Get to know County Commission Republican Candidate James Bailey

James Bailey discusses his background, priorities and views on county government as he seeks a seat on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners.

James Bailey. Photo courtesy of James Bailey.

This is the first in a series of local candidate Q&As, featuring candidates running for a range of offices who responded to questions from The Cabarrus Compass. All of the candidates featured in this series will appear on the ballot in the upcoming primary.

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James Bailey is one of eight Republicans running in the primary for three seats on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners. Here are his answers to questions from The Cabarrus Compass.

1. Please tell us about your background and your connection to Cabarrus County. How long have you lived in the county, and what ties do you have to the community?

I was born in West Virginia but moved to Kannapolis at a very young age (1983). I attended Winecoff Elementary, NW Cabarrus Middle and High School. I started working at the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office on March 27, 1995 and retired May 1, 2023.

I have lived and worked in Cabarrus County most of my life, certainly most of the life I can remember. After a year off, I began working for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College as the Assistant Director of Campus Health, Safety, and Security.

2. What motivated you to become involved in public service and to run for the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners at this time?

I have found the dysfunction on our Board of Commissioners disheartening, and I have become disillusioned with the course they are taking. In my opinion, one side is trying to do what they believe is right for our citizens and the other side has become too caught up in hyper politics.

3. What qualifications, skills, or experiences do you believe best prepare you to serve as a county commissioner?

I have a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from East Carolina University. I also retired from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office as the Chief Deputy.

As the Chief Deputy, I ran the day-to-day operations of the Office, to include the budget. I oversaw staff, worked with the County Commissioners, County Management, and with State and Federal Legislators in providing the highest quality of services for our citizens. I feel this gives me ample qualifications to have a seat on the Board of Commissioners.

4. What role do you believe county government should play — and should not play — in economic development, land use, and public-private partnerships?

I am a proponent of Economic Development as a whole. Certainly, not every business should receive an incentive package, but they are useful in attracting businesses to our County.

I have heard the argument that our County is attractive enough to businesses that they will relocate regardless of any incentives. While we as Cabarrus County citizens should agree with that sentiment, we must operate in the world that exists around us. When other municipalities offer varying economic incentive packages to attract businesses, and those businesses are driven by their bottom-lines, we must be competitive in that realm.

Public-private partnerships should be sought to offset public funds being used for a project. It generally helps a business promote themselves, and it saves taxpayer dollars. One example is selling naming rights to a high school football stadium or event field(s).

5. In your view, what are the most significant issues currently impacting Cabarrus County residents, and why?

There are several.... One, the list of school deferred maintenance and capital projects is growing ever larger. This is due to increased population growth and the failure of previous Boards to address maintenance projects. The longer these are delayed, the more expensive they will become.

We live in a great County that provides amenities second to none in our area. It is a great place to live, and others have taken notice of it. This is driving the increase in home values which has driven up tax valuations. The attractiveness of our County is not likely to wane in the coming decades.

Second, sewer and water capacity need to be improved in order to satisfy the growing business and residential demands. Last, but not least, we have to overcome the public perception of home values. It has caused a significant uproar among some of our citizens that their tax bills increased due to the last revaluation. For most people, their homes are their largest asset. When property values increase, their net worth increases.

Yes, taxes are paid using that value, but when you look at real estate listings for homes in Cabarrus County, the vast majority of those homes are sold at or above their assessed value. This shows me that people who choose to sale their homes are generating wealth from their homes and that their assessed values are accurate. What other mechanism does the County have to generate funding for County services (Public Safety, Parks, Libraries, etc.)?

6. According to the U.S. Census, Cabarrus County’s population has grown from approximately 178,000 in 2010 to about 250,000 today. How would you approach managing continued growth while preserving quality of life for residents?

The County has little to no ability to slow down growth. Most large-scale, high-density developments are controlled by the municipalities. This is due primarily to the lack of water/sewer in the unincorporated areas of the county.

I am a dedicated proponent of preserving our farmland and rural areas. I will do all I can to preserve it, but there are limitations to what a Commissioner can realistically do. There must be conversations with our elected bodies in the municipalities to address growth concerns so that everyone impacted by the growth is fully aware of the effects from it.

