Corey Thompson, 34-year-old History and Journalism teacher at West Mecklenburg High School has announced his candidacy for Mecklenburg County Commissioner At-Large.
Thompson completed post-graduate work and his Teacher Licensure through UNC Charlotte’s Program, so he counts himself among the “Niner Family”.
Thompson grew up in the Mecklenburg area and considers Charlotte a place he calls home. He and his wife Jenny are the proud parents of 2-year-old son Charlie.
“Considering that my wife and I are both teachers, we understand what the average family is facing right now. We have a young son, we have a mortgage, and we know all-too-well just how difficult times are. People are growing tired of waiting on the government to solve their problems. We don’t need politicians right now, we need leaders,” Thompson says.
He feels he can offer the leadership Mecklenburg County is looking for.
Thompson’s pledge is to “do more” which is a response to Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones’ statement that with our current budget we need to “do less, with less.”
Thompson feels the foundation of change will not come by doing things we’ve already done, his new vision calls for the understanding that we do not need to settle, that we can build to prosperity once again.
Thompson recalls that last spring Mecklenburg County Commission “gutted” the Charlotte Mecklenburg School budget by an upwards of $35 million. “As a result of this cut, teachers were laid off and education programs were cut. Good people lost their jobs, and the children of our county were drastically impacted by the decision to cut school funding. Classroom size expanded tremendously, making it more difficult for teachers to reach each and every student. I saw this firsthand.”
However, after making this decision, another decision was made shortly after to award Jones with a $38,400 bonus for a “job well done”. Thompson acknowledges the amount awarded for bonus pales in comparison to the amount cut out of the budget, but he says “Jones’ $38,400 would have kept a well-qualified teacher in a CMS classroom. So, when I hear him say that we need to be prepared to ‘do less, with less,’ it just doesn’t make sense.” His team has taken previous decisions like these to inspire them to aide in areas they can control.
Thompson’s team held a drive to raise school supplies for CMS School and donated them to Classroom Central, on behalf of the people of Mecklenburg county. He says this is a prime example of “what we, ‘the people’, can do when inspired to pull together and overcome the current challenges we face.”
The Primary for Mecklenburg County Commission vote takes place on May 4, and Thompson knows they need to finish in the top-3 to make a difference in the Nov. General Election. Thompson challenges people to join his vision, “I would invite anyone who has questions about the campaign, or might be interested in getting involved, to check out the campaign website: www.coreythompson.us”
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