The Issues

I want to reiterate the issues that I believe have the biggest impact on our community and need to be addressed, as follows:

1.   Rising Costs of Living

Cabarrus County is a great place to live and is experiencing rapid growth, but the costs of living continue to rise. Inflation affects everyone, however, the key is "As Cabarrus continues to grow, how can we keep those rising costs to a minimum?"  

2.  Taxes

Cabarrus is the 6th most expensive county in North Carolina. This is mostly due to annual tax hikes that are caused not only by inflation but also by giving companies, such as Eli Lilly, massive tax breaks to encourage them to operate in Cabarrus, which increases the tax burden on everyday citizens. Cabarrus County is an ideal location for businesses due to its proximity to Charlotte, and tax cuts for businesses should not have to be so large to encourage companies to operate in this city.  Tax hikes must be done responsibly and for the right reasons. 

3.  Government Accountability & Fiscal Responsibility

It's simple, we pay taxes to our local government and, as such, deserve to know that our tax dollars are being spent responsibly and to improve our city, not build a new government building that will sit half-empty for years. This includes getting more than one appraisal for a property that the county is considering purchasing, never paying over the appraised value for new county property, and listening to multiple project bids to ensure we choose the one that is the most economical & beneficial for the county. 

4.  Transparency

Easy, it's government for the people and by the people! We elect people to these various positions, such as the county board of commissioners, to represent the needs of the community, not so they can make themselves feel powerful or rich.

5.  Community Engagement

I believe that a big part of why the government has gotten so powerful is that the everyday citizens have largely stopped caring. A government that is designed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people can only work if the community is actually engaged and makes its voice heard. 

6.  Uphold the Constitution

The Constitution is what makes this country great, but the government increasingly wants to strip away your Constitutional rights. I see it as my duty to uphold our Constitutional freedoms & I will never vote in favor of a measure that tries to impede on your Constitutional rights, this includes enforcing Cabarrus County's status as a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary.

7.  Control Growth

Our county has grown exponentially in recent years & it has put an immense strain on our county's infrastructure, such as roads & schools. We have to work with our municipalities to institute moratoriums on major developments and cut tax incentives that encourage businesses to move to Cabarrus. This will give the county time to work with state officials to project future growth & improve the maintenance & safety of our infrastructure.

8.  Cut Wasteful Spending

Our county is the sixth most expensive county in the state out of one hundred counties, a stat that is largely due to our county being nearly $100 million in debt, which is completely unacceptable. If elected, I would work with my fellow commissioners to work with the staff of each county department & our citizens to evaluate which departments or county-funded programs are underperforming/underutilized, redundant, or are no longer needed by our citizens and use that information to redirect funding to more efficient or more critical county-funded programs that can better serve our community, balance the budget, and lower taxes. This would also include selling county-owned property where the cost of upkeep is no longer offset by the benefits that it provides the citizens of Cabarrus. As the only candidate in my race to run my campaign under the $1,000 threshold and self-funded, I am committed to ending wasteful spending & increasing fiscal responsibility within our government. 

9.  Lower Housing Costs

The cost of housing in Cabarrus means that homeownership is out of reach for many of the county's residents. The best way to control this is to work with our municipalities to institute moratoriums on built-to-rent neighborhoods and discourage companies like American Homes 4 Rent from buying property in the county, which will stop housing costs from being artificially inflated. We can also work with state & federal officials to increase awareness among our citizens regrading grants for first-time homebuyers.

10.  Make Cabarrus the Greatest County in the Nation

If we are able to balance the county budget & reduce wasteful spending, Cabarrus has the ability to be the greatest county in the nation. I cannot do this on my own, it takes the cooperation of the other county commissioners & input from the citizens of Cabarrus County to make meaningful change. Please join me on this journey & vote Cason Gardner for County Commissioner on March 3rd.

Community Poll

After laying out the issues that I want to address, I want to hear from the voters themselves. Please click the link below to fill out a survey that will help me understand the mind of the voter, thank you for your time.

Make Your Voice Heard 

Contact                                             Gardner for Cabarrus

Email: gardner4council@gmail.com

Cell: 980-398-5027

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584995934070 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CasonGardnerforCabarrus