About This Questionnaire
Thank you to each candidate for participating in the Inform Cabarrus 2026 Cabarrus County Commissioners General Election Questionnaire. We appreciate their willingness to serve and their commitment to the citizens of Cabarrus County. These responses are intended to help voters better understand each candidate’s priorities, values, and vision for our community’s future.
All answers are published exactly as they were submitted, without editing for content, grammar, or spelling, to ensure full transparency. Questions left unanswered are marked “no answer submitted,” and candidates who did not participate are noted as “no response received.”
1. Cabarrus County is growing quickly. As a commissioner, do you favor providing the necessary infrastructure to support that growth?
Cabarrus County is not in the infrastructure business. We provide neither water, sewer, nor road infrastructure. The municipalities provide water and sewer service and local roads, and NCDOT services roads countywide. A County Commissioner makes none of these decisions.
2. At current tax rates, most residences don’t pay enough property tax to support the public services provided for them by the county and cities (schools, law enforcement, utilities, fire protection, etc.). Property taxes would be much higher if we didn’t have business property taxes to make up the difference. Considering that businesses require the county to spend much less tax money than residences, what is your position on supporting business recruitment to bring new businesses to our county and to encourage local businesses to expand?
A large number of assumptions are made in this question, including County taxes funding infrastructure, which is false. Residents, of course, want businesses to be successful – whether the government should be involved and pick winners and losers is another question – I prefer we get out of the way.
3. The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County is responsible for operating our wastewater treatment plant on Rocky River. Currently, the plant is near capacity and requires several expansion projects to handle our continuing residential growth. Do you see helping expand sewer treatment capacity as part of your role as commissioner?
I am a Board Member of WSACC – appointed unanimously by the Commissioners. It is a separate entity from Cabarrus County, and receives exactly zero dollars from County or municipal budgets. Their services are funded completely by rate-payers within the municipal areas that have water and sewer service. This question, as does the others, misunderstands the role of a County Commissioner.
4. County commissioners don’t run schools directly, but their decisions greatly affect them. How would you support strong public schools?
The Commissioners don’t set school policy or strategy and therefore don’t set results. Their budget represents nearly a quarter of the County budget, nearly $117 million this year, and growing. It’s up to us to approve the budget amount only, and it’s very difficult to approve budgets that include cable TV in private offices and Rotary club memberships for staff. We expect the schools to teach our children – let’s refocus on that effort.
5. How important do you feel public services, such as parks and libraries, are to the quality of life in Cabarrus County?
Important I am sure, but no one has every asked the people. Let’s ask them what they want (and don’t want) and just do that. Novel idea, I know.
6. Please list what, if elected, will be your top three priorities and how they affect the Cabarrus County citizens.
1) Budget: Efficient government is non-negotiable. Low taxes is always the ultimate goal.
2) Opportunity: Government can’t make a person successful, and shouldn’t try, but it can get out of the way of a person’s natural success.
3) See 1 and 2. This isn’t hard.
7. In recent years, it has become evident that some commissioners have been influenced by partisan leadership to take actions that benefit party leaders rather than the majority of Cabarrus County citizens. Please explain how you will balance political pressure versus what is best for the citizens.
Nobody on the ballot this November could even be accused of being a part of the premise of this question. How does this help people make an informed decision on current candidates? I suggest people look at candidate websites. www.ianwpatrick.com
8. Many residents of our county feel strongly about retaining their rural and agricultural identity. How would you balance the desire to retain open land with the increasing need for housing, schools, roads, and businesses as our population grows?
Nobody in Cabarrus County working land or animals has ever said I’d like to maintain my “identity.” Identity politics doesn’t even cross their mind. We want to be left alone and not overtaxed. It’s that simple. What we really want to know is when the taxes are going to benefit us – and if they don’t, when do they go away?
9. Please list what activities of civic engagement you have participated in that helped develop and inform your interest in serving the citizens of Cabarrus County through elected office. Things such as: What organizations are you a participating member of; what non-profit organizations have you contributed to or volunteered for; and any other activities that you feel have helped prepare you for elected office?
https://www.ianwpatrick.com/about
10. If elected, are you willing to work with members of political parties other than your own to serve the needs of the citizens of Cabarrus County?
I serve the needs of Cabarrus County residents. Period.
I really hope the other candidates didn’t give some rambling answer about “working with everyone, regardless of political party.” That tells you all you need to know about their lack of grit and fortitude to do what is right – as opposed to trying to get votes with useless platitudes.
