Non-partisan elections for municipal office will be on the ballot this fall. One thing is certain—the top position in the county’s two largest municipalities will change hands. Both Statesville Mayor John Marshall and Mooresville Mayor Al Jones chose not to run for re-election.

On October 11, Statesville will hold elections for Mayor and five Council seats. Mooresville will hold a “primary” election, which will narrow the field of mayoral candidates from three to two.

On November 8, Mooresville will hold the “general” election for Mayor and 3 town Commissioner seats. Troutman, Harmony, and Love Valley will also conduct municipal elections. Voters in the Mooresville Graded School District will elect two Board of Education members.

Many Statesville citizens are not happy that their tax dollars have been spent for such projects as the $900,000 facelift of the city office building and a $200,000 Sullivan Road sidewalk. Scores of business owners are upset that the city doubled its privilege license tax.

It appears that fiscal conservatives have little to choose from in the Statesville elections. The Record & Landmark asked the candidates for Mayor and Council several questions, one of which was, “Does the current council use taxpayer money wisely?…”

One Council candidate said the city’s greenway project was “a waste of taxpayer’s money”. An incumbent Council member said the industrial park had not been cost effective, but defended the sidewalk projects and other spending programs. Otherwise, the candidates did not offer any specific criticism of the current Council’s use of tax dollars.