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J. Scott Padgett
Mayor
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J. Scott Padgett was elected to the position of Mayor in 2001 after serving on the City Council since 1995. A longtime resident of Concord, Scott is a retired elementary school principal who received his undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University, Master of Education Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and an Advanced Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Very active in the community, Scott is a member of the Concord Rotary Club, Community Free Clinic Board of Directors, Cabarrus Workshop Board of Directors, Rotary Club Board of Directors, Stonewall Jackson Advisory Board, and Board of Visitors for Barber-Scotia College and is a member of All Saints Episcopal Church. He is a member of the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors and is an active participant in the U.S. Congress of Mayors. Prior to becoming an elected official of the City, Mayor Padgett served as a member of Concord's Planning and Zoning Commission. He is married and has one child and three grandchildren. Mayor Padgett states, "I have always been impressed with the leadership in Concord, and it is an honor to serve the citizens. We have many challenges today, but they are no greater than those faced by our forefathers. Working together, we can make this an even better place in which to live and work."
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A Message from the Mayor
Counting Our Blessings
Thanksgiving and Christmas are times of being with family and special reflection. Personally I have been very blessed with a wonderful family, and the opportunity to serve our community as both an educator and elected official. As a community, the City of Concord has many things to be thankful for as well.
In late August, much of eastern North Carolina was ravaged by Hurricane Irene. This fierce storm did not directly impact us, but it reminded me of 1989 when Concord suffered similar damage from Hurricane Hugo. Many of us remember enduring the days without electricity. I have a distinct memory of seeing electric crews from other cities come to help us restore power.
Through mutual aid agreements with public power communities across the state, we were able to help Hurricane victims in Farmville, Kinston, Rocky Mount, and Tarboro by sending crews from Concord’s Electric Systems department to restore power. The letters we have received from citizens and elected officials of those towns are a source of pride for Concord. We can all be thankful that we had the resources to help someone else, and we know our neighbors across North Carolina will be there to help us if the need should arise. The City Council approved a similar agreement with Duke Energy in November, so in the event of a major outage affecting Duke Energy customers in Concord, City crews can work to restore power in our entire community if needed. Likewise, Duke Energy’s resources will also be available in the City electric service area.
One of the most exciting days of the year came on October 13, when
Carolina Courts announced their new facility coming to Historic Downtown Concord. The company, which currently operates a facility in Indian Trail, North Carolina, will build a second facility on the City’s former public works operations base at 24 Spring Street SW, adjacent to Memorial Gardens. The 47,000 square foot facility will provide basketball, volleyball, and fitness opportunities to the community, and host visitors at weekend tournaments and summer camps. The company expects 100,000 visitors at the facility in the first year. This announcement is a game-changer for Downtown, and you can find out more about the project on page 4.
Although many in our community, state, nation, and world struggle during these difficult economic times, we still have great things happening every day in Concord. I wish all of you a blessed and Merry Christmas, and a wonderful year to come in 2012.
