Todd Sansbury – Cornelius Town Commissioner
LPMeck Alignment |
Summary of Responses |
|---|---|
| 85% 🟢 | Supports stricter zoning to ensure quality development, opposes the transit tax hike due to uncertain benefits, and rejects budget cuts to meet growth demands. He champions personal freedom as a core Libertarian stance. |
Full Answers Provided by the Candidate:
1. Should zoning laws be more or less restrictive?
Zoning laws should respect individual property owner’s rights. My policy has always been that property owners, neighborhoods, etc should always try to work out differences amongst themselves and seek reasonable solutions that satisfy all parties. Once local government gets involved, the solution becomes permanent and restrictive and forces others to adopt policies they might otherwise disagree with.
2. Do you support or oppose the proposed transit sales tax hike?
The greater Charlotte area has transportation issues and all potential remedies will be expensive. I’m typically opposed to more taxation, especially when previous tax increases were misused and directed away from their intended target. Our area doesn’t receive our fair share of funding from Raleigh and D.C., so we need to first fight for appropriate investment based on the taxes we already pay. If local investment is needed, any and all creative solutions should be considered and each municipality should have equal voice. Additionally, one fix may not be applicable to all areas, so flexibility and targeted solutions should be part of the plan.
3. Which areas of the budget would you cut if elected?
I would cut areas that fall outside the purview of the government. Elected officials and local governments should have few but vital responsibilities: Public Safety, Parks/Rec, Infrastructure and limited economic development. Any other intended use of taxpayer funds should be redirected to these limited functions.
4. Should the government step back in areas better handled by the private sector?
There is no need for the government to regulate, overtake, or influence areas that are better handled by the private sector.
5. What is your most Libertarian stance, and why should Libertarians support you?
I’m a firm believer of the Invisible Hand Theory. Individuals and free markets are always more efficient than government intervention. Governments should have limited authority. For every government backed project presented to me, I always ask ” Should the town be involved in this and if so, can we do it cheaper and faster than is being proposed?”