Blog
10/22/25 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.”
Last night’s city council meeting saw the first vote of an ordinance that will prohibit sleeping on public and city property. This includes folks who may be sleeping in their vehicles. What I saw last night was both encouraging and discouraging. There were a few folks who spoke last night, some previously homeless, and I want to commend their bravery. It was extremely brave for them to share their story and experiences with the community. Zach Mills’ comments spoke to me when he cited scripture with Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” He explained that if unhoused people are pushed out of the city it makes it harder for him to reach them and for them to access the resources and shelters.
Chamber of Commerce Kim Effler pointed out that everyone there wants to work for solutions, and suggested the ordinance be addressed at the next meeting after a group is formed to work towards solutions.
It appeared that the room was split nearly 50/50 on the issue. But I want to thank Council Member Don Ramsey for his comments on the issue. Saying if this ordinance criminalizes folks it makes it harder for them to get the help they need. They can not access Section 8 housing or acquire a job with a criminal record. And he made a powerful statement about we can not, and will not ban a certain class of people from accessing our streets and Downtown areas.
Unfortunately some of the statements made in favor of the ordinance did not address the ordinance directly. One person spoke out about walking downtown and being fearful while trying to take some seasonal photography. She also addressed coming across needles. But ultimately this does not tie into the ordinance of sleeping outside at night. Two other men spoke out about the issue of needles, drug use, and human feces being found, but once again, this does not directly tie into sleeping on public property at night.
Luckily it was pointed out that these are the acts of individuals. Not all unhoused people are doing this, and broad generalizations about the unhoused community will not work towards real, sustaining solutions.
My issue with the ordinance is that it will NOT solve the issue of finding needles or human feces on public or private property. It does not affect whether there is someone outside your house yelling at 3 am. It does not affect unhoused folks walking down Main Street in the afternoon or early mornings. It will only affect people being able to sleep overnight on public property.
I have not called anyone names during this, but I will say this topic has been struck up as convenience for a certain group of individuals who want to maintain political power. Don Ramsey made a point to say this issue has been on everyone’s minds for well over a year and that due to Hurricane Helene some of the progress made has been delayed. But I find it interesting how it is being brought to the forefront of conservations, and that our unhoused community are being used as political pawns. These folks have had years to work on the issue at hand, and that includes county commissioners, and they have failed. It’s time to start holding our local elected leaders accountable. This ordinance is a band-aid to a complex issue, let’s treat it with the respect it deserves.
I appreciate all the folks who spoke out last night who are working towards real solutions. If you can’t be part of the solution, then do not add to the problem.
Trump’s Cuts to AmeriCorps Are Stripping Resources from Rural Communities - In These Times
Mass firings set for HUD office that funds homelessness programs : NPR
10/8/25 Leading with Empathy and Understanding
At last night’s city council meeting businesses owners addressed their concerns with the unhoused population in the city. Since Helene the unhoused population has grown. Many business owners in the area believe their presence has negatively impacted their business, citing safety concerns, fighting, men carrying weapons (sticks and a machete), and drug use. There is an ordinance that will most likely be adopted in the next council meeting on the 21st of October. The ordinance will most likely consist of language that prohibits the unhoused from sleeping or camping on city property overnight. This will likely give leverage to the police to arrest folks doing such, and I imagine the possibility of a trespassing charge can also be on the table. With that said, this ordinance does not address the root of the problem, and this is something that needs to be dealt with in order to find a viable solution and not quick fixes.
One way to move forward on a solution is addressing the root cause of homelessness in our communities. This can occur due to a variety of reasons; drug use, mental illness, abandonment, aging out of the foster system, overwhelming housing and rental prices, and lack of resources. Homelessness is a nationwide issue that is complex, complicated, and offers no easy or quick solution. Being unhoused is not a crime; and many of us should remember we are closer to being homeless on a daily basis than becoming a billionaire. Every single person who is unhoused has a story just as complex as our own. They are human and deserve to be treated with dignity and offered help.
Since this administration has taken over, DOGE addressed ‘overspending’ or ‘woke spending’. As a result many of the resources that address these issues have taken a hit or are now non-existent. Grants for social services and resources for those recovering or those unhoused are now slashed. National elections have tremendous consequences on rural communities. These funding cuts affect access to healthcare, food, education (GED programming), and ultimately resources that invest in our community.
Luckily, we have so many in our communities that self-sacrifice their time, money, and energy to fill in the gaps where funding and resources fall short. Barbara Brown was honored as the Citizen of the Month, and she has certainly done so much for this community. Becky Young also added Barbara has a place in Bruce’s Fabulous Foods for folks to contribute money towards a meal for someone who cannot afford it. And every day I drive past Bruce’s around 1, there is always someone outside the door who has been fed by Barbara’s grace. May we all lead with that example. That empathy and compassion are what leads us daily.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, inspired by a movement led by President John F. Kennedy, led the War on Poverty as a way to help our fellow Americans. The legislation he put forth between the years of 1964 and 1965 passed, ensuring families could survive, despite unfortunate circumstances. These efforts helped produce our current social programs, such as Food Stamps, Pre-K, and Medicaid, programs that help rural communities such as ours. They are now being gutted. The reason I bring these programs up is because all of them help combat homelessness in some form or fashion. We should extend our hands to help, not to cast away.
