Who is Mark Jerrell, District 4 Democratic Mecklenburg County commission candidate?
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 52
Campaign website: www.mark4thepeople.com
Email: mark4thepeople@gmail.com
Occupation: Public Service
Education: B.A. (Political Science) and M.B.A.
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): I am currently serving in my second term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners
Please list your highlights of civic involvement:
My civic involvement includes, but is not limited to the following: 1) My Brother’s Keeper CLT Mecklenburg 2) FENCO - Far East Neighborhoods Coalition 3) Zoological Park Council 4) The Relatives 5) Black Political Caucus Charlotte Mecklenburg 6) Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. 7) Charlotte Symphony 8) MyFutureNC 9) National Association of Counties 10) National Association of Black County Officials 11) North Carolina Association of County Commissioners 12) National Black MBA Association
What more can county government do to help CMS close achievement gaps and support students in impoverished families?
The County can play a significant role in closing the achievement gap and addressing the cycle of poverty by focusing on the following: 1) Provide wrap-around support and services to provide stability for students and families. 2) Advocate to the General Assembly for adequate funding for schools. 3) Find ways to increase teacher pay to attract the best and most qualified teachers. 4) Focus on equity. 5) Increase vocational training opportunities. 6) Remove systemic barriers to learning.
How do you plan to collaborate with other local and state elected officials?
As the chair of the Inter-Governmental Relations Committee, I believe we must work together to create comprehensive strategies to improve the lives of all residents n Mecklenburg County. Our issues are inter-connected, and we cannot work in silos or in isolation to change outcomes for our most vulnerable. I will continue to convene elected, community, business leaders and other key stakeholders to work together on solutions for our most critical issues.
How do you plan to approach the county’s upcoming revaluation and how will the results inform your stance on the 2024 fiscal year’s tax rate?
My approach to revaluation includes educating property owners of the goal of revaluation, which is to distribute the overall tax burden in a way that is fair and equitable, to inform property owners of their rights and ensuring consistency and transparency. The results will allow us to determine if the recommended tax rate produces a fair and equitable outcome for all property owners and allows us to meet our statutory requirement to fund the priorities and critical needs of our community.
Name a quality about yourself that makes you a good leader:
I have a skill set that allows me to leverage my knowledge and passion to produce policy that creates systemic change and positively impacts the lives of our residents.
What one professional or political accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am proud of my support of our budgets which fund our community priorities. In addition, the items that have impacted the residents of District 4, to include the re-development of Eastland Mall, accelerated greenway projects (Briar Creek, McAlpine, Reedy Creek), Mason Wallace, Albemarle Rd, Pearl St, Grier Heights, Independence, and American Legion Memorial Stadium park improvements, resolution declaring Racism as a Public Health Crisis, and the budget increase for land acquisition ($50m).
This story was originally published October 3, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
