Voters urged to look past the yard signs

Concerned Citizens group urged residents to get involved before decisions are made and to vote in the Aug. 6 election

#Opinion • 9:36 a.m. June 25, 2026

The message out of Tuesday night’s Concerned Citizens of Moore County meeting was plain: This is not the season to sit back and grumble from the sidelines.

It is time to show up.

That does not mean every neighbor has to become an expert on county finance, zoning, school budgets, road plans or audit reports.

But it does mean citizens need to pay attention to the decisions being made in their name – and with their tax dollars.

Stay informed by asking questions was the thread running through the meeting. Ask questions. Read what is available. Go to a meeting. Talk with elected officials. Follow the budget. Know who represents your district. Know what is coming before Metro Council, Planning and Zoning, the school board and county committees – before the final vote is called.

Speakers repeatedly stressed that the group’s purpose is not to attack individual officeholders, department heads or county employees. The effort began with residents who were concerned about the direction of the county and wanted to better understand the root causes behind local decisions.

The group also has a direct connection to the Aug. 6 election. Concerned Citizens of Moore County was founded by four people whose names are on the ballot: Regina Adcock, a District 5 Metro Council candidate; Robert Bracewell, a District 2 Metro Council candidate; Keith Moses, a mayoral candidate; and Hampton Hoffman, a District 2 Metro Council candidate who has since withdrawn and plans to move out of state before the election.

Other candidates also attended, including District 2 Council member Douglas Carson, who is running for re-election; Cody Lanier, a Metro Council candidate in District 5; and sheriff’s candidate William Raline.

Those details do not change the group’s stated message Tuesday night, but they give voters important context as they weigh the meeting, the candidates and the Aug. 6 election.

Even with that election connection, the larger point Tuesday night was simple: Informed citizens make better decisions. The group presented its findings on topics including financial audits, county oversight, and Metro Council voting records and attendance.

Moore County is small enough that one voice still matters. One question at a public meeting can slow down a conversation. One neighbor reading an agenda can spot something others missed. One call to a council member can start a better discussion. One full room can remind elected officials that people are watching, listening, and expecting answers.

Several speakers urged residents to move beyond social media arguments and into the rooms where county business is actually discussed.

County business is neighborhood business

That means showing up before a road issue, zoning change, school need, emergency call or tax bill lands at your own front door.

Among the data points presented on Tuesday: Moore County has about 7,000 residents, and 5,531 are registered voters. In nine of the past 11 years, property taxes have increased, and the county has about $27 million of debt.

Growth, taxes, schools, public safety, roads and development are not far-off government talk. They shape daily life in Moore County – from the classroom to the courthouse, from Fayetteville Highway to the Square, from the ballot box to the tax bill in the mailbox.

Speakers also discussed county committees and public processes, questioning how committee members are selected, how often committees meet and whether more residents with practical experience could be brought into the work.

The concern was not only who casts the final vote, but how much work is done before an issue ever gets there.

Know who serves your Metro Council district. Reach out. Ask how they voted and why. Ask what they are working on. Ask what they need from citizens. Ask what committees are meeting. Ask how decisions will be paid for.

The meeting also carried a call for constructive disagreement. Residents do not have to agree on every answer to agree that the questions matter.

Know who is asking for your vote

That spirit matters in a local election year.

The General Election will help decide who sits in the seats where those questions are answered. Residents who want a say need to make sure they are registered and ready.

The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, July 7. Early voting runs Friday, July 17, through Saturday, Aug. 1. Absentee ballot requests are due Monday, July 27. Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 6.

Before voters head to the polls, the community will have a chance to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. A Candidates Forum is set for 9 a.m. Saturday at Moore County High School, giving residents an opportunity to ask questions and listen to those running for office.

That kind of forum matters. Campaign signs can tell you a name. Family history may tell you where someone comes from. Social media can tell you who is loud.

But none of that answers the question voters need to ask: Has this candidate earned your vote?

Running for office is more than putting a sign on the side of the road. It is more than counting on a familiar last name or a circle of friends to carry the day. Public office requires judgment, fairness, preparation and enough trust to make decisions for the whole county – not just one family, one group or one side of an argument.

So listen closely. Ask whether the candidate understands the job. Ask whether they know the county well enough to help lead it. Ask whether they have earned the trust Moore County relies on when impartial decisions have to be made.

Go. Listen. Ask. Take notes. Talk it over with your neighbors.

Then follow up.

Citizenship does not end at the ballot box

The work should not stop after ballots are cast. That may be the larger lesson from Tuesday’s meeting. Voting is essential, but citizenship does not end at the ballot box.

Being actively involved continues in meeting rooms, phone calls, emails, public records requests, committee work and steady attention to the business of the county.

People may disagree on budgets, taxes, growth, schools or how county government should operate. But the people in the room kept coming back to the same idea: Moore County is worth paying attention to.

So read the agendas. Attend the meetings. Talk to your council members. Follow the budgets. Ask where the money is going. Ask how decisions are made. Ask what the plan is.

Then carry that concern all the way to the polls.

Every vote matters, and in a county this small, that is not just a slogan. It is the whole ballgame.