Josh Bergeron 

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

Rip Kersey is giving the Salisbury City Council another shot after an unsuccessful 2011 bid that came up 120 votes short.

Last week, Kersey, 62, filed for the 2015 Salisbury City Council race. He previously ran in 2011, falling less than 1 percent shy of incumbent Pete Kennedy.

Kersey is a Realtor and retired electrical engineer. He also is a consultant for Catawba Valley Community College.

If successful in his bid for the council, Kersey said he hopes to contribute positively to the Salisbury community. He said improving the overall quality of life is an important priority.

“And, the foundations for that are a low crime rate and high-quality education,” he said. “Those are priorities not only for Salisbury, but all of Rowan County. And in particular for education to thrive and to attract business and people, we’ve got to create a safe, low-crime environment.”

Kersey said city leaders, including council members, should continue to focus on improving relationships with county leaders. Improving relations has been a goal of the current City Council and county commissioners since the November 2014 elections.

“Rowan County cannot be successful without a successful Salisbury, and vice versa,” he said.

Kersey said over the years he’s tried to make a positive impact on Salisbury, and being on the Salisbury City Council would be another avenue to help the city.

Kersey has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clemson University, where he graduated in 1975. Previously, Kersey worked more than 30 years for Invista, which later was purchased by Performance Fibers.

His community involvement includes being a past board member of Rowan Helping Mnistries and attending First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury. He currently serves on the Rowan County Planning Board and Airport Advisory Board.

Kersey and his wife have two daughters.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.