Platforms, Positions & Plans – KEVIN MUNDY for City Council

There are so many important issues and priorities facing the City Council, it’s difficult to pinpoint which are the most pressing. This is especially true since most of these are interrelated, like many smaller pieces of a larger puzzle, and impact the entire city. Below are a few that I’ve highlighted in previous candidate forums as areas of particular concern for me. (Our city, along with the entire world, has changed in the few short months since I won the primary election. I’ve updated this section to add two critical priorities below in red.)

We need to beat the Corona virus as quickly as possible and recover from the financial and emotional blows COVID-19 has dealt us. The City should do more to enforce the CDC guidelines on slowing the spread of the virus so we can safely reopen businesses and get people back to work without compromising anyone’s health. And for those small/local businesses that can’t safely reopen through no fault of their own, we need to provide some kind of financial safety net for these folks until they can get back on their feet.
It is critical that we address systemic racism and other inequities and injustices that divide our community and marginalize various groups of citizens that don’t consistently walk in the “mainstream” of society. And we must do this without tearing down our Police, our Firefighters or any other members of our Public Safety network. “Defunding the police” is not the answer and not an option I will support. I do think, however, we need to redefine what “Public Safety” should encompass, and revise spending based on new guidelines that shift more focus to addressing the root causes of crime, and working to prevent crimes and the conditions that lead to criminal activity. We need to offer a place at the table for some of the most vocal and most knowledgeable leaders of Black Lives Matter and other marginalized community-based groups on the City’s Public Safety Committee and other City groups that could benefit from hearing these often overlooked voices.
Affordable housing. This is a problem nationwide, and one that impacts us right here in the Triad. We need workforce housing that the working poor can afford — like the Shalom Project initiative in progress at the site of the former Budget Inn on Peter’s Creek Parkway at Academy St. We also have to accommodate low- and no-income residents who are being displaced from Crystal Towers and other low-income housing.
Economic Development. Long gone are the days of tobacco and textiles manufacturing jobs and the good salaries they paid. We’ve lost several other corporate headquarters from different industries as well. We must bring business and industry and jobs that will pay a living wage and better to Winston-Salem.
Workforce Development. We can’t attract businesses if they can’t readily find the employees they need here. We have to train our people today to fill the jobs of tomorrow.
Environment. Winston-Salem’s air quality is among the poorest in the state. Too many cars on the road, urban sprawl, and inadequate public transportation all contribute to this situation. We need to reduce our carbon footprint and our dependence on fossil fuels, and proactively address current and future problems that climate change has brought and will continue to bring.

When elected to City Council, I pledge to be CONNECTED, TRANSPARENT & ACCESSIBLE.

I’ll be present in the community and aware of what’s going on. I’ll attend events like First Friday Gallery Hops in the Arts District, Winston-Salem Dash games, street festivals like Fiesta!, Texas Pete’s Spirits of Summer and Pride Winston-Salem, Chamber luncheons, voter suppression protests with my fellow social justice warriors from Green Street Church, live music and theatre performances and much more. Winston-Salem is where you’ll find me actively living, working, playing and praying, so you bet I’ll be connected.
I’ll share information. I don’t like backroom deals or hiding plans from people “for their own good” so count on me telling you what’s going on at City Hall. I’ll produce a newsletter to keep my Southwest Ward residents and anyone else who wants to subscribe in the know.
If you need me, you can find me. I plan on opening up various channels of communication, both in person and electronically, including a quarterly town hall meeting that will rotate throughout the ward. If you call me, I’ll return your call. If we need to meet in person, you’ll be able to schedule a face-to-face. You can email or send me a Facebook message. I can’t promise to always agree, but I will definitely promise to listen.