WIZS

TownTalk: Candidates for Vance County Commissioner District 7

WIZS Staff

The WIZS News team strives to bring the community important information through fair, objective and balanced reporting. We sent a list of questions to candidates in contested seats for Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Board of Education.

There are two candidates for the District 7 seat on the board of commissioners:

 Joanne Evans is the Democratic candidate and Joseph Falkner is the Republican candidate for the District 4 seat.

We asked candidates in contested seats for Vance County Board of Commissioners to respond to the following list of questions and statements.

 

Below are the unedited responses, in their entirety. The candidates’ responses appear in alphabetical order.

 

Responses from Candidate Joanne Evans

I was prompted to run for County Commissioner because I believe civic leadership (all leadership) should always be about serving people, not politics, or personal gain. I’m concerned that sometimes the people who are elected to serve can lose sight of the oath they took and the people who trusted them with that responsibility. I’m running because I believe our community need leaders who will listen, be honest and transparent, and put the needs of the people before political agendas. I’m not running because I believe that I have all the answers. I’m running because I’m willing to listen, ask the hard questions, and work with people to find solutions. For me leadership is about service. It’s about remembering who you work for, the people.

My platform is simple: Honesty, Transparency, and Service.

Vance County residents deserve to know what their government is doing, why decisions are made, and how those decisions affect families, taxes, and our future. I will communicate openly, use taxpayer dollars responsibly, and remain accountable to the people. My focus is on things that matter to everyday people: the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, protecting our rural character, economic opportunities, supporting our public schools and teachers, improving public safety, and making sure families, children and vulnerable residents are not forgotten. My commitment to the people of Vance is, I will listen, tell you the truth, and remain accountable.

In my opinion, the three most important issues facing Vance County are the impact of data centers, the conditions at Vance County Detention Center, and protecting our share and future access to Kerr Lake resources.

The data center issue concerns me because once these facilities are here, their impact on our electricity, water, environment, and infrastructure is not something we can just undo. I understand that the data center is moving forward, so my focus would be on making sure Vance County has strong regulations and protections in place. I don’t pretend I have all the answers, but I believe the county has a responsibility to ask hard questions before approving or expanding projects of this magnitude. How much water and electricity will be used? Who will bear the cost? What protections are in place for our environment and existing residents and businesses? And what safeguards do we have if the demands become greater than anticipated? My approach is to listen to experts, residents, utility providers, and environmental professionals, examine the facts, and make decisions that protect Vance County for the future, not just for today.

The conditions at our county jail are deeply concerning. The facility is presently under investigation by the NC Department of Health and Human Services because of reported conditions there. Regardless of how we got to this point, people in our custody are still human beings and should be treated with dignity and kept in a safe and secure environment. I don’t have a quick fix for the problems at the detention center, and I don’t believe it would be responsible to pretend that I do. What I would do is insist on transparency, accountability and a clear understanding of what is happening. I would want to know the findings of the investigation, what corrective actions are required, what they will cost, and how the county plans to make sure those problems are not repeated. Public safety includes both protecting the public and making sure our correctional facilities are properly operated.

Kerr Lake is one of Vance County’s greatest natural resources, and we need to be intentional about protecting our interest as neighboring counties look at increasing their access and use of the lake. I believe Vance County need to have a strong voices (sic) at the table when decisions are being made about Kerr Lake. I believe that this is a situation where City and County leaders should work together as a united front, for the common good of Vance County Henderson as a whole. We need to understand exactly what is being proposed, what it means for Vance County Henderson, and how increased use could affect our water supply, economic opportunities, recreation and future growth. Again, I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do know that we cannot afford to be silent or simply react after decisions have already been made.

