Gastonia was incorporated in January 1877. Since that day, our city has seen some ups and downs, but what hasn’t changed is this city’s appeal to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and people looking for a better way of life. I love the history of this town, the migration of all sorts of people to this area in those early days and then during the mill town boom. We were the right place and many people found a place where they could not only survive but also thrive. Fast forward to 2023 and once again people are moving here in record numbers to find a place to call home. Many of them can relate to the railroad workers and mill workers who have shaped our history. Your story of optimism and striving for something better is my story too, and I think that’s the case for many of us too.
I believe Gastonia is a blank canvas just waiting to be explored by the same creative and entrepreneurial spirit. Some are just getting started, others will soon. As a candidate for mayor, I believe our best days are yet to come and that this is the right place for small businesses. But how do we ensure they have a solid foundation for them to thrive? Here is my vision, and it begins with public safety, welcoming our young people, and fostering a more diverse economy.
First, there must be a general sense of security for everyone living here, including those who open their shop doors. We must combat violent crime between our young people and create a culture where professional treatment of trauma is not a dirty word. Also, we must provide recovery centers that become focal points for anger management, conflict resolution, self-esteem building, communication skills building, mental health awareness and mentoring to provide a pathway that engages and empowers our young people. This is happening in the Highland district and we need to export this model across the city. I will be establishing a Mayor’s Youth Safety Task Force and using metrics to track scores and future crime statistics. We must be proactive in dealing with our young people so that we can have a future where there is less violent crime among them. Working on this challenge will help us become a more attractive location for new businesses and make all of our communities feel safer. It’s also the right thing. Investing in our future generation is always a safe bet.
Second, we must address the challenge of homelessness. We can’t say it’s the county’s problem and turn our backs on our city’s most obvious challenge. If I am elected your next mayor, I will make that a top priority and we will focus on two areas first. We will end homelessness among our city veterans. Yes, I said end. It can be done, and there are numerous national models in many different communities that are doing just that. It starts with identifying those who are veterans and then connects them to the appropriate housing, health care and personal needs. Of course there may be some who do not wish to participate. But any homeless veteran who doesn’t want to be on the streets will. This is done in partnership with the Continuum of Care, HUD, Veteran Services and local non-profit organizations and members of the faith community. According to the nationwide point-in-time census, there are approximately 35 homeless veterans in Gastonia. I think that number is a bit higher, so I would say the target number is around 50. Folks, that’s an achievable number, and together we can end the homelessness of our town veterans. We also need to help our small businesses and their customers protect themselves from scams and loafers. I understand some don’t understand how difficult this is. This is when your business is unable to open because someone has defecated in front of your door or someone is unable to get out of their car before someone approaches them. It is not illegal to be homeless and we must treat each other with care and respect. But it’s not acceptable to break the law, no matter who it is.
Third, we must create a culture that welcomes our young people. We must create a city that will become a place for individuals to start a business, raise a family and start a life. It must welcome entrepreneurs, tech start-ups and creative minds looking for a place to start a business and build a future. Gastonia can and should be that place. We’re close to Charlotte, close to the airport, have the infrastructure, a talent pool and have always been a place for startups to thrive. The city can help by welcoming all people and providing amenities and services that young startups may be looking for. We can provide community spaces and technical support and help by also introducing educational opportunities to our city. We can be the start-up hub of Piedmont. That will be my goal and I will work with others in the public and private sectors to achieve it.
Finally, we need to diversify our economy and shift the tax burden from households to corporations. We’re changing it by adding more business units and attracting additional companies to our city to be headquartered and expand their businesses. This has to be a concerted effort by our business community, as well as our educational buildings and professional schools. Gastonia should be a center for this kind of professional schools. We can leverage Gaston College’s success and add these workplaces as additional avenues to success. This will help raise our standard of living, improve our overall health, and improve our ability to compete with that region and attract additional businesses to that region.
Gastonia has a lot to offer and we can be anything we put our minds and energy into. We have a wonderful history of constantly reinventing ourselves and becoming a target for businesses. We have been a beacon of hope in the past and with a concerted effort we can be again. I’m excited to see what our city has to offer and where the journey will take us. It requires leadership that connects the connections and understands the big picture. It also takes leadership that celebrates our successes but also gets to work on our challenges. I am that person and I look forward to working with our small business community, our educational community and our people to make Gastonia a more welcoming, successful and well-known city for entrepreneurs and startups. Let’s make Gastonia the start-up hub of Piedmont. That is my goal and I hope that you will join me in electing me to be the next mayor of Gastonia.
Robert Kellogg is a City Councilor for Gastonia and a candidate for Mayor of Gastonia.
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