By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Leda Shuping Belk, a Democrat, has filed to rejoin the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
Belk, 65, of 5110 Stokes Ferry Road in Salisbury, is a retired educator and law enforcement officer.
She served as a county commissioner from 2000 to 2004 and ran again unsuccessfully in 2010. On Feb. 24, she filed to compete for one of two open seats on the board this year.
Belk said she wants to see more direction in county government and more public input into its goals.
“Somehow, we’ve got to bring the citizens together — north, south, east, west and central Rowan,” Belk said. “What do they need in their community, and how can the county help?”
She said there is too much negativity publicized about Rowan County, and the county needs to “put a better face on what we’re doing.”
That could make businesses feel better about bringing jobs here, Belk said.
“We need to make it easier for companies to relocate, and we need to work with our economic development people to help them,” she said.
Belk said the county also needs to get involved in the region again. In the past couple of years, commissioners have decided to withdraw funding from the Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Centralina Council of Governments.
“We cannot grow as a community and we cannot grow as a county,” she said, “unless we are in touch with what’s going on beyond our borders.”

Leda Shuping Belk
Office sought: Rowan County Commissioner
Age: 65
Address: 5110 Stokes Ferry Road, Salisbury
Phone number: 704-637-6908
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Retired educator and law enforcement officer
Education: Salisbury Business College; B.S. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in education from UNC Charlotte
Previous elected office: Rowan County commissioner, 2000-04
Community involvement: Member, Rowan Rotary Club
Family: Husband, Harold G. Belk