My statement towards the issues that were brought up last night are this: While an ordinance might fix the situation in the short term, we need to address the concern at its root for a long-term solution. We need to organize efforts and force state and national leaders to address the concerns of rural communities, fund our resources, and do not add to the problem, homelessness is not a crime. As a city we need to fund resources locally in the method of providing social workers and mental healthcare workers to the unhoused. We need to have open dialogue between local leaders and shelter leaders, in order to promote resources for folks to have places to stay at night, places to clean up and take showers, and efforts for folks to work, or help them finish their education. I understand there is no simple, quick fix which would last long term. But investment in our communities makes all the difference. It’s time for rural communities to fight for their resources, because the consequences extend beyond homelessness if we do not.
Trump’s Cuts to AmeriCorps Are Stripping Resources from Rural Communities - In These Times
Mass firings set for HUD office that funds homelessness programs : NPR
10/1/25 Small Town Living
Small towns often get a bad rep when it comes to how they are portrayed. Sometimes quaint but often backwards, living in the past. Yesterday I had an interaction with someone, he was approximately in his 60s and he was discussing how he grew up here in Marion but escaped to Florida when he was younger and did not decide to return until a few years ago, just to get away from the Florida heat. When I asked him why he left he said it was because the town he lived in in Florida was like Marion but that it offered more for him. It was cheaper to live there. And he said if he could stand the heat he would still be down there. But the word he used when discussing why he left Marion stuck with me. He said escape.
His story had me thinking about people my age, 33-37, many who had an exodus from Marion after high school and college. Some of my peers are slowly returning, but many will not. And when I reach out to ask them why, it is all about opportunity. Roughly 52% of our city’s population makes less than $50,000 a year, with the median income for the city being $45,000. The median drive time to work is 27 minutes, suggesting some folks leave Marion and McDowell for work. 32% of our city’s children are living in poverty, and 17% of our seniors are. Our housing is becoming unaffordable due to rising demand and lack of available properties. High paying jobs are not plentiful.
I bring this up because many younger folks in our city and from our city are finding less opportunities. Luckily there have been many improvements throughout the city since I graduated in 2008. Main Street has seen a revitalization with many new shops and restaurants opening in and around the vicinity in the last 12-15 years. The GEM program has also been an amazing opportunity for folks in McDowell to start a business. But we may also become stagnant if our priorities are not on the right track, and it appears some local governments including the McDowell County Commissioners are dealing with this. Affordable housing, resources, education, and jobs bring folks into cities, and we need to make sure those are our priorities.
Lately I have heard from residents that some city and county policies are antiquated at best. They feel like often meetings among city, county, and school board leaders are nothing more than a session of back patting, while most of the real decision making is outside the view of residents. This is also a stereotypical viewpoint of small towns, that I wish was not true for ours. Marion has done many things in the last 15 years to get visitors into the area. We have seen a rise in tourism, and the new hotel will bring in more. But we cannot forget that we have residents here who need this attention as well. Encouraging our residents for open dialogue in addressing their concerns. I encourage folks all the time to speak out at a city or council meeting.
When our current high schoolers graduate, I do not want them to feel like they need to escape Marion like so many of my peers and I once thought. I want them to take pride in their city. Be inspired to continue to lead Marion into progress. Small town living can get a bad rep, but it doesn’t have to. As a city council member, I wish to do my very best in encouraging folks to take pride in Marion, be innovative, speak out, demand accountability, and to always remember it is the residents who build the city up.
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US3741420-marion-nc/
9/23/25 Underrepresented Communities in Marion
I have noticed over the years there has been a lack of representation from certain communities in Marion. Eastfield, East Marion, and Clinchfield have not had someone from their community to represent them in several years, looking back almost 45 years. I am not sure the exact reasoning behind this, whether it has been due to lack of interest or lack of support. I know for a long time folks in these communities have become disillusioned with government as a whole and believe that sometimes our elected officials just aren’t looking out for them. I completely understand, in today’s political climate it is hard not to feel that way sometimes. It’s even harder when you do not have someone living in your area to help represent your community. In fact, most of the city leaders in Marion have lived within a half mile of one another for years. Now, I do not believe that takes away from being able to discuss and handle issues for the entirety of Marion, but I would argue that over the years some of the concerns of residents in the communities I have mentioned may have been dismissed or have gone unacknowledged.
In the next few years we will see a great change in our communities with the establishment of West Marion Inc.’s Resilience Hub, the old Clinchfield Mill becoming a site for affordable housing by Givens Estates, and the building of a new elementary school located on Highway 70 East. Now is the time for the City to take in great consideration of these communities’ voices to prepare for both of these sites to be successful. How will the city respond to the traffic concerns of Clinchfield residents? What safety measures will be put in place for the community once the school is built? How will the residents of the West Marion community be affected by increased traffic? Will the city take the measures to address the traffic on West Henderson Road by encouraging the DOT to install extra traffic lights/turn signal lights? I imagine no matter who is in charge this work will be done for the benefit of these communities.
In Eastfield, Clinchfield, and parts of East Marion the community is dealing with properties that have seemingly been left unattended. Homes, old mill properties, and old businesses are some of the properties of concern. Residents I have spoken with have said sometimes these areas become occupied by others or various wild animals, which invade the space of other homes. I believe the best way the city could address these concerns is establish a committee to take in the observations of residents and seek the best decisions moving forward, which may include demolition if the property is deemed a safety hazard. I know the city takes these concerns seriously, but with a multitude of properties, this may become time consuming if a committee is not established.
I encourage residents in Marion to voice their opinions and concerns at City Council meetings. Civic engagement is a privilege we must all take part in to make our world better. As someone from the East Marion community I know my concerns may be different than someone living in West Marion, or north of Main St, or in Cross Mill. But I do want to offer my voice as a resident of the East Marion community. If elected to City Council I know I will listen to my community and others. We only become stronger by working together. No one community’s needs should be cast aside to make room for another. These issues can all be addressed equally.