My vision for Vance County is rooted in my love for this community. I have lived here all my life, raised my family here, and spent many years serving in this community. Vance County is home to me, and I believe it has the potential to be so much more. I want to see our county prosper, our families thrive, our children have opportunities to succeed, and our future generations be proud to call this place home. I want to see economic growth that benefits the people who live here. We need good paying jobs, opportunities for small businesses, and responsible development that respects our rural character and protects our natural resources. I am also passionate about our children and education. Having worked as a teacher assistant and mentor young girls in our community, I understand that investing in our children means investing in our future. We must support our schools, teachers, and families while working to ensure our children have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. I believe we must also address public safety, mental health, homelessness, and the needs of our seniors and the vulnerable residents. I believe a prosperous county is not measured by economic growth alone. It is measured by how we care for our people, how we treat one another, and whether everyone has a fair opportunity to build a better life.

I understand that data centers are often presented as a sign of progress and investment in our future. But, I believe we must ask ourselves what kind of progress we want for Vance County and at what cost. (I stand on the adage, “All money ain’t good money”). We are a rural community with valuable natural resources, and we already face questions about our water resources, electricity demands, infrastructure, and the long-term impact of large-scale development. I have serious concerns whether a hyperscale data center is a right fit for our community and whether the long-term benefits outweigh the potential cost to our residents and environment. I believe we should pause for at least one year to thoroughly understand and evalute the impact of this type of development. This is not about being against progress. It is about being responsible with our future. As a potential county commissioner, I believe our responsibility is to protect the public interest, ask the hard questions, and make decisions, not rush forward simply because a project is presented as economic development. Our residents deserve to be included, informed and protected.

I have a basic understanding of the proposed data center development in Vance County, and I believe it is important for our residents to understand both the potential benefits and the possible long-term consequences. Natelli Investments, is the developer associated with the proposed project along U.S. 158 near Henderson. The county approved a rezoning request in April 2026, and more recent reports state the developer has filed plans for a large, phased data center campus. I understand that data centers support the digital services and AI intelligence we increasingly depend on. However, a hyperscale data center is a major industrial development, and it can require massive amounts of electricity, water, cooling infrastructure, and backup power systems. Those demands make it necessary for us to understand how the project could affect our community. At this point, I cannot verify figures for final water consumption, total electricity demands, or the full cost of infrastructure needs. I would like to know how much water the facility will require and where that water will come from. I want to know how Duke Energy will serve the development, whether additional infrastructure is needed, and what protections will ensure our residents and small businesses are not unfairly burdened with the cost. Again, I don’t claim to know all the answers, but I believe I know the question that we need to ask.

I believe effective leadership begins with communication, mutual respect, transparency, and a shared commitment to serving the people. While board members may not always agree on every issue, disagreements should never prevent them from working together in the best interest of Vance County. I believe there is room for improvement in how information is shared, how decisions are communicated, and how the board works together. When communication breaks down or residents feel they are not receiving the full picture, it can create division and take away public trust. Vance County residents deserve to have confidence that decisions are made openly, that their concerns are being heard, and that the board have the information they need to make informed decisions. If elected I will work to encourage a culture of collaboration, where differences of opinions are respected, information is shared appropriately and consistently, and difficult conversations can take place without becoming personal or divisive.

I believe the relationship between the board and county staff should be built on mutual respect, open communication, trust, and clearly defined responsibilities. There is always room to improve how information is shared and how everyone works together. County staff should feel supported in providing professional advice, and commissioners should have the information they need to make informed decisions.

I believe relationships between individual commissioners and county staff should be grounded in mutual respect, professionalism, open communication, and trust. While differences of opinions are inevitable, they should never interfere with the ability to work together evfectively. I believe there is an opportunity to strengthen communication, ensure information is share (sic) appropriately, and create an environment where staff feel respected and commissioners can make informed decisions.

