Chris Jernigan

Full name: William Christopher Jernigan – “Chris”

Age: 63

Education: 

• Smithfield-Selma Sr. High School – Smithfield, NC
• Campbell University – undergraduate pre law program
• NC State University – 1982 – BA Communications
• NOVA Southeastern University – 1997 – MA Child and Youth Care Administration
• Additional Graduate work towards a Doctorate of Education in Child & Youth Studies

Military service: None

Employment: Southmountain Children & Family Services, 33 years – Executive Director responsible for overall operation and direction of this $6,000,000 not-for-profit agency that has been serving children & families for 120 years.

How long have you lived in the town in which you desire to serve? 30 years

Do you own your home? Yes

If so, how long have you lived at that address? Five years

Why are you seeking (re)election? 

The short answer is because I absolutely love Morganton and its people!!! The longer answer is that it has been my honor to serve in this office for the past four years. During that time, I am proud to say that my fellow council members, the city administration and staff, and I have worked together in great harmony to try to move Morganton forward. That, of course, has not been easy since the majority of my term has been during the worst Pandemic any of us have ever seen. However, despite COVID, civil unrest across our entire Nation, and a very uncertain economy, we have continued to work towards a bright and positive future for Morganton. I believe we have made some slight inroads to finding solutions for our most pressing challenges and I look forward to continuing those efforts with this amazing team.

IF ELECTED, WHAT WILL BE YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS DURING YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS IN OFFICE?

I am very proud of the accomplishments of my term despite the challenges we faced. Even with these accomplishments, however, I know we still have long strides ahead of us. Homelessness, housing shortages, the need for restaurants in our downtown and new businesses and industry throughout our city are still glaring issues. We have empty buildings downtown that are destroying its beauty and, along with a lack of open restaurants, causing locals and visitors alike to shop & dine elsewhere. While I feel we have made some inroads to solutions in these areas, I know these are still the main issues on which we must focus our attention and our resources.

These are the issues I hear about daily from the Citizens of Morganton. These are the issues they want the City officials to work on. These are not easy issues to solve, fix, or eliminate. They are the tough issues that all of us must continue working on together as a community. These issues will be my top priority not just for six months but the next four years. By-the-way, these issues are also part of the Imagine Morganton 2040 Plan in which all citizens of Morganton should participate.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS MORGANTON CAN OVERCOME THE CURRENT HOUSING SHORTAGE?

I am happy to say that we have some real movement towards new development of housing. The City has sold some of its own property and been a catalyst in the sale of other properties to allow for development of multifamily housing in the Central Business District. We have sought out and worked with developers to bring projects like Murphy’s Farm to fruition. We have rezoned properties to allow for more housing development. We have earmarked funds for water and sewer expansion and other infrastructure projects. The administration, staff, and Council are constantly and consistently working on the housing shortage issue. I do believe that this issue will be a major component in the Imagine Morganton 2040 Planning process and I urge all citizens to take part in this process. This is where ideas for how we can all work together to encourage development of housing will come to light. This planning process is where everyone can have a voice and help solve the issue. Please take time to participate in surveys, public meetings, etc. related to Imagine Morganton 2040. Check out the city website to learn more. If you want to see change, be a part of that change.

IF ELECTED AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, WHAT LEGACY DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE DURING YOUR TENURE IN OFFICE?

I hope the citizens of Morganton can be as proud to have elected me as I am to be their choice for this office. When my time on the City Council is over, I hope they say that I did my best and served them well. That, to me, is the ultimate legacy of any public servant.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR REMARKS? (200 words or less)

I remain thankful that the citizens of Morganton chose me to help lead our great City on a journey to a bright future and I am excited to have the chance to continue the work that we have begun. I feel blessed that I do not have to worry about running a campaign this term and I feel that, too, is a vote of confidence from the citizens of Morganton and a sign that most citizens believe that we are on the right path. I do not take that vote of confidence lightly. I promise to continue to try my very best to uphold the trust and confidence instilled in me and to work tirelessly to make Morganton greater than it has ever been. Please do not think that since there is no opposition to most of the candidates running that it is not important to get to the polls and cast your vote. We all have an obligation as free citizens to show the world that we still believe in and cherish this right. It is still just as important to vote as it would be if there were opposition in every race. Please take the time to vote!!!