town.
A portion of the bond will allow Garner to widen Jones Sausage Road to four lanes continuing from Amazon to Garner Road. This is a responsibility of NCDOT, but we as a town don’t have the luxury of waiting for the NCDOT time schedule.
To note this is by far not the only traffic juggernaut in town that needs addressing. Both the Yeargan and Meadowbrook properties will prove to be amazing additions to our town park systems and afford new opportunities for recreation and community not already available in our town. Living in the Historic District in Garner I am acutely aware of the stormwater issues that are present and look forward to their resolution.
What is Garner doing right, and wrong, on managing growth?
I wouldn’t be running for office if I felt we were managing growth correctly. We need to put a priority on environmental stewardship, sustainable development and help promote peace and familiarity within our town.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
I am passionate about more citizen involvement to keep the town of Garner a community and getting ahead of development and making our growth more data driven.
What unique skills or life perspective would you bring to city governance?
I grew up in Garner and am proud to be raising my family here. I am uniquely positioned to add both the voice of a woman and active mother to the Garner Town Council. Having children from ages 4 to 25 I have a current pulse on concerns that affect a great number of town constituents.
I love people and community and want to promote citizens voices to be accounted for in town decisions. Working extensively in eastern NC in redevelopment after a major hurricane I helped to coordinate all branches of government as well as nonprofits and businesses alike. Infrastructure was a major concern and addressing hard-to- resolve problems and development was a daily task spanning dozens of counties. Multitasking is a professional art form for me, and I pride myself on wanting to inform/educate others to promote involvement. We are better together here in Garner. It’s our home!
This story was originally published October 15, 2021 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Rachel Tourdot, candidate for town council in Garner, NC."