Serving on the Board of Commissioners would be an extension of service I have been providing throughout my life and especially over the past 24 years as a pastor. Pastoring is about much more than leading people spiritually. It requires overseeing different ministries, managing responsibilities, developing leaders, addressing needs, and making decisions that affect the lives of others. It has taught me to listen, to be accessible, to re cognize that people have different needs, and to approach leadership with a servant’s heart. I believe leadership is not about being above people, it’s about being available to people. Under my leadership our church has also purchased two rental properties to help provide affordable housing for our tenants. That experience reflects my belief that leadership should go beyond words. We must be willing to take action and invest in solutions that make a difference in people’s lives. One principle I live by is that the people I serve cannot grow beyond my capacity to pour into them. That means I must continually study, learn, grow, and become better equipped to lead. I will carry that same principle into the Board of Commissioners. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I am committed to asking questions, listening to residents, learning the issues, and working toward informed decisions that benefit Vance County. My personal philosophy is simple: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” Whether someone agrees with me or not, every person deserves to be heard, respected, and treated with dignity. I believe my pastoral experience, my commitment to service, and my willingness to keep learning will help me serve as a commissioner who puts people before politics and works for the good of the entire community.

My short-term goals, if elected are to bring honesty, transparency, and clarity to the office and to build productive relationships with county and city leaders. I want to work collaboratively on the issues affecting Vance County and Henderson, including legislation such as NC State Bill 214, to ensure that our community’s interest are represented and our residents’ voices are heard. My long-term goals are to work toward keeping taxes as low as reasonably possible while exploring responsible ways to generate revenue and strengthen our local economy. We must find ways to support our public schools, compensate and retain quality teachers, maintain public safety, and adequately fund the other essential services that depend on our local government. Ultimately, I want to help build a stronger, more sustainable Vance County where our resources are managed responsibly and our residents can see the benefits of their local government working for them.

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Responses from Candidate Joseph Falkner

My family and I moved back to Henderson in November of 2020 – at the time it was just me,  my wife Sara, and 7 month old son. We have built, and completed, our family of 6 since  then. I knew Henderson and Vance County had its challenges with crime, poverty and  economic depression. I had no plans to become a politician when making the decision to  move back home beyond being a productive citizen – but after experiencing leadership  Vance in 2025 I quickly learned how important strong local political leadership is and that I  could make a difference by running for an elected office. It was clear to me there was a  major gap in representation of my generation, which is going to be the future of this area  and needs a voice from someone willing to put in the work. I knew that with my career I  would be able to make the time to fully commit to this position and felt the calling to fill that  void of experience and youthful energy. So that prompted me to run.

My platform is pretty simple: I am here to be a responsible leader to provide guidance and  establish policies and solutions to shortcomings to ensure we have a safer community, strong schools, responsible spending, and an environment for small businesses and  entrepreneurs to thrive.

Fiscal Management – I plan to bring my expertise as someone who has an MBA from Wake Forest in finance to audit everything that we are doing and ensure appropriate oversight is  in place to ensure we are keeping the cost of government efficient. If we generate the  revenue that is anticipated from the data center that has been greenlit it is going to be  important to have leadership in place who knows how to manage it and ensure it is being  spent wisely where we can support all the essential services we need, while managing to  lower the county property tax rate on residents.

 Detention Center – I support the building of the new detention facility. I do not buy into the  notion that we HAVE to raise taxes to pay for it if the data center doesn’t come. What we  are budgeting/spending to house inmates at other detention facilities can be applied to a  40-year HUD loan and with a few more efficiencies on the books it will be a wash. A project  this large and this expensive is going to need appropriate oversight and ensure the right  team is in place to manage it.

Every county has to have an appropriate detention facility to house inmates, I don’t  want to build a Ritz Carlton. Our facility at the moment is inadequate and we need  mental health resources alongside the jail to help with rehabilitation for inmates  who are suffering from mental illnesses.

Economic Development/Branding – Vance County has a bad brand. This brand was not  built overnight, and poor decisions and lack of leadership have continued to hurt the brand  of Vance County from those who live here. But there is also a negative brand of Vance co  perceived by outsiders to where people do not want to move here, start a business here, or  come visit and spend their money here. This brand rebuild will take a lot of effort, good and  transparent decisions will need to be routinely made. If we do not improve our branding,  the investments we need from the private sectors will not happen in this county – it is going  to be the responsibility of the leaders of this county to ensure we are doing this to improve  the brand of Vance County.

