Thomas for Union County

06/17/2026

Open to your thoughts…

The County's budget for the fiscal year 2026-2027 has been approved!

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted the budget at Tuesday's regular meeting, with the tax rate unchanged for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The balanced budget highlights the County's fiscal responsibility while prioritizing what matters most to residents:

✅ Investments in the Union County Sheriff's Office, Monroe, NC including an additional School Resource Officer and education & military service salary incentives
✅ Maintaining reliable core services that improve quality of life
✅ Supporting economic development efforts
✅ Additional funding for our education partners

Read the Budget Ordinance: https://www.unioncountync.gov/home/showdocument?id=11764&t=639172885171133504

Listen to Commissioner comments about the budget: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEY01DI9hvo

06/17/2026

Lots going on in Charlotte area…

UPDATE: CMS told Channel 9 late Wednesday that Crystal Hill is on temporary paid leave amid an investigation.

06/17/2026

Sharing info on our neighbor’s choices…

Mecklenburg County Sales Tax Update

Effective July 1, 2026, an additional 1.00% sales and use tax will go into effect in Mecklenburg County. This means the total general state and local rate will increase from 7.25% to 8.25%.

Stay informed and plan ahead👇

🔗 https://bit.ly/401bBn3

06/16/2026

Tuesday wisdom.

06/13/2026

Beat the heat with the fire squad in Monroe.

06/12/2026

The same scenario plays out year after year. We keep electing the same people because they do enough good things to keep us content. Meanwhile, we gloss over the larger issues that hurt us long-term.

I’m convinced that the bulk of the issues we face are due to constraints placed upon us at the state level. We can’t have impact fees to soften the blow of all the unwanted growth we are experiencing, and our local leaders are powerless to do anything about it.

Think about some of the costs that could be offset if there was a mechanism for the growth to pay for itself… Roads. Teacher pay. General infrastructure. The list goes on and on.

Why are we happy with elected officials who give us a lot of what we want while refusing to give us what we need? There are people out there who will do both. Why do these people never seem to find their way into office?

Demand more of the candidates in the primaries. Make impact fees THE election issue. Let’s stop being placated by token “wins”.

- Jonathan

06/11/2026

Big congrats to Officer Vic!

06/09/2026

As someone works in the construction industry, I think this is a great thing. It’s hard to find good tradesmen these days. The ones that get out there and work make a ton of money.

As many high school seniors prepare for college, some are taking a different path.

06/06/2026

Webster's Dictionary defines crony capitalism as "an economic system in which individuals and businesses with political connections and influence are favored (as through tax breaks, grants, and other forms of government assistance) in ways seen as suppressing open competition in a free market". When people decry the “perils” of capitalism, this is generally what they mean.

Make no mistake, this is not capitalism, but rather a perversion of it where the political elite pick the winners and losers. This is why mom and pop and medium-sized businesses can’t compete with large, multi-billion-dollar corporations. It’s also part of the reason the US Tax Code is so massive. Crony capitalism also shares one key characteristic with socialism: The average person suffers while the privileged and well-connected get richer.

I feel this is part of the reason for the rise of the unaffiliated voter. There is definitely a disconnect between the average person and the political elite and it’s getting harder to ignore. I’m not talking about principles, but rather the manipulation of them to maintain power and wealth.

This is not a “hate the rich” post. There are numerous wealthy people who have earned their wealth by creating products and services that others demand. They deserve what they have earned. I’m talking about those who have created and utilized advantages specifically carved out for them to manipulate the system as well as the politicians who have gotten rich helping them. The halls of government are full of people on both sides who are active participants in this twisting of capitalism.

Not much will change until we stop fighting amongst ourselves and start holding the individuals that we put in office responsible for this type of behavior. We need to stop giving people a pass because of the letter beside their name and hold them to the standard that we demand.

- Jonathan

06/04/2026

Back on November 20, 2023, I posted about the shifting dynamics of registered voters in Union County. Specifically, I said “If this trend continues at the same rate, unaffiliated voters will become the largest voting contingent in the county within 3 years.” Today, the Board of Elections posted statistics showing that unaffiliated voters have overtaken Republican voters in Union County as the largest voter base.

It’s like I had a crystal ball or something.

This wasn’t to encourage people to leave the party, but rather to encourage the party to adjust course. I went on to say, “If we look introspectively and adjust to gain the support of the disaffected (and mean it), we have a great opportunity to welcome new voters to our ranks.” Given recent developments, it’s apparent that didn’t happen.

This isn’t something that will change without some effort, but first, we need to know what the underlying problems are. So, here’s my question to unaffiliated voters:

Why did you choose to change your voter registration to unaffiliated?

- Jonathan