McDowell candidates discuss key issues at forum
ELECTION 2026
Candidates for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners, the N.C. House District 85 seat and the Marion seat on the Board of Education answered questions and talked about issues facing McDowell during a forum Thursday evening.
Paula Swepson Avery with West Marion Inc. welcomed all those who attended the forum.
Suzanne Gavenus, Democratic candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives, answers a question while Dudley Greene, the Republican incumbent for that seat in the N.C. House, waits for his turn.
Four of the six candidates for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners attended the candidates' forum. They were (from left) Republican incumbent David Walker and Democratic challengers Matt Suttles, Stephanie Tenery and Terry English. Republicans Tony Brown and Chris Allison were not able to participate.
Candidates for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners, the N.C. House District 85 seat and the Marion seat on the Board of Education answered questions and talked about issues facing McDowell during a forum Thursday evening.
The forum took place at the Marion Community Building, and a big crowd attended the event, which was hosted by West Marion Inc.
Ginger Webb is the community engagement director with West Marion Inc. She said previously all six candidates for the McDowell County Board of Commissioners had committed to participate.
Of the six candidates for the commission, Democrats Terry English, Stephanie Tenery and Matt Suttles participated in Thursday's forum, as well as Republican incumbent David Walker. Republican incumbent Tony Brown did not attend, and Republican challenger Chris Allison explained in a Facebook post that he had planned to attend the forum but was suddenly taken ill and was not able to speak. He apologized for not being able to attend, read his Facebook post.
The two candidates for N.C. House District 85 (Republican Dudley Greene and Democrat Suzanne Gavenus) participated in the forum. Sarah Skinner, the Democratic candidate for the Marion seat on the McDowell Board of Education, was also present. Marvin Greer, the Republican candidate for the seat, emailed that he could not attend, according to a previous story by The McDowell News.
A.T. Harrison served as the moderator. He is a trained community organizer and internationally recognized community development scholar with numerous books, articles and reports in circulation. He is also a member of the North Carolina Community Land Trust Coalition and a Research Associate at the University of Toronto's Housing Justice Lab, where he supports the Community Land Trust movement in the United States and abroad, according to a previous story by The McDowell News.
The candidates were asked what they think is the most important issue facing McDowell County during the next four years. Skinner, who is running for the school board, talked about children being bullied and not having access to mental health services. "Children are not our future," she said. "They are our now. Children are here now. We need to make our schools places that are safe, inclusive and welcoming for all children."
Greene, who is seeking another term in the N.C. House of Representatives, said the continued recovery from Hurricane Helene's devastation is the most important issue. He said there are still people out there who are not back in their homes and private bridges not being built yet. Debris removal is still a concern.
Gavenus, who is challenging Greene, talked about affordability because "it cuts across a lot of lines in our community." She spoke about the need for better mental health care and more affordable child care. The need for more affordable housing is also a major concern in McDowell, she said.
The commission candidates were asked about their priorities for the county budget and what parts of the budget they would increase, maintain or reduce. English said he supports more funding for human services. Tenery said she would like to increase the portion for mental health services so it would help law enforcement deal with people who suffer from addiction or are homeless. She also supports higher taxes for people who own second homes in McDowell and "are not giving back to the county." Suttles, likewise, proposes a progressive land tax on non-primary residences or vacation homes that benefit from county services but do not contribute back to the community. Walker talked about his support for education (the school system and McDowell Technical Community College), infrastructure such as water projects and cooperating with the Marion City Council and the Old Fort Board of Aldermen.
The commission candidates were asked what they would do about more affordable housing in McDowell County and how they would respond if the 2027 reappraisal results in substantially higher property values. Gavenus and Greene were asked if they supported the expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina. Both said they were in support.
The entire candidates' forum lasted around two hours. It was livestreamed on the Voter Engagement and Education Facebook page and professionally recorded by CKB Productions. It can be watched at www.facebook.com/VoterEngagementMcDowell.
Early voting started on Thursday and will last until Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
