NC 114: John Carroll

Name: John Carroll
Occupation: Real estate broker and instructor
Party affiliation, if any: Republican
Political experience: Two terms Buncombe County Board of Education
Endorsements: Noted by contributors

1) How much money have you raised for your campaign?

$31,163, plus a $7,800 loan from me.

Who are your top three donors, and how much has each contributed?

NC Realtors PAC – $5,000
Western Eye PAC – $2,000
Lora Thrash – $1,500.

2) What most distinguishes you from your opponent?

My over 30 years of real-world business experience and meeting a payroll. I have extensive experience in many aspects of education. … This [won’t] be an easy task over the next several years, and you need a person with a wide background of life experiences to meet the challenges ahead.

3) What are your top three legislative priorities?

• Create jobs;
• stop wasteful spending;
• preserve our schools.

4) Do you support authorizing Asheville to raise its hotel-room tax?

I do not think the tax needs to be increased at this time.

5) What methods do you favor for dealing with the state budget crunch, and how would they affect the Asheville area?

No specific formula for the budget crunch. I think it needs to be a bipartisan solution where every member comes to the table with the honest intention to solve the problem. Cuts [must] be considered in every area with the understanding that we have to preserve our educational system.

6) Do you favor changing state law governing involuntary annexation? If so, how?

I believe in voluntary annexation with a vote of the people being annexed. This is only fair to those people, and the cities need to have a two-thirds majority to annex, with the services provided within two years.

7) North Carolina had more people on its AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting list last year than all other states combined. Do you favor fully funding this program?

The AIDS Drug Assistance program will have to be reviewed along with all health-care programs to see what funding the state can afford.

8) What’s your position on legalizing medical marijuana?

I don't think this is a program that should be favored in N.C. without further study. I understand the reason for it, but there are too many possible loopholes in the program in California, for example.

9) Do you favor providing benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees? Why or why not?

At this time the benefit program in North Carolina is having a hard time meeting the demands under the current budget crisis. It would have to improve considerably to even be a discussion.

10) Do you support state assistance to local municipalities in financial trouble? If so, in what form?

I would support financial assistance to local governments to provide public-safety and health programs. Of course, everything has to be worked into the budget on a priority basis.