Faith Naff

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

What experience, knowledge, and personal qualities prepare you for this office?

I am a retail industrial engineer, so my whole career is based on maximizing efficiency. I find best ways to get the most out of available resources. That is a mindset and skillset I believe could benefit Caldwell County. Additionally, I am in school to become a part time/volunteer EMT. I have a demonstrable desire to serve my community and be there for people in challenging times.

Where do you believe you would bring a different approach from the other candidates?

I would do more to leverage social media to keep the community engaged in what’s going on in their local government. This year, some of the current Commissioners showed a desire to restrict the digital offerings by which people can watch their meetings. I would never vote to restrict such things. In fact, I believe there is room to grow our digital interaction offerings. Anything we can do to expand public access to the official workings of their elected officials, the better.

What are the two most important challenges this office will face during the next term, and what specific actions—within the office’s actual authority—would you take to address them?

For one, we need to do more to leverage the beauty of our natural resources and attract tourism dollars. We are the gateway to the High Country for everyone southeast of them. I would work with the Caldwell Chamber to create new offerings that would entice people traveling from the Charlotte and Triad regions to stop here instead of just passing through on their way to Boone, Banner Elk, etc. Also, as mentioned before, we need to do more to make local government feel accessible to our community. There is a lot of anger over tax increases, and taxpayers want a clear understanding of what their money is paying for. There are countless ways we can utilize social media and other digital avenues to make that possible.

What standards should voters use to judge your performance if you are elected, and how will you keep the public informed about your decisions and progress?

We have challenges that cannot be solved quickly, and many of our challenges are shared by much of Rural America and will require action at the State and Federal levels to solve. As for me, I hope I will be judged on how strongly I adhered to my promises and principles, how transparent I was with the public in my actions as Commissioner, and how much more informed and involved people felt during my term.

What benchmarks will you use to measure your success in office?

In the short term, community involvement. I want to see the audience packed each time we have a meeting. I want to see more avenues for community/government interaction opened. If people feel more informed thanks to my involvement, I will count that as a win. In the long term, increased revenue for the county through means other than raising taxes. Attracting new business and creating new tourism offerings takes time, but the knock-on effects of both can be extremely beneficial.

In the county’s next budget, name one service or investment you would increase and one expenditure you would reduce or hold flat. What effect would your choices have on the property-tax rate?

I’ve made a promise that I will not vote to pass the 2028 budget if it does not increase funding for public education. The recent announcement that Kings Creek School may have to close is demonstrable of the sacrifices that are made in the face of budget shortfalls. Based on my current understanding of the County Budget, I would hold General Government spending flat. At the end of the day, though, taxes are what pays for the needs of the county. We can, and should, scrutinize all spending, but what things cost is what things cost. This is why I believe increased transparency and public understanding are so important.

What is the most important long-term capital or growth decision facing the county, and how would you pay for your preferred approach without neglecting existing infrastructure and services?

We need to ensure our housing market has the kinds of homes available that serve the needs of our community. In the past decade I’ve seen over a dozen homes get built near my own and nearly all of them sold quickly because they were priced for the median income for this county. This is not something we necessarily need to spend public money on so much as find ways to encourage. Offering low-interest loans to developers building or renovating the kind of housing we need could be one solution.

Faith was born in Eastern Tennessee and raised in the North Carolina High Country. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2009.

As an experienced business manager and industrial engineer, Faith has the skillset and unique perspective to tackle the issues facing Caldwell County. She brings with her an eye for increasing efficiency and maximizing the utility of available resources.

Faith is fighting for a Caldwell County where we can all grow together.

EXPERIENCE

15+ years of business management, industrial engineering, and efficiency consulting.