Leon Threatt's Campaign Focus
Who am I?
I have been married to my wife, Carol, for over 43 years. We have three adult children and eight grandchildren. I served our nation as a U.S. Marine for 10 years, served this region as a Police Officer for over eight years, now serving Matthews as a Commissioner for the last 18 months, and also currently serving my church as a Pastor for over 37 years. I am prepared to continue serving the good people of Matthews as the next Mayor.
My desire and hope are to continue to serve and lead Matthews forward as the next Mayor. I hope you will entrust me with the opportunity to continue to serve come November 4th.
Why do I want to serve as the next Mayor?
Because Matthews is a great place to live, work, shop, and play. It’s worth preserving, protecting, and investing in its future. I believe I can help by bringing leadership experience, my compassion for all, and a common sense approach to solving problems.
What do I hope and propose to bring to the office of Mayor?
Principled Leadership! Leadership really does matter! The challenges and changes facing Matthews and our region demand effective and tested leadership! Principled leaders lead from the strength of a sound moral character. Character is who we truly are even when no one is watching. No organization can consistently operate beyond its leadership. I have served as a leader as a U.S. Marine, Law Enforcement Officer, Pastor, Police Chaplain, and an elected Commissioner.
Governmental Efficiency! Historically, governments have been accused of not being the most efficient organization with the people’s resources. This must change! It will be one of my first priorities as Mayor to encourage the Board of Commissioners to create a community taskforce to examine and evaluate every town department and make recommendations to the Board on how we can be more efficient in serving the people of Matthews. I believe we all have the room and capacity to learn and grow, and government is no exception. We must ask and answer the hard question: how can we be more effective and have greater efficiency in local government? I would also like to find ways to encourage, reward, and compensate hard-working Matthews employee who help find real solutions and identify ways for greater efficiency.
Unfettered Transparency! Pursuing full unhindered access to public information is vital to a healthy democracy. I intend to create a committee or task force of volunteers to help examine innovative ways to make public information more accessible without violating personal confidentiality. I believe we can improve on making budget and expense information more accessible to the citizens of Matthews. Currently, as an elected Commissioner, I must ask the town’s Finance Director for information I believe can and should be readily available to the citizens and to the elected Board of Commissioners. It’s important for me to search for innovative and creative ways to do the work of governing better.
Responsible, Planned and Managed Growth! A measured and managed growth plan that protects our small-town treasures yet wisely maneuvers into a prosperous future. Matthews is 17 square miles with fewer spaces to build upon each year. Therefore, we must build smartly and wisely. I hear more and more of Matthews’ residents express their concerns about overgrowth and high-density development. Some growth is inevitable; however, we must determine what that growth will look like here in Matthews. We must not let the growth of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County fully determine what is constructed in the Township of Matthews. I would like to revisit the Land Use Plan and the Envision Matthews plan to ensure they are current to the desired direction for our communities.
Continued Excellent Public Safety! Supporting police and emergency services with resources and training to help keep Matthews safe must remain a priority for all of us. It will continue to be important for Matthews to identify ways to employ the best, brightest, and most courageous men and woman to serve in uniform. Retaining the very best for our town will demand that our salaries are competitive, our morale is high, and our training and equipment is second to none. I support the expansion of the CPCC Public Safety Training Center. Public safety is a major priority for all the right reasons.
Economic Vitality! Encouraging local entrepreneurship and attracting quality businesses that invest in Matthews’ long-term future is wise. I commend those who have worked to bring the proposed Hendrix Manufacturing project to Matthews and the expansion of the Central Piedmont Community College campus in Matthews. It will be an important part of my mayoral focus to help identify, encourage, and attract new business to our community. It will be a very good thing to bring well-paying jobs to Matthews and not just into Charlotte. A growing healthy business economy will help Matthews keep our taxes lower and address the growing needs our community will face.
Community and Regional Collaboration! Bridging divides and building strong and effective partnerships with leaders, residents, businesses, and adjacent cities and towns in our region is vital. It remains a priority not to allow Matthews to become isolated in the region. Matthews is about 3.5 percent of the 1.2 million residents in Mecklenburg County; therefore, it’s important to build healthy collaborative relationships with all our neighbors. It’s to our advantage to work closely with Charlotte, Mint Hill, Pineville, and Union County to address the growing safety and traffic concerns facing the eastern part of Mecklenburg County. We must identify ways to leverage our influence and relationships with NC DOT and our legislative representatives.
Preserving Carolina Values! Values of faith, family, respect, and civility are priceless. We must have servant leaders and citizens who value their neighbors beyond themselves. Matthews is a growing diverse community and must encourage the values of community. My wife and I have been blessed to have lived in Matthews for over thirty-seven years and have enjoyed a vibrant church community, a respectful business sector, and have had some of the very best of neighbors. These are some of the values that have made our town such a desirable place to live, shop, and worship.