7. What do you see as the county’s most urgent infrastructure or capital needs over the next several years, and how should these needs be addressed?

Water and Sewer Capacity....while we still have some capacity, it is quickly diminishing. We must expand our sewer capacity to facilitate growth.

However, I am opposed to extension of water and sewer into the unincorporated areas of the County because this is the only true hurdle for expansion of the municipalities into the County which brings with it the prospects of more high-density housing. Most people living outside of municipal limits do so for a reason, and most are happy utilizing private wells and septic systems.

8. If elected, which area or function of county government would you prioritize for increased attention, and what specifically would you hope to improve?

The prioritization has to be our schools. This is the major investment that the County makes into our community that is nearly guaranteed to pay for itself. It is an investment into our future. This sector of county responsibility is the greatest need moving forward.

While this has to be a major priority, it requires the school system to also look at efficiency and effectiveness in all of their operations. Are we operating as efficiently and effectively as possible? It takes both County government and the school system working together to effectively use tax dollars.

9. What is one decision or action taken by the current Board of Commissioners that you believe was handled well, and one area where the board should improve?

I did appreciate the loosening of restrictions on public comments. From my experience in law enforcement, I have grown accustomed to rude, off-color, and outright ridiculous comments being made by others towards me. Maybe this has skewed my perspective, but in the end, as long as decorum and the functionality of the Board to conduct business is not jeopardized, it was a good thing.

However, I was appalled by the conduct of the Board in how they dismissed both the County Manager and the County Attorney. I know both men personally and they did not deserve the way and manner in which they were dismissed. Both of these men deserved better and it was a shame how they were treated. Both men deserved to leave with dignity and that was not afforded to them. It was a disgrace and I was ashamed of our Board.

10. Do you support maintaining current tax rates, lowering them, or making changes to the county’s tax structure? Please explain your position.

Of course, as a taxpayer myself and not being a wealthy person, I want to keep property taxes as low as possible. I pay those same taxes on my property!

With that, we have a decision to make. Forego our schools, our public safety, our parks and active living centers, libraries, and our social services for the sake of saving someone money on their tax bills or by using good accounting and economic principles to keep expenditures as low as possible, we maintain the great services we currently provide?

For me, I want to keep our fantastic services operating strong, running efficiently, and by supporting our employees who perform those services. I am willing to pay for that and if I expect that of myself, I expect it from everyone who can reasonably do so.

11. County budgeting involves difficult trade-offs, and projections show a roughly $13.7 million deficit in FY 2027. If elected, how would you approach setting spending priorities, evaluating potential reductions or revenue options, and closing the projected deficit while maintaining essential county services?

The County has typically budgeted revenues conservatively. Without having the latest data to use, my estimate is that our revenues will come in somewhat higher than what was budgeted, so I estimate it will not be quite as bad as first thought. It is a deficit, nonetheless.

I propose off-setting the deficit utilizing available funds the Commissioners can authorize. What many do not discuss is that the County has approximately $55 million dollars in reserve funds, Additionally, they have in excess of $100 million dollars tied up in investments that they can utilize without penalty.

While those funds are used to offset some of those deficits, we should be looking at ways to save money and cut expenditures without affecting our services. I am not advocating for using all of those available funds, just some to lessen the impact on the budget.

12. If elected, what would be your top priorities during your first year in office, and how would they align with your approach to budgeting and financial management?

As a former department head, my first priority would be to reinstitute trust in our government leadership, both from our citizens and County employees. Citizens need to have trust in their county leadership and staff, and the employees need to know that they are valued by those they serve. Accomplishing both will enable citizens to feel more comfortable with their tax bills and knowing you are trusted and valued will make an employee work more efficiently and improve morale.

Next, the budget could be better presented to taxpayers by making available to our citizens what initial budget requests come in and what the end product looks like. From my experience, County entities that handle budgets make many cuts before presenting their initial budgets to County management.

Our taxpayers need to know that it is not a wish-list but that our budgets represent true needs. The wants that are in a budget are almost always discussed and clearly noted, and more often than not, removed from the final budget.