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Candidate Q&A: Michael Hart
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Published: October 18, 2009
Updated: 10/21/2009 11:37 am
Occupation
Vice President at Wachovia Bank, application systems engineer
Education
Associates degree in Data Processing
What life and professional experiences do you feel will help you, if elected?
I ran an Information Technology Consulting business for 18 years prior to moving to North Carolina. I have been on the boards of a Big Brother Big Sister chapter, homeowners associations, athletic organizations, and currently am serving on the Town Council. I also sit on the Executive Boards of the Centralina Council of Government and the non-profit Centralina Foundation. I have a long history of public service and giving back to the community.
What are the three biggest issues facing your constituency and your community?
Our challenge is to keep the line on expenses and keep taxes low while still providing exceptional service to the community. Next is economic development within specific guidelines. We need to grow our community without becoming the big city people moved here to avoid. The third issue we need to address is infrastructure. We currently have studies under way analyzing our water and sewer systems. We must insure that we plan ahead and make sure that we have the services in place to meet the growth of our town.
What specifically would you do to spur economic development and bring jobs, if elected?
Economic development is essential to the health of our community. There are two ways we can spur development, one is by bringing in new business and the other often overlooked way is to expand existing businesses. I believe that we need to do more for our current businesses to make them profitable, which will attract other companies to move into town. I would like to see business fairs in town where people can come in and sample the goods of the local businesses to give them more exposure and to attract new customers. I am also in favor of giving local businesses tax incentives to improve the streetscape of their buildings to make them more attractive as people travel through town. We also need to provide an accurate inventory on the town's website of all available properties in town so that businesses looking to relocate can see what Harrisburg has to offer. We need to make our website a showcase that highlights all the positives about living in Harrisburg.
What is your vision for the community that would shape your decisions, if elected?
The community I envision is one of connectedness. Walking and bike trails bridging neighborhoods and public facilities. More parks with both children and adults enjoying recreation. A facility for our seniors to congregate and stay active. A safe community with attractive places to live, work, and worship. Some people have lived here all their lives and decided it was good enough to stay here. Many people, like me, searched for a long time to find the right community to raise a family. We chose to live here not only for what Harrisburg had to offer, but what it could be. I hope to be part of that process.
Do you have any hobbies?
I coach youth sports and produce highlight movies for the team's my children play on.
What is the last book you have read?
Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
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