Here at the Beacon, we have debated whether to make a public endorsement of the candidates running for office in 2019. The debate is over, and we have landed firmly on yes.

The Matthews Beacon endorses John F. Higdon for Matthews’ Mayor. A three-term commissioner and current Mayor Pro Tem, Mr. Higdon has demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues faced by our town. He is consistently responsive to the needs of constituents and brings honesty, humility, leadership, and intelligence to the board. Also, to date, there are no instances in which Mr. Higdon has used racial epithets in a public forum.

When the John Street widening threatened downtown Matthews, Mr. Higdon was the only commissioner who responded appropriately to citizen concerns. He worked with the leaders of Preserve Matthews to pursue alternative ideas for John Street and was instrumental in turning the Board against the project.

During the debate over town support of House Bill 514, Mr. Higdon opposed the measure from the beginning, citing well-researched complications in addition to concerns from Matthews’ parents. John has maintained a positive relationship with the CMS School Board and will make great strides in repairing the town’s relationship with CMS.

Prior to serving as a commissioner, Mr. Higdon served on the town’s Tree and Appearance Board. He has a long track record of caring for Matthews’ green space and will be a force for smart, sustainable development. It’s worth noting that no donations to Mr. Higdon’s mayoral campaign have come from developers.

Additional details about Mr. Higdon’s record on the issues are available on his website. His campaign finance records are available on the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website.