I believe Vance County has so much to offer, if not I wouldn’t have moved back. I believe  that we need to get back to the spirit of community and monitor and watch out for the  safety of our neighborhoods we all live in. We have skewed so far away from policing what  is right vs wrong and accepted negative behaviors and attitudes into our daily lives and that  has to stop. We need to be better neighbors to one another – and that is something the  government can not enforce.

I also believe if we can bring in good jobs to this area it will really start to change things. I  believe as a principle that activity breeds activity. If we can land a major employer to this  area and employe this county with a significant amount of living wage jobs it will transform  this area and make Vance County the best it can be. But in order to attract them we as  commissioners need to do our job of ensuring the groundwork is laid to allow for positive  industry(s) to come in and make the investment in Vance County so we can get the most  out of it.

I don’t want to see any more data center development, I think this hyperscale facility off  158 that has already been allowed in a small rural town is more than enough and is already  too big and too close to residential. Vance Co has one of the smallest surface areas of all  the counties in North Carolina and shovel ready sites for other industries that have the  potential to create more jobs and use less resources than a data center would are limited. I  would rather see valuable, intended for commercial use properties, being used for  industries that will bring lots of high paying jobs to this area. Sure data centers will bring needed tax revenue to support essential service shortcomings a county government needs  to offer, but the jobs they bring with them are for the most part temporary with the  exception of limited highly skilled jobs in the engineering/HVAC/Electrical space. Sure we  can benefit from the tax revenue, but it is my opinion that we benefit more when more  people have more money in their pockets through their employers and will generate  economic activity that will encourage further investment in things like entertainment/dining amenities in the county that have the ability to improve the quality of life in this area and generate more jobs from that.

I do not know the status of the proposed site off Brodie Rd. That has been kept very hush  hush and no one seems to know anything beyond their initial sit down with city council  leadership to discuss their intentions, and the fact they registered their intent to purchase on record. I do get the impression that it is close to moving forward, but I do not know  where that project is at.

I also believe that there aren’t many future hyperscale sites available based on everything I  know about what is required for a data center to be built beyond these two. There may be  some out there, and this is why we need much stronger ordinances in place if a developer  were to make moves on another site. There is still the land available in the industrial park  which is better suited to house a data center – but the acreage is limited and better suited  for an enterprise data center vs a high consumption hyperscale facility.

I support a longer moratorium to appropriately write the text amendments and bring in  outside council/consultants that better understand what needs to be included because the  existing group did not put what was needed in place and left us vulnerable.

I am very well versed on data center development and have studied this tirelessly to  understand what we can expect, what we can mitigate/what ordinances need to be put into  place to protect the citizens of Vance County. I have been to several data center sites,  talked with other hyperscale developers, met with the engineer who contracts with Natelli  to design their other hyperscale sites to understand how they engineer/build their sites to  further research their methods. I have watched dozens of hours of utilities commission  recordings to understand what is being talked about in Raleigh and listening to testimony  from lawyers from all the big tech companies requesting large energy loads. I believe it is  imperative that any commissioner be able to speak to everything data center related if you  are going to be voting on it, and I personally feel like I am putting in the most work to  understand it.

Beyond data centers, I am very well versed in the AI industry that is pushing for these data  centers to be built at the rapid scale that they are being built out across the United States. I  understand the LLMs very well and have separate concerns about the industry and rapid  build out – but that’s not a job for a county commissioner to solve for.

I wanted to put dealing with the UDO as my top 3 issues to address in Vance County, but  since it is addressed here, I am addressing it now. It is mission critical to get the updated  UDO right. This document carries so much weight as it balances the red tape around  zoning for development, with the spelled-out protections to limit negative impacts of said  development. How this UDO is written can determine permitted right of use for land

development. If citizens do not want a particular industry, business, or facility in a certain  part of town – this is where it needs to be addressed. As we have seen with the data center,  not everything is left to a vote if given by right authority in the zoning ordinances – and a  strong UDO can attract the right development that citizen want, and limit the undesirable  industries, or completely leave them out to allow for conditional or special use permits that  require public input and a vote from the board.

