Monroe’s Fight: Why Municipal Elections Are Our Front Line
Mayor Burns speaking at Chief Brian Gilliard’s retirement celebration.
Folks, I’ve been your mayor long enough to know the real battles aren’t fought in Washington—they’re right here in Monroe, North Carolina. Municipal elections might not grab headlines like a presidential race, but they’re where we shape our town’s soul. As conservatives, we’ve got to double down in 2025, because the neo-leftists—socialists, radicals, you name it—are knocking. If we don’t show up, they’ll walk right in.
The Stakes Are Local
City council, school board, mayor’s office—these races hit your wallet and your kids. Roads crumbling? Taxes spiking? Schools pushing agendas? That’s on us if we let the wrong folks win. In Monroe, we’ve had chances to stand firm—on drag shows for kids, on divisive DEI programs—and we’ve wavered too often. Take our council’s votes: James Kerr and Julie Thompson held onto DEI despite President Trump’s order to ditch it. Two and a half years to even nudge toward calling drag shows adult entertainment? That’s not conservative speed. And last night’s vote to raise the occupancy tax 1%—another $185,000 from you, when our tourism fund’s already at $950,000? Conservatives don’t tax for fun.
The Left’s Playbook
The neo-leftists aren’t sleeping. A couple years back, a proud socialist started “Change for Monroe,” pushing Marxist nonsense. They’ve harassed conservatives, even stalked my family. I’ve warned council—they’re a symptom of a Democrat Party gone rogue. Nationally, Democrats are bleeding—North Carolina’s unaffiliated voters hit 2.96 million in 2024, topping 2.45 million Democrats. They’re not all flipping red; they’re fed up, sitting independent. That’s our opening, but we’ve got to act.
2025: Our Moment
Monroe’s 2025 elections—my race, council seats for Kerr, Thompson, and Gary Anderson—are make-or-break. Anderson stood with me and Dotson against a $46,000 city hall study, but we need more votes like that: low taxes, lean budgets, clear principles. Council’s travel budget jumped to $7,000 per member—way above the $1,500 norm for cities our size. Taxpayers foot that. Proverbs 11:10 says, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” I want Monroe rejoicing, not groaning under weak calls.
Your Move
Conservatives, this is our shot. Run for office. Vote with your eyes open—skip the media spin. Research candidates yourself. The New Republican Party’s bold, like Trump, not bending to radicals. I’m breaking the good ol’ boy system here—everyone gets a fair shake, but we lead with truth. Our economy’s primed—airport, jobs—but it flops if we let socialists or spendthrifts in. November 2024 showed America’s with us. Let’s prove it in Monroe, 2025. Get up, get loud, and let’s shape this town for our kids.
Stay engaged. Stay MonroeStrong.
