Phil Henry

Questionnaire from The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus

Note: The responses below from the candidate have not been edited.

Please provide demographic information about yourself to help voters (age, education, current occupation, where you live).

75 year old, retired engineer, Concord,NC

Why are you running for this role and why should voters pick you? Please share any experience in an elected role that would be relevant to voters.

I have spent my working life making things better. I have no further political desire other than helping Cabarrus County folks. I will be transparent and available, and you know where I stand at all times. Controlled growth, education and transparency are key for me.

Tell us about 2-3 professional accomplishments you have achieved in your work experience (not limited to public service) that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

2004, labor strike settled, new manufacturing leaders in place, production struggling. Directionless leadership. I volunteered to lead the improvement effort. Raised prod. from 351 to 450 per shift with zero expense increase. I worked on the key bottlenecks based on feedback from the folks doing the work and data.

Helped start Indivisible Cabarrus County with 5 others. I can develop consensus.

I coached teen girl's summer basketball for 20 years in IN. Won a state championship. I know how to work through people issues.

What is one thing you would like to accomplish in the first six months if elected?

Bring transparency to the Board's work.

Cabarrus County includes both fast-growing communities and areas facing economic challenges. How would you guide county policy and investment decisions to support balanced growth and opportunity across the entire county?

Growth is a blessing. I would work to determine the impediments to growth in slow growth areas. Define the problem and work with the folks on the ground to develop effective changes. Benefit to the citizens would be the guiding principle.

Growth for growth's sake is a recipe for failure. Business needs to work for the citizens as well as stakeholders. Appropriate infrastructure analysis needs to be done to insure that potential growth is supported by infrastructure. Schools, water, sewers, roads, utilities all need to support the growth while not placing the burden solely on the taxpayers.

County government plays a central role in funding public school facilities and long-term capital needs. How would you approach decisions related to school capital investment to ensure facilities keep pace with growth, support student success, and remain fiscally responsible for taxpayers?

We have a General Obligation bond on the November ballot. I fully support this measure. We have kicked the can down the road for too long and we need to address the issues the GO bond works to improve. It will only cost more in the future. If our schools start to fail, excess growth won't be a problem. Folks won't want to be in Cabarrus County.

A strong workforce depends on more than jobs alone. It is shaped by access to education, child care, and community resources. How would you use the county’s role to support workforce participation and quality of life for Cabarrus County residents?

Our schools need to be successful. An alliance between business and education would work to develop the skills that local businesses need, while not neglecting the needs of the students. AP courses and trades. The work revitalizing downtown needs to continue, public parks continue to grow, the soul of Cabarrus County needs to stay intact.

Economic growth is essential to maintaining a strong tax base, supporting public services, and creating opportunity for residents. How would you approach county-level policies and investments to ensure Cabarrus County remains competitive in attracting and retaining businesses while managing growth responsibly?

Enticements to new business coming to CC need to be analyzed for its impact on the county, not just whether the business comes to CC or not. Growth for growth's sake isn't sustainable. There should be a return for each investment, and the return should be that CC citizens life improves.

While counties do not regulate businesses in the same way as the state or municipalities, county policies can still influence the cost and ease of doing business. How would you consider the impact of county decisions on the business community?

CC Board affects an enormous amount of a CC citizen's life. The Board needs to analyze changes to legislation for it's affect on our business environment. Property tax rates are the biggest impact. Control of tax rates is the largest impact the CC Board can have. Any policy that works to raise tax rates needs to empirically prove it's benefit to CC.