I have not seen the full proposal that was presented the day before the last joint meeting  that was canceled. There are several things I wanted to see in the original proposal that  were not included – calling out a few key items below.

Disallowing temporary forms of power generation to be used full time as the primary  source of power generation before full site is developed and connected to local  power grid. This is very, very important and the source of much of the localized air  and noise pollution. Needs to be written so that a state or federal temporary permit  can not trump this ordinance.

Mandatory Tier 4 diesel generators – I know they said we can’t dictate this in the last  planning meeting, but I don’t think that is true because other municipalities

mandate it.

Further setbacks from residential properties

Disallow drilling wells and utilizing groundwater/aquifer resources to be utilized for  cooling systems.

A noise mitigation strategy needs to be signed off by an engineer the county hires.  The noise strategy needs to show how they will comply with a 55-decibel noise level  ordinance I would like to see in the UDO for data centers.

Beyond setting standards and text amendments to the existing UDO – I believe that “data  center” should not be included in light industrial and should be in a category of its own – call it “Technology zone”. And in this zone, we can set out standards for different data  centers, pending power demand, size, utility, etc…– set out standards for crypto mining  which is another area that needs focus. This is going to be difficult since we cannot  downzone light industrial due to NC statues, but it is something that needs to be looked  into for future development so if a property needs to get rezoned for a data center it will  need to go through this route vs light industrial.

I am in favor of extending it. It cannot be retroactively applied to the development on 158 as everyone is familiar with permit choice by now, but the pause is needed to properly write  the text amendments as the community is still very vulnerable to this development since  there are no ordnances against data centers in the UDO, which is I think a major oversight.  I think it selfishly needs to be extended until the new commissioners are sworn in, and I am  hoping I am one of those commissioners so I can be one of the more influential voices who  helps write it.

I am not going to comment on that beyond saying they need to get along better to work for  the betterment of Vance County.

Same as above, that’s for them to answers but I think it’s important for county  commissioners to have a working relationship with county staff and hold them  accountable for the job they are hired to do at the direction of the commissioners.

Well it’s obvious if you watch any meeting who doesn’t like who. I don’t think any party  engaging in it the way they engage in it is productive and is a distraction from what needs to  get done in the County.

The tax rate is too high, we are not utilizing everything that is budgeted for and there are  areas we could have cut spending to remain closer to a revenue neutral rate. We should  always look to have a revenue-neutral rate if we are experiencing economic decline, we will  have to find cuts. If we are experiencing an economic bump and generating more revenue  at the same rate, we need to first evaluate are there any NEEDS that need to be funded with  the additional revenue. If all our needs are taken care of, we can evaluate some of the  WANTS. If there are wants that improve the quality of life for citizens or are part of a capital  overlay project that will move the County forward it needs to be considered.

Before voting for any tax rate increase, I would first need to turn over every stone to ensure  there is no wasteful spending – a tax rate increase is the last resort option. If all the fat is  trimmed and we are still at a short fall and there is no other option but to increase the tax  rate, I would support an increase if it were directly related to Public Safety – if we have  faulty or old equipment/infrastructure past its useful life that needs to be replaced to avoid  jeopardizing public safety, I will support it. Any CAPEX that promotes efficiencies but can  be done without or is a nice to have but not have to have, I would not support an increase  for it.

EMS – This is first on my list because if EMS is underfunded people can die…

Public Safety/Sheriffs Department – We have to have boots on the ground to enforce the  law and keep citizens safe and enforce law.

Public Schools – I think the public-school systems is one area that needs the most amount  of funding and is a major part of the rebranding of this county. But given the other life altering options above I moved this down, but I still see this as a NEED and not a WANT.  This is also an area where the state can/should step in and offer more assistance to a Tier 1 counties struggling school system and take the burden off the county tax revenue which is  lacking.

Economic Development – not an area that would be in urgent need of a cash investment,  rather better policies to encourage responsible development from the private sector.

