Miles Atkins won’t be running for re-election as Mooresville’s mayor, after all.
The news comes less than a week after Chris Carney — a former town commissioner and state senator — announced he would challenge Atkins for the seat this fall.
Atkins had announced earlier this year that he would be seeking another term as mayor. He was elected as an at-large commissioner on Mooresville’s town board in 2007. As a private citizen in 2005, Atkins spearheaded the town’s adoption of a code of ethics during a time when certain town board members were being scrutinized for handing a lucrative contract to a friend for the town’s multi-million-dollar wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Atkins won his first term as mayor in 2011, championing at the time a code of conduct for the town’s elected officials.
Atkins has chosen not to seek re-election during a time of unrest over several issues, including residential growth without needed infrastructure and the town’s treatment of Josh’s Farmers Market, a longtime local business in west Mooresville.
Just recently, Atkins broke four ties on the town board in favor of a 579-unit apartment complex near Langtree even before bids were in for the East-West Connector, a road that is critical to handle residential development in the area.
Developers eventually pulled their request, but not before the town board showed how sharply divided it was on the issue.
Atkins has also been criticized for his position on the community’s beloved Josh’s Farmers Market after he emailed state elected officials the town’s plan to force the business’ closure. Atkins told the state officials that he was emailing them background “in case (they) get asked to intervene.”
In his news release today, which was sent to local media excluding the Scoop, Atkins said: “Representing and serving the greater Mooresville community for the past 16 years has been an honor. After an ample amount of introspection, I feel now is the time to explore new possibilities, therefore I have decided not to seek a seventh term as mayor in the upcoming municipal election. I plan on enjoying the on-going [sic] celebration of Mooresville’s 150th Anniversary, while keeping an eye on opportunities to serve in 2024.”
7 thoughts on “Mayor will not seek re-election, after all”
Thank god! Take your trash board with you!
Still won’t undo what you have done to JFM!!! Spearheaded that too!! Will follow you anywhere in political terms!!
1 down, more that need to go
Law should be changed so that a Mayor can only serve two terms. It is time that Atkins leaves Mooresville.
Agree
I’m very curious why the mayor, several on the board, and town employees have such an issue/vendetta with JFM? There is a story there and I’m dying for ‘the scoop’ to figure it out!
And growth to this area is ridiculous! Road, schools, etc need to be in place before building begins! Anyone with the slightest knowledge of construction knows this! 579 apts, 150 home community approved for Brumley Rd, etc, etc, etc. smh
I would hardly call the “town’s treatment of Josh’s Farmers Market” a period of unrest. If that’s one of the top two biggest issues of the past 12 years, he sounds like a pretty good mayor. Alternatively, it’s possible that this reporter is overly fixated on this particular issue, indicating a biased perspective.