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Our choice for mayor
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Published: September 30, 2009
Incumbent Costi Kutteh is the best candidate for Statesville mayor on the Oct. 6 ballot.
By leaps and bounds.
Mr. Kutteh has dedicated the past 20 years to serving our community on the city council and in the mayor's office.
We have not always agreed with the mayor on important issues and, like challenger Chris Bumgarner, we wish that our city leaders had been more proactive and progressive on certain issues during the past 20 or 30 years. But this race is more about the present and the future than it is about the past.
It's hard to imagine someone who is more dedicated to our city's long-term prosperity than Mr. Kutteh. During his first term in office, he has worked tirelessly to promote the city regardless of whether he was working behind the podium or behind the scenes.
His steady hand has been involved in the improvements at the Statesville Regional Airport, the new rec center and water park, and even the Boys & Girls Club of the Piedmont.
Conversely, his challenger, Mr. Bumgarner, has failed to demonstrate a basic understanding of how city government works, particularly when it comes to economic development, job recruitment and tax incentives. He seems to believe that by simply "knocking on doors," he will find success in these areas. That's a naive view and out of touch with the realities of the job.
While we applaud Mr. Bumgarner for his interest in serving our city, the mayor's office is not an entry-level position. There's no time for on-the-job training.
As our nation begins to emerge from a difficult economic recession, it's vital to our city's future that we have a mayor with the vision, knowledge and experience necessary to lead. In all of those areas, Mr. Kutteh is far superior to his challenger on the Oct. 6 ballot.
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