• What’s your knowledge base about the present jail facility and operations and the plans for a  new facility? 

I got a tour of the jail a little over a year ago before it went under its recent round of fixes. It was in really bad shape, seems like an obvious reason for the state to force the  depopulation of it. I am not integrated with the operators of the jail but it seems there might  be some major issues going on if there have been two breakouts, a suicide, amongst other  things over the last year. If you have an underfunded jail, in poor condition, these things are  much more likely to happen. A new jail will not solve all of the problems; we will need  appropriate staffing to manage the jail and ensure contraband stays out of the facility and  appropriate protocols are followed to ensure safety of the staff, other inmates, and the  general public from violent offenders.

I have seen the plans for the new jail and it’s an impressive facility that is a modern design  that you see with more recently built jails. Even though it is bigger, the modern technology  it will have will limit the amount of staffed needed to man it, which is good considering we  don’t have a wait list of people wanting to work at the current jail. Again, don’t want a 5 -star hotel – I want a safe jail to house inmates awaiting their day in court or serving out  their time.

I also want to be clear I am not a Fire and EMS expert – that is why the county and other  municipalities hire chiefs in those roles to make those expert decisions. They rely on the  commissioners to approve the request and plan for it financially and that is where I’ll  support. If those goals are not being met as a result of those in charge of making the  proposals and decisions – then the commissioners need to step in and put people in place  to make decisions that lead to better outcomes.

I am a serial entrepreneur – I am obsessive over successful outcomes for whatever I put my mind to and will not stop until a goal is accomplished. I know how work with people who  have different backgrounds or opinions that I do, and work with them to settle on a  beneficial outcome based on all parties feedback.

We need business leaders in local elected offices. Beyond the blocking and tackling and  managing and reviewing financial documents, business leaders know how to respond to

shareholders demands. And the shareholders of Vance county are the citizens that call  this place home. I manage multiple teams and interact with a dozen different businesses  every week. These people management skills are going to be critical in this role, and I feel  there is a significant gap on the board relative to these skills, I fill that void.

In the short term I want to make immediate actions to rebuild the citizens trust in local  government – the way everything has done down with the data center in the county I feel  that trust has been broken. In the short term I will make immediate efforts to lay the  framework for rebuilding that trust, but that trust will take the long term to rebuild. I want to  level set our financial position and propose improvements in how we operate there, I want  to focus on the UDO changes, and I want to focus on the jail and ensure we have the  support staff necessary for the project – and work with state leadership to try to secure  funding for the site. I also want to meet with every functional area of the county to  understand how the jobs they do so I can fully understand how certain things operate and  understand the board’s role in supporting that area vs making assumptions.

Long term I want to work to improve our public school system and have more collaboration  with board of education. I want to work to make Vance County a bigger tourist destination  and leverage state resources to draw more attraction to Kerr Lake for recreation and  explore development opportunities around the lake where people could stay and spend  money on entertainment off the lake in Vance County. I want to work on longer term  economic development projects that will shape the county for decades to come – want a  very concerted effort on this to attract job creators to this area.

I live by the code you want to treat others the same way you want to be treated – and the issues that commissioners are going to face are always going to have pros and cons. As a  commissioner you will need to be able to weigh out both decisions and make the decision  that is best for the county and me able to empathize and mitigate the negative side effects  of any controversial decision – because all decisions that are voted on are going to have  supporters and opposition. A strong leader is not blind to the opposition but needs to be  able to stand on their decision and explain why they did it and address those opposed to it.

I don’t think anyone o n the board wants to wear that hat next year based on how  standoffish everyone is in the meetings. I would be more than happy to step up and wear  that hat – but I do believe it is important for leaders who are not to a board to learn for the  first year, and not jump straight into the highest leadership position because there is a lot to  learn as a commissioner. Out of the returning commissioners I believe I would nominate  Leo Kelly to be the board chair for 2027.

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WIZS Radio · TownTalk: Candidates for Vance County Commissioner District 7
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