Growing Greenville Greater

“I love Greenville with all my heart and want more than anything to grow my hometown greater and make it a desirable place in which to live, work, receive your education and healthcare, and retire. I will continue to be a relentless advocate for Greenville and its citizens.”

During his time on the City Council, Les has been a strong supporter of strategic and structured development and economic growth. Recognizing the value of collaboration and partnerships to the city, Les has worked tirelessly behind the scenes building an extensive network of meaningful relationships with leaders and officials at East Carolina University, the ECU Health Medical Center, the Brody School of Medicine, Pitt Community College, elected members of the North Carolina General Assembly and Congress, and local business developers and leaders in his desire to Grow Greenville Greater.  Les continually tackles any problem, large or small, that any citizen communicates to him, regardless of whether it is in his district or not.

City Council Accomplishments

Les has already made a positive impact on our community during the two terms he’s served as your District 5 Representative. Some of those accomplishments include:

Since the beginning of his time on the Council, one of Les’ top priorities has been building a youth sports complex in Greenville.  He called on his relationships with community leaders as well as youth sports coaches and parents to promote his vision.  After years of discussions and studies, Les was thrilled when the City Council unanimously approved a sports complex lease with ECU on September 8, 2025.  This is a first step in accomplishing his vision.  Les believes this will put Greenville “on the map” for numerous families from all over NC and the region as they travel with their kids.  Additionally, it is expected to add $40 million to the local economy as these families stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and patronize numerous local businesses.

Les has also focused on public safety. When he joined the Council, the high number of officer vacancies in the Greenville Police Department was causing safety concerns. Les led the effort to reduce these vacancies, and in fact, the vacancies have been reduced from a high of 27 openings to approximately 13 currently. The officer pay rate was also an issue, but in 2024, the Council was successful in increasing their pay so that it is now in line with other cities of our size.

Looking forward, Les will continue to focus on the following issues.

SAFETY

Our citizens need to feel safe in their homes and communities and as they travel our roadways. This year we have had several shootings, many gang-related, that have caused our citizens great concern.  Unfortunately, our city also ranks at the top in the state for vehicle accidents with personal injuries and property damages.  Citizens often describe our streets as “racetracks” for reckless drivers.  My efforts to date have already reduced the Greenville police officer shortage from approximately 40 to 13.  I will continue my focus and priority on lowering the number of police officer vacancies to ensure the city has an adequate number of properly trained officers to serve our community and address these issues.

Fire and rescue also funnel into the goal of public safety.  I will continue the City’s efforts to update existing fire and EMS facilities while building new fire and rescue departments to prioritize and lower response times to an accident, fire or medical emergency.  On this topic, it is great news that the City is expected to start construction on a new fire and rescue department beside South Central High School in District 5 within the next few months.  Also, the City recently took steps to ensure there is a certified paramedic on each call for EMS service.  This is critical for medical care when serious injuries are incurred, and life is in jeopardy.

STRATEGIC AND STRUCTURED DEVELOPMENT/ECONOMIC GROWTH

Strategic and structured development contributes to economic growth by creating jobs for our citizens and adding to the tax base for the assessment of property and sales taxes.  These taxes constitute a majority of the City’s operational budget.  The growth of our tax base permits the tax rate to be lowered while still allowing the tax revenues to increase.  This development also contributes to making us a destination city to work in and retire.

PARKS AND RECREATION AND GREEN SPACES

Parks, recreation and green spaces are essential to a healthy lifestyle – physically, mentally and emotionally.  Growth in these areas should be earnestly considered when the City is considering new development and creating its new Horizons Plan to replace the City’s current Horizons 2026 plan.  Since the beginning of my time on the Council, one of my top priorities has been building a youth sports complex in Greenville.  I called on my relationships with community leaders as well as youth sports coaches and parents to promote this vision.  After years of discussions and studies, I was thrilled when the City Council unanimously approved a sports complex lease with ECU on September 8, 2025.  This is the first step in accomplishing my goal.  I believe this will put Greenville “on the map” for numerous families from all over NC and the region as they travel with their kids.  Additionally, it is expected to add over $40 million annually to the local economy as these families stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and patronize numerous local businesses.  I look forward to finding more ways to improve our parks, recreation, and green spaces.