Ken George, candidate for Cary Town Council, at-large
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Candidates for the Cary Town Council, at-large
Three candidates are seeking one of Cary Town Council’s two at-large seats. Get to know the candidates with our 2022 Voter Guide.
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Three Cary residents are looking to be elected to one of the Cary Town Council’s two at-large seats.
Incumbent Ed Yerha is looking to defend his seat against challengers Ken George and Carissa Johnson.
Normally the Cary municipal elections are held in November of odd-numbered years. But last year’s elections were postponed due to a delay in the U.S. Census releasing redistricting data.
Early voting in the May 17 election begins April 28 and runs until May 14.
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: Ken George
Age: 64
Occupation and employer: Professional IT services / NetSmart, Inc.
Education: BA from NCSU
Political or civic experience: Past: President Cary High PTA, President Cary Central Rotary Club, President Cary Sister Cities Association, West Raleigh Little League Baseball Commissioner, Former Cary Town Council Member - District D
Campaign website: www.Cary.com
What is Cary doing right, and wrong, on managing growth?
Here’s what I believe we are doing right:
1. Welcoming high-quality projects like The Fenton, a game-changer in the area. To attract four tenants from Crabtree Valley to relocate to The Fenton speaks volumes of the quality of the project.
2. Expanding parks and greenways with each project so as to improve our infrastructure for a healthier community.
3. Working with developers to improve the projects in the early planning stages to achieve buy-in from nearby residents.
4. Planning highways and connectors to provide multiple options for navigating trips.
What we’re doing wrong:
1. Not expanding bus services to make sure that they are reliable transportation to and from work.
2. Not growing routes for buses in western Cary where many seniors live.
3. Allowing older neighborhood roads and sidewalks to deteriorate, not maintaining to at least a “Grade B,” above average.
4. Not focusing on the need to make way for affordable housing choices.
5. Not supporting ADUs actively.
What do you think Cary should do, if anything, to address racial injustice issues, and what kind of changes would you propose?
Cary has been holding barbershop rap sessions monthly @ Headliners. They’ve been connecting with the minority community to understand issues where we are deficient. This has been successful in many ways. Hearing the truth about perceptions about law enforcement, which can hurt at first, but can lead to change and healing. We need to and will do more. I was appointed by the council back in 2017 to represent the council on the committee to plan the MLK Jr. celebration.
I shared with those assembled for the celebration how when I began school at Cary Elementary, we were segregated. In 5th grade, that all changed. My mom was a 6th grade math teacher that same year. I would go by her class after school to ride home with her. She had me help Clifford, a Black boy who had been attending the Black elementary school across the tracks from Cary Elementary. He had trouble with addition and multiplication. I’ll never forget. That’s when I learned firsthand that “separate is NOT equal.”
How should Cary increase the availability of affordable housing within the town?
Cary should market its grant program for low-income homeowners that repairs their homes so that they can stay in them. It allows those who could never afford to buy their own house again, stay in that home, but stay in a safe, healthy environment. This keeps their primary house “affordable.”
I’m seeking an expansion to that program. I propose that it include providing grant money to cover the fees for building a “granny flat,” (accessory dwelling unit: ADU) or other modifications so that a second living unit can be built and rented out to help the homeowner pay their rising taxes. The interest-free grant would only be repaid when the house is sold to someone outside of their own family. For those that can afford to build ADUs on their own property, I want to see the town waive all the fees associated with permitting and inspections, to encourage more of these affordable options. This could dramatically increase our affordable options near downtown where there are more bus stops.
Would you support a property tax increase for an affordable housing fund? Explain your answer.
No. There’s money available to fully fund my plan of grants as described above. I believe that a large fund would be self-sustaining. As owners who received a grant sell their homes, the money would replenish the fund. Currently, no tax increase is necessary to implement and get hundreds of ADUs built. These units would be a win-win-win for the homeowner, town and the renter. The homeowner could pay their taxes, stay in their home, yet another individual or family could be living in a mature neighborhood. We’ve been promised NO tax increase for an $18 million overrun in the downtown park project. That money came from surplus. Why would we raise taxes when we already have surpluses? Why not earmark more of the surplus for affordable housing? Let’s not limit ourselves to a penny here and there, when we have the money already. The bonus is we’d keep more trees by putting ADUs in neighborhoods, instead of clear-cutting trees to build apartment buildings.
What new steps should Cary take to recruit businesses to the area?
What we shouldn’t do is change from a town to a city. Let’s market our name. With Epic Games here, SAS, Cisco, Netapp, Siemens and so many others... They all came to the town of Cary. With The Fenton opening soon, innovative businesses all over the country will know about Cary. Having the SAS Championships here, the Division 1A College World Series and all the soccer championships, and soon, the eGames and sports arena coming to South Hills, we have a story to tell. We don’t need to market to the masses, but target and go after businesses like we targeted USA Baseball. Make our pitches for what Cary has to offer. We should go on the road, meeting with the best of the best, to bring them to Cary, enhancing our tax base and keeping residential tax rates low.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
Coming out of the pandemic, it’s very important to support our businesses hurt so badly during these last two years. We need to enhance our small business outreach, hand-in-hand with the Chamber of Commerce. Our children often can’t afford to live in Cary. Rents are outrageous. We can provide more rental units around Cary with ADUs. Stormwater is a challenge that I want to take head-on, one home at a time. Single family homes contribute to the problem of runoff. I want to preserve Cary as a great place for some of my 18 grandchildren to call home. We need to get serious about replacing the trees lost to apartments and clear-cut neighborhoods. We need to educate our citizens about what they can do. We should encourage businesses to begin recycling. I have to collect my cans and bottles at work from employees and bring them home to my recycling bin. That shouldn’t be happening in community as educated as Cary. We know better.
What unique skills or life experience would you bring to town governance?
I grew up around here, attended Cary Elementary, marched in the Cary High School Band, and graduated from Cary High. I’m a husband of 43 years, father of six, all of whom graduated from Cary High. A family of imps! I’m granddad to 18 grandchildren; 18 reasons to improve our community for the future. But I want to use my skills and knowledge of building a business from scratch, to being an employer and signing the front of paychecks for 26 years. Applying business principles of getting things done, not giving excuses about why government has to move slowly. We need to be more customer-friendly in Cary, leverage our great staff, training them all in the soft skills that make people happy to call and get help from the town offices. I’ve also learned how to set priorities, make tough decisions that are best for all involved. I’m a mover and a shaker, not a watcher. As Mayor Weinbrecht said of me, “Ken bleeds Cary green.” That’s what Cary needs, and I need your vote on May 17!
This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM.
