Cole Terrell Setzer

Questionnaire from The Chamber of Catawba County

Please tell us a little about yourself and what prompted you to run for office.

I decided to run for office because Catawba County is home.

I was born and raised here, and after serving in the Army, my wife and I chose to come back home to build our life and raise our family. I ran because I care deeply about preserving the rooted values that make this community special.

At the same time, we cannot just protect the past. We have to solve the problems of today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

Ultimately, I ran because I want my children and every child growing up in Catawba County to have the same kind of opportunities this community gave me. I believe public service is about honoring what we inherited while doing the hard work necessary to pass something even better on to the next generation.

What experiences, skills, or perspectives have best prepared you to serve in this role?

I do not think I have some unique set of skills or intelligence that other people do not have. Like many people in Catawba County, I have worked hard, served, made mistakes, learned from them, and tried to keep moving forward.

What I do bring is a strong work ethic and a deep sense of responsibility to this community. I care about doing the homework, asking questions, and giving this job my full effort.

I may not have every answer, but I will always take the responsibility seriously and give the people of Catawba County my best effort.

If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

My top two priorities would be economic opportunity and effective county government.

First, I want to continue the work of keeping Catawba County attractive for business investment. That means supporting responsible growth, strengthening our workforce, maintaining a competitive tax environment, and making sure we have the infrastructure needed to bring and keep good jobs here.

Second, I want to keep building a county government that delivers services efficiently and effectively to all citizens. Taxpayers deserve an organization that is responsive, accountable, and focused on results. Whether it's public safety, education, emergency services, planning, or basic county operations.

Those two priorities go hand in hand: create opportunity for our citizens while making sure county government does its job well and respects the people who pay for it.

Elected officials often face difficult decisions involving competing priorities, limited resources, and differing perspectives. How would you approach those decisions and work with people who may see an issue differently than you do?

Elected officials have a responsibility to approach difficult decisions with humility, an open mind, and a commitment to the public good.

Some issues are not as simple as they may first appear. With competing priorities, limited resources, and good people who see the same issue differently. My approach is to listen to those perspectives, ask questions, review the best information available, and try to understand all of the impacts of a decision.

At the end of the day, my duty is not to make the easiest decision or the most popular decision. My duty is to make the decision I believe is best for the citizens of Catawba County as a whole. That guiding principle "serving the public good" is how I would approach tough decisions and how I would work with others, even when we do not always agree.

Catawba County faces significant school facility and classroom-capacity needs. How should the county plan and pay for those needs while balancing educational needs, other county responsibilities, and the impact on taxpayers?

School facilities are the biggest long-term challenges facing Catawba County, and we have to approach them seriously and responsibly.

We need to explore every reasonable option available to us. That includes better use of existing buildings, coordination with our school systems, responsible debt planning, and state and federal funding opportunities.

At the same time, the county has many other responsibilities we cannot ignore; public safety, emergency services, health and human services, waste disposal, infrastructure, and economic development, among others. We have to balance educational needs with the full range of county services that citizens rely on every day.

The near-term funding environment from state and federal sources is uncertain, and if the proposed property-tax limitation passes, counties may face another constraint on how these needs can be funded.

My goal is to support safe, functional school facilities while protecting taxpayers. We need to be honest about the need, careful with the dollars, and willing to make decisions that serve students, families, and the future of Catawba County.

The availability of housing at a range of price points affects the county’s workforce and economic growth. How should commissioners approach land-use and development decisions to accommodate housing needs while considering infrastructure capacity, property rights, and community concerns?

I believe the market is generally the best way to determine and meet housing demand. The role of county government should be to maintain a stable, predictable regulatory environment where builders, property owners, and communities understand the rules and can plan accordingly.

Land-use decisions have to be made with infrastructure in mind. Growth needs to be considered alongside roads, water and sewer capacity, schools, public safety, and other county services. Not every project fits every location, but we should not create unnecessary barriers that make housing harder or more expensive to build.

Protecting individual property rights is also essential. Property rights are foundational to our community and our country, and commissioners should be very cautious about limiting what people can reasonably do with their own land.

My approach would be to respect property rights, listen to community concerns, evaluate infrastructure capacity, and keep the county’s rules fair, consistent, and predictable. That is the best way to support needed housing while preserving the character and quality of life here.

How would you approach balancing the services and infrastructure needed by a growing county with maintaining a competitive and predictable property-tax environment?

We balance growth and services by staying focused on the core responsibilities of county government and by being judicious with taxpayer dollars.

As Catawba County grows, we have to plan for public safety, emergency services, schools, and other essential services. But we also have to be careful not to overextend ourselves into areas where county government does not need to be.

Catawba County has been able to maintain one of the lowest property tax rates in North Carolina while continuing to grow and provide strong services. It takes disciplined budgeting, strong county staff, and responsible planning before committing taxpayer dollars.

My approach is to: keep our tax environment competitive and predictable, support our staff in executing at a high level, and make sure county government remains focused, efficient, and accountable to the people.

What role should county government play in supporting economic development, business investment, entrepreneurship, and workforce growth?

County government does have a role in supporting economic development, but that role should be focused and disciplined.

I believe government’s job is to help create a stable environment where businesses can operate, invest, and grow. That means keeping taxes competitive, maintaining infrastructure, supporting workforce development, and making sure our regulatory processes are fair and predictable.

Government should not try to run businesses or pick winners and losers. The success or failure of a business rests with that business. Government and private enterprise can be partners in making the community stronger, but both need to stay in their proper lanes.

Many of Catawba County’s growth and infrastructure needs cross municipal boundaries. How should the county work with cities, towns, and other partners to coordinate planning and support responsible growth across the community?

I will work closely with our cities, towns, and other local partners by keeping communication open and planning together whenever possible.

Problems and solutions do not stop at city limits. What is good for Newton can also benefit Hickory, Conover, Claremont, Maiden, and the rest of the county; and the same is true the other way around.

Even though we have legal boundaries, our communities are connected. The county’s role should be to work with our municipal partners and look for solutions that benefits Catawba County as a whole.