Adam Olivieri, Gastonia City Council Ward 1 candidate, answers our questions
To help inform voters in the Nov. 4, 2025, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Adam H Olivieri
Age: 22
Campaign website or social media page: adamolivieriforgastonia_nc on instagram Occupation: Line Service Technician
Education: Certified Flight Instructor
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought or held): No
Please list your highlights of civic involvement:
For the past two years, I have made an effort to attend as many local political events and meetings as i could.
What are the most important issues facing Gastonia today, and how would you address them?
I believe that rising housing costs pose a massive threat to the financial well-being of middle-class Gastonians and prohibit people of almost all incomes from truly achieving financial security. I plan to address these rising costs by denying building permits to traditional for-profit land developers and using community housing development organizations in their place.
Controversy arose earlier this year after residents, a council member and the mayor declared a cooling station set up for homeless residents and others without adequate heating and cooling as unacceptable. What entity should take the lead on protecting Gastonia’s most vulnerable during extreme heat or cold, and how can city and county leaders, and partner organizations, better work together?
Ultimately, the city is responsible. Local charities should be able to rely on the city for material and personnel assistance whenever it is required to preserve the lives of our community’s less fortunate.
How should Gastonia address the growing need for affordable housing in the area?
If local housing development is allowed to continue on its current trajectory, houses in Gastonia will become completely unattainable for most of our residents. The city needs to recognize that for-profit land development will always drive prices far higher than the actual value of the land.
Why should voters choose you over others who are in the race?
Simply put, I care about people. My first and only priority is the well-being of my constituents, and I pledge to put their needs above the needs of corporate interests.
