Cornelius Officials Endorse Thom Tillis

For Immediate Release:  April 5, 2006
Contact: Press Office, 704-248-2980

The Town of Cornelius Republican elected officials have unanimously endorsed Thom Tillis in his challenge against incumbent Representative John Rhodes for the North Carolina House.  Joining the call for a change and offering support for Thom Tillis are:

Mayor Gary T. Knox - Registered Republican, successful business man and father.  Mr. Knox was elected in 2003, and he received the endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Dole.  When asked about his decision to support Thom Tillis, Mayor Knox said that he has had an opportunity to work with both candidates and he is convinced that Thom Tillis is the right person to move our district forward and to look out for the interests of all of the citizens of the 98th District.

Mayor Pro Tem Susan Medlin - Registered Republican, Magna Cum Laude Appalachian State, President and founder of Vintage Marketing.  Ms. Medlin was elected in 2003, receiving the most votes.  Ms. Medlin said her motivations for her endorsing Thom Tillis were in part due to frustration in working with the current Representative and in part due to the leadership, energy, and results Thom Tillis demonstrated while he served with her on the Cornelius Town Board from 2003 through 2005.

Commissioner Jim Bensman - Registered Republican, active volunteer in the Mecklenburg County GOP, former CEO of SAP America, current CEO of Probaris.  Mr. Bensman was first elected to the Cornelius Town Board in 2001 receiving the highest number of votes.  Mr. Bensman said his decision to endorse Thom Tillis over John Rhodes was straightforward saying "I have served with Thom Tillis and with John Rhodes and there is simply no comparison.  On the one hand, you have Thom Tillis.  A successful business executive with deep experience in managing budgets and large numbers of staff who works with you to produce results.  On the other hand, you have John Rhodes, a completely ineffective ideologue who would put his personal agenda ahead of producing results."

Commissioner David Gilroy - Registered Republican, BSE Princeton, MBA Harvard, Army Ranger Certified, Venture Capitalist.  Mr. Gilroy was elected to his first term in 2005.  Commissioner Gilroy says his motivation for supporting Thom Tillis relates to Thom's depth of business experience and ability to work with people to get things done.  Gilroy says "Thom is involved in a variety of endeavors in the community from serving as Chairman of the Board of the United Way to President of the Hopewell High School PTSA.  He is constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of life in our area."

Commissioner Eddie McNeely - Registered Republican, successful business man, new father.  Mr. McNeely was elected in his first bid for Town Commissioner in November of 2005.  Commissioner McNeely received the endorsement and support of Congresswoman Sue Myrick in his 2005 election.  Mr. McNeely served on the Town of Cornelius Planning Board for several years, including serving has Chairman.  Mr. McNeely had the opportunity to work with Thom Tillis in his capacity as Planning Board Chairman and Thom Tillis as Town Commissioner.  Commissioner McNeely said "Thom's practical approach to solving complex problems, such as balancing environmental concerns with the need to promote growth are skills that we can all benefit from in Raleigh.  He has demonstrated a solid grasp of the issues and he has developed a very strong relationship with the Towns of North Mecklenburg as well as the business community."

The Town of Cornelius has one of the highest concentrations of registered Republicans in Mecklenburg County.  With a Republican Town Mayor, Gary T. Knox and 4 out of 5 Commissioners who are registered Republicans, it is no wonder that Cornelius has the lowest property tax of any Town in Mecklenburg County.  The Town of Cornelius has also advanced a fiscally conservative agenda by enacting a "fund balance" policy, which specifies limits to spending as a percentage of the annual revenues, and the Board has put aside money in current year budgets to fund future obligations, thus reducing the risk of tax increases for future boards.  The consensus among the board is that Thom Tillis can help the Town of Cornelius hold the line on taxes while working with the State to improve roads and education in North Mecklenburg.

In addition to the "sweep" of elected officials in Cornelius, it is noteworthy that four of the five endorsees above were endorsed by Representative Rhodes in their campaigns. 

For more information regarding Thom Tillis' campaign for the NC House, visit the Thom Tillis campaign web site at http://www.electthomtillis.com.