Who is Derek Partee, a candidate for Huntersville mayor?
Name: Derek Partee
Age: 71
Campaign website or social media page: electderekparteemayor.com
Occupation: Retired
Education: Masters Public Administration, Long Island University
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought):
Nassau County Legislature, N.Y.
Village of Hempstead Trustee
New York State Assembly District 18
Please list your highlights of civic involvement.
Police Athletic League Lacrosse Coach
PAL Basketball Coach
100 Black Men Mentor
Life Member NAACP
What one professional or political accomplishment are you most proud of?
Retired Homicide Detective with a record of 100% solvability and conviction rate.
Traffic is an issue in Huntersville while a few critical road projects, such as the widening of N.C. 73, have been delayed by NCDOT. How would you tackle the town’s traffic problem?
The issue is not widening of N.C. 73, it’s the tremendous uptick in development. Our state and town roads have projects the were delayed due to pandemic and these projects are simultaneously partly the cause of delays. As Mayor, the need to evaluate future road projects and how we can reduce traffic delays.
What are your ideas about how the town should recruit and retain more police officers specifically? And all town employees more broadly?
Priority will be to insure the continuous funding of our Police and Fire Departments. Maintaining a competitive position relative to pay and benefits for these valued public servants is critical and must be on par or exceed that of surrounding Towns and the City of Charlotte. Also, including out valued town employees.
Huntersville has experienced rapid population growth over the last few decades with the approval of hundreds of new homes. Do you think the town should control growth in some way or keep expanding? Why?
As Mayor my major focus will be on sustainable growth with emphasis on requiring infrastructure to be a primary consideration in managing the growth of our wonderful town.A citizens architectural review committee would be created to advise on how the design character can fit into the surrounding environment and be consistent with the 2040 plan. The 2040 plan is the guiding principle of our growth, not a mere suggestion.
Why should voters choose you over others who are in the race?
As a candidate for mayor, I bring a unique set of qualifications and experience to the position. My background includes over 36 years of public service along with a masters degree in public administration from C.W. Post College at Long Island University. Included in my public service are 28 years of law enforcement’s a homicide detective and licensed private investigator. In addition, I served as a federal investigator with the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force New York Office, prior to and after September 11, 2001. Prior to my election as a Commissioner on the Town Board in 2021, I served on the Huntersville Planning Board and the Educational Options review board. As mayor, I will work with the Town Board to develop an operating budget that our town managers can administer to protect our quality of life, maintain a safe and secure environment for citizens. Our town employees are exceptional and we need to provide competitive wages and benefits for them. My goal is to make Huntersville the envy of those other towns and our citizens are proud to call Huntersville home.
