By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Mike Caskey, a Republican and school board member, filed Tuesday for Rowan County Commissioner.
Caskey, 39, of 5819 Christy Circle in Kannapolis, works as a patrol officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He has served on the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education since 2010.
“Even when I ran for the school board, my priority has always been to make sure that we spend our tax money in the best way possible,” Caskey said Tuesday. “I’d like to make sure that we can keep our taxes low.”
As a school board member, Caskey said he could bring the Board of Commissioners some insight into the way county education funding is spent.
“I’d like to make sure that we still fund our schools, but I want to make sure that we send money over there that’s used properly,” Caskey said.
He said he’d like to reduce the tension between the school and county boards by holding joint meetings, where members can work together and get to know each other.
Another of Caskey’s top priorities, he said, is to create the best environment possible for business to move into the county.
“If we have the lowest tax rate we can have, and the least amount of regulations as we possibly can, we can make the process easier,” he said. “I know some stuff is out of our hands, but there are things we have control of, and we should make those a priority.”
Caskey also said he wants to make sure the county is providing all of its required services in the most efficient way possible.
Two other candidates also filed Tuesday for county commissioner – Laura Eller Hutchinson, a Republican, and Cleveland Town Council Member Travis Summitt, a Democrat.
Twelve candidates, including eight Republicans and four Democrats, have officially entered the race so far for two open seats on the Board of Commissioners.
Other candidates filing Tuesday include:
• Democrat Bruce G. Peller filed to challenge incumbent Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican, in U.S. House District 5.
• William H. Battermann, a Democrat, filed to challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Harry Warren in N.C. House District 77.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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Mike Caskey
Office sought: Rowan County Commissioner
Age: 39
Address: 5819 Christy Circle, Kannapolis
Phone number: 704-640-9678
Party: Republican
Occupation: Patrol officer, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Education: B.B.A. in information systems from Catawba College, M.B.A. from Montreat College.
Previous elected office: Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, 2010-present
Community involvement: Member, Enochville Volunteer Fire Department Board; past member, Rowan County Planning Board.
Family: Wife, Melissa; daughters, Corina Jean and Abby; son, Sam.