Jack Smith response to the News & Observer
Occupation and Employer:
Founder/Owner of Custom Golf Travels, LLC, specializing in designing personalized golf packages primarily to Ireland and the UK. Prior to that I have a 30+ year history of executive management experience, serving as a VPHR for a Fortune 50 company and 14-year owner of an organizational development company.
Education:
BA Psychology
Political or Civic Experience:
First elected to the town council in 1989. Now completing my 8th consecutive 4-year term. (Longest serving elected official in Cary’s history.)
What is Cary doing right and wrong on managing growth?
‘Imagine Cary’, now in its 6th year, was a citizen intensive process that is our ‘playbook’ and now the foundation for driving affordable mixed-use development for the next 25 years. What needs to improve is incorporating our extraordinary environmental initiatives into the playbook to ensure we do not go backwards on our nationally recognized earth friendly programs.
What do you think Cary should do, if anything, to address racial injustice issues, and what kind of changes would you propose?
Cary is a welcoming and diverse community, that over 60 nationalities call home. My efforts to nurture a ‘culture of inclusiveness’ has helped Cary stay above the vitriol of outside special interest groups and divisive partisan politics impacting other communities. Having been born in Germany and receiving my US citizenship in 1967, I know what it feels like to be an outsider and it has been a passion of mine since joining the Council to ensure all people in Cary feel welcoming and ‘at home’.
We can never rest on our laurels and recently Cary created a community-based task force to focus on issues relating to human relations, inclusion, and diversity in Cary with the sole mission to ensure fair treatment and promoting mutual understanding and respect amongst all our citizens. It is my hope this effort ensures racial injustice never finds a home in our community.
How should Cary increase the availability of affordable housing within the town?
Cary has a track record of collaborative partnerships to encourage and promote affordable housing with no compromise to our high quality of life standards. All citizens of Cary are entitled to all the benefits Cary has to offer and we’ve had extraordinary success partnering with non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and DHIC. We simply must keep doing more. A challenge for Cary is we are 85% built out. Our best opportunities to provide more affordable housing is through infill redevelopment, particularly in failing strip malls. A good example was the Glenaire Senior Living Community in their expansion onto a distressed shopping center.
Would you support a property tax increase for an affordable housing fund?
No
Explain your answer:
Why raise taxes if we already have a fund set up to address the problem? The yes/no question deflects from the key point of how money is spent. Clearly with the regions explosive growth, affordable housing (as well as all housing stock) is clearly emerging as a top priority. Throwing money at the crisis without due diligence just fosters wasteful spending without achieving meaningful impact. My pledge - if we look at approaches that can deliver results in a shorter period of time - then I will lead the charge to make it happen.
What new steps should Cary take to recruit businesses to the area?
Companies around the world call Cary home and our culture of innovation continues to attract new and emerging business. They know we have a highly educated citizenry who love our quality of life and will not move. Our formula is working yet we are always seeking out best practices to improve.
What is a specific need within your district? And how would you address this issue, if elected?
District C has a disproportionate number of older neighborhoods, and my priority remains focused on policies to improve their quality of life in the areas of complementary infill redevelopment, accelerated replacement of aging infrastructure and aggressive stormwater management improvements.
If elected, what would your two priorities be during your first year in office?
My top two priorities are working on obtaining State and Federal affordable housing and environmental funding grants to assist in addressing our regions explosive growth. We are not an island and working in partnership with our adjacent towns we can make a difference.
What unique skills or life experience would you bring to town governance?
As the former 14-year owner of my own company (Organizational Capability Services, LLC) focused on helping companies improve their productivity, I have been blessed to be able to 'apply my trade' in helping Cary grow responsibly. I take pride in my skill set helping Cary remain focused on strategic measurable long term meaningful solutions and not to get caught up in populists’ movements with feel good sound bites.
Please list any endorsements your campaign has received.
It is very early in the campaign cycle. Many interviews are scheduled over the next few weeks. It is my hope to earn yours and others as before.
What is your current occupation? If retired, please list previous occupation.
Since 2014, owner of Custom Golf Travels, LLC specializing in designing personalized golf packages primarily to Ireland and the UK. Prior to that I have a 30+ year history of executive management, leadership and entrepreneurial experience.
(Includes VP, HR of a Fortune 50 company and owner of a small business focusing on helping companies improve their productivity.)
How long have you lived in your district?
36 years, arriving Halloween 1986.
