Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

Tom retired from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company after a 32 year career in Sales Management, Marketing, and Finance. He was a past president of the Craven Republican Men's Club, past member of the Craven County Republican Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Craven County Republican Nominating Committee.

Tom and Laraine have been married for twenty-five years and have seven children and ten grandchildren between them. Laraine is a member of the Fairfield Harbour Chorus. They have been property owners in Craven County since 1990 and have lived in the county since Tom's retirement in 2000.

Change--Less government-Limit hiring to replacement for retiring or resigning employees. Review each position to see if some can be combined or eliminated. The county should not be the largest employer in the county.

Taxes--Low and reasonable taxes for private homeowners, small businesses. Lower the personal property tax. Eliminate the (temporary?) county sales tax.

Fresh Ideas--Local government should make better use of new technologies to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Job Creation--Aggressively market Craven County as a prime location for small business and light industry. Establish Chamber of Commerce awards for businesses that create jobs. Create a volunteer board of business people to advise the commissioners on strategies to attract new businesses.

Term Limits--Firm believer in term limits for all elected officials. No one should hold the same office more than two terms.

Listen to Voters--A big issue with voters, our leaders do not listen to us. Leaders should talk to everyone, not just each other.