Mayor Chris Carney of Mooresville defended the town’s development strategy and pushed back against criticism during a recent radio show, framing Mooresville’s approach as focused on infrastructure investment, industrial recruitment, and local decision-making amid ongoing legal and law enforcement controversies.
Speaking on WAME radio’s “Taking Care of NC” program with host state Rep. Jeff McNeely, Carney said the town has taken deliberate steps to reshape growth patterns as population increases continue across the region.
“We got rid of apartments,” Carney said. “You can’t even build them anymore, standalone apartment complexes.”
He described the policy shift as part of an effort to respond to resident concerns about congestion, school capacity, and infrastructure strain tied to sustained growth in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
Southern Iredell County has been among the fastest-growing counties in the state for more than a decade, driven by continued expansion along the Interstate 77 corridor. State planning data has consistently shown the region absorbing population growth as Charlotte-area development pushes northward.
Carney said transportation remains a central priority as the town prepares for continued expansion.
“There’s hundreds of millions of dollars in road projects and interchange projects that are happening,” he said, pointing to regional investments intended to improve mobility and support economic development.
Much of the interview focused on manufacturing and defense-related recruitment, which have become central themes in North Carolina’s economic development strategy as state and local governments compete for advanced industry projects.
Carney said officials are working to build what he described as a regional industrial network.
“We’re trying to build a defense corridor that runs through this part of Iredell County and Cabarrus County,” he said.
He cited North Carolina’s military installations, transportation access, and workforce as key advantages in attracting aerospace and defense companies.
“We’ve got the military presence, we’ve got the transportation infrastructure, and we’ve got the workforce,” Carney said.
North Carolina remains one of the largest military states in the country, with major installations including Fort Bragg and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and economic development officials have frequently pointed to defense spending and aerospace manufacturing as long-term growth sectors.
Carney said Mooresville’s approach reflects broader state efforts to recruit domestic manufacturing and supply chain operations as companies expand in the Southeast.
At the same time, he addressed criticism and legal disputes involving town government and law enforcement.
“When it all comes out, you’re gonna find that we had some bad actors that worked for Mooresville,” Carney said. “We had a police officer running tags on women.”
He did not provide additional details or identify the officer.
An officer was arrested on similar charges in 2024, which were later dropped in 2025.
Carney also criticized individuals he said were involved in disputes surrounding the town.
“They got an attorney who obviously is fighting dirty and they got one particular news person who seems to have their ear,” he said.
The comments come as multiple lawsuits filed by former town employees continue to move through the court system. The cases include allegations of retaliation connected to a surveillance video involving Carney not wearing pants inside town facilities after hours. The video has not been publicly released, and litigation remains ongoing.
Calls have emerged from some former employees and officials for review by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, though no formal public investigation has been announced.
Questions have also persisted around a February 2025 law enforcement operation involving the Mooresville Police Department outside town jurisdiction.
Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said he requested SBI involvement after Mooresville officers assisted in executing a search warrant in unincorporated Iredell County without notifying his office.
“The lack of communication created officer safety concerns and raised questions about coordination and accountability,” Campbell said in prior statements regarding the incident.
Town officials disputed that characterization, saying Mooresville officers were assisting North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations and were not acting as the lead agency.
Questions about prosecutorial oversight have also surfaced.
District Attorney Sarah Kirkman previously told WBTV her office identified a “possible perceived conflict” involving matters connected to Mooresville and referred the issue to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys for review.
No SBI investigation has been publicly confirmed in connection with the disputes.
Beyond local controversies, the interview also touched on broader political and policy issues shaping North Carolina heading into the 2026 election cycle, including regulatory policy, emissions rules, and court battles over election maps.
McNeely referenced recent court rulings involving congressional redistricting and nonprofit donor privacy, issues that have become focal points in statewide political debates between Republican lawmakers and advocacy groups.
The conversation also included discussion of emissions inspection requirements and environmental regulations affecting fast-growing counties in the Charlotte and Raleigh regions, which Republican officials have frequently criticized as costly mandates on residents and businesses.
Carney said North Carolina voters have historically shown shifting political preferences between state and local levels, a dynamic he said influences policy debates at the county and municipal level.
Carney also served as a state senator in the NC General Assembly from 2011 to 2013.