As a candidate to represent District 4 on the Albemarle City Council, I want to share with you some information about me and my thoughts on growth and more good paying jobs for our city.

Forty-one years ago I married Mellanie Morris, daughter of the late Jack and Louise Whitley Morris. My parents were the late M.C. ”Preacher” Morgan and Eloise Mabry Morgan.

Both Mellanie and I were born in Albemarle and we have two married sons, Miller and Jordan. Both boys were brought up in Albemarle, graduated from Albemarle High School and graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Mellanie is a registered dental hygienist with Norwood Dental Clinic in Norwood.

My business career for over 30 years was in Albemarle as a new car dealer where I was the dealer principal for 17 years.

Since 2000, Albemarle has experienced a severe growth problem.

Not because we’ve attracted too much growth but because there has been too little growth in Albemarle.

Many businesses and industries have relocated to another area, downsized or simply closed.

We need new good-paying jobs and positive growth in Albemarle; not more layers of government and definitely not more empty buildings.

From the 2010 census of 15,903 Albemarle residents through 2017, our population is only estimated to have grown by 74 people.

It’s no wonder, with this dismal growth, that we have only seen very little, if any, net new jobs in Albemarle.

A city will either decline or it will grow; but as we’ve seen, it won’t remain the same.

During the two terms I served as a Stanly County commissioner we designed and built the Agri-Civic Center and remodeled the old Armory into the Stanly County Senior Center.

Also, we brought in 10 new industries and hundreds of good-paying jobs.

The residual effect of those new industries and new jobs was the local investments made in new retail businesses, new restaurants, new houses and other local new growth.

Without the variety of good job offerings and wages from expanded or new industry growth, our schools and our own quality of life can only suffer.

Without growth, schools can’t efficiently populate their facility allowing them to offer a broader variety of courses to our children.

We’ve got to solve the issues of slow growth and lack of good paying jobs in Albemarle.

Without growth, our city government can’t afford to repave streets, repair sidewalks, improve funding to the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Recreation Department and, most importantly, to retain city employees by offering competitive wages and benefits, at every level, so they don’t seek jobs elsewhere.

All of these expectations and more depend on our ability to reverse the slow growth and lack of good paying jobs here at home.

If you would like to talk with me about this or other issues, I welcome you to contact me by phone at 704-982-9337 or by email at davidmorgan@ctc.net.
Early Voting, prior to the Nov. 6 election, is now underway at the Stanly County Commons in Albemarle. Hours are weekdays 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. until Nov. 3.

Also, you can register to vote and vote during Early Voting.

I humbly ask for your vote for me to represent you on the Albemarle City Council from District 4.

David Morgan
Albemarle