By Hugh Fisher
For the Salisbury Post
CONCORD ó Wendell Fant has entered the race for one of two seats up for election on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners.
Fant is the first Democratic candidate to file. A resident of Concord since March 2007, Fant said he wants to provide a more tangible presence as commissioner.
“I really want people to have the representation of their commissioner, one that they can touch and depend on,” Fant said.
He said he made the decision to run because he likes Concord and wants to see the needs of residents better served.
On the current board, Fant said, “I just see more and more interest toward businesses and not toward the individual. Business gets the last word.”
A native of Anderson, S.C., Fant holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Charleston Southern University and a master’s in business administration from Webster University in Columbia, S.C.
Fant works as an independent consultant for TIAA-CREF, based in Charlotte.
He said he chose Concord as his home on the advice of friends who live here.
“It’s a great all-around place to be,” Fant said.
If elected, Fant said his first priority would be to take a closer look at tax rates in light of the recent countywide property revaluation.
“From talking to individuals, it has gone up a tremendous amount,” he said of property taxes.
“I think we’re going to put ourselves in a position where we have to think about our senior citizens,” he said. “Are they going to be able to afford that?”
Growth is another key concern, Fant said, and he would emphasize finding a balance between new homes and businesses and the needs of the community.
“I think that growth is going to be a challenge if we’re not careful,” he said. “We don’t want to be too much like Charlotte.”
Employment is another concern for Fant, who said that attracting “community-focused companies” to Concord is vital.
“I think we need to work on making Concord a place where people want to live and make it attractive or businesses to move here,” he said. “Not just those businesses that are not only willing to get a tax incentive, but ones who are willing to work for the community.”
Contact Hugh Fisher at 704-797-4245 or hfisher@salisburypost.com.