John O'Day (North Carolina)

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John O'Day

Summerfield Town Council

Tenure

Present officeholder

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Bachelor's

Pima Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Shippensburg University.

Other

Project Management Institute

Personal

Birthplace

Fort Dix, NJ

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Profession

Consulting executive

Contact

Campaign Facebook

John O'Day is a member of the Summerfield Town Council in North Carolina.

O'Day ran for re-election to the Summerfield Town Council in North Carolina. O'Day won in the general election on November 5, 2019.

O'Day completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John O'Day was born in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He received a bachelor's degree in 1995 after attending Pima Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Shippensburg University. O'Day's professional experience includes serving as a national health plans consulting executive; procuring, contracting, and implementing software; and developing systems to support health plans. He received his project management professional certification from the Project Management Institute.

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Summerfield, North Carolina (2019)

General election

General election for Summerfield Town Council (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Summerfield Town Council on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lynne Williams DeVaney (Nonpartisan)	20.6	1,736
✔		John O'Day (Nonpartisan)	19.6	1,655
✔	Submit photo	Reece Walker (Nonpartisan)	19.5	1,648
	Submit photo	Priscilla Olinick (Nonpartisan)	13.9	1,172
	Submit photo	Rich Schlobohm (Nonpartisan)	13.2	1,114
	Submit photo	Sean Dwyer (Nonpartisan)	13.2	1,113
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,441 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John O'Day completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by O'Day's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in New Jersey to a military family, and have lived across the country. I eventually landed in central Pennsylvania where I earned my degree in Computer Science.

While living in Pennsylvania I served communities in a variety of positions from historic societies in Gettysburg, to Appalachian Trail clubs. My wife and I were attracted to Summerfield's rural character and infrastructure to raise our daughter. We've lived in the Polo Farms community since early 2011. My son, a former Marine, lives with his family in Chambersburg, PA.

Since moving to the area I've been involved in our community, first as a volunteer, and then as an elected official. As a member of the Town Council the last four years, I've been part of significant accomplishments for our community. We've maintained the lowest tax rate, and best fund balance ratio in North Carolina. We have no debt, and $13M in assets. We have solved safety issues in our parks by improving parking. Recently we opened the Greenway tunnel under 220 by connecting a sidewalk to Summerfield Road.

Going forward, I am committed to keeping taxes low. I do not support a municipal water system. Instead, I pledge to work with our Fire District partners on the best way to keep our community safe. Our Unified Development Ordinance must be completed with continued citizen input to the process. We need strategic planning to determine town property usage, as well as additional park improvements. I support the A&Y Greenway extension in Summerfield, with state and federal funding.

Professionally, I consult with health plans throughout the country recommending operational improvements based on strategic, vision. I have managed many projects with multi-million dollar budgets, and constrained timelines. Simply put, I know how to get things done.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Low Taxes - Continue fiscal policies that keep taxes the lowest in the state, and fund balance ratio the best in NC.
• Continued Controlled Growth - Based on the citizen developed Comprehensive Plan
• Water for Public Safety - Work with the Summerfield Fire District on solutions to meet current and future public safety needs

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Trails . . . I've served as a Director of Appalachian Trail clubs, and have always enjoyed hiking and biking across the country. I support our A&Y Greenway extension. Engaging citizens in the process. We've had 21 Summerfield residents involved in the development of our Unified Development Ordinance. I'd like to see us engage our young people more in our community.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Local government can have the greatest impact on citizens. It's also where residents have the best access to elected officials. I've provided opportunities for voters to meet with me to discuss issues important to them throughout my first term in office.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father, who died much too young. He was very black, and white in his concepts of right and wrong. There were no gray areas. I grew up understanding the right way to do things, and have applied that in my day-to-day life.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I really can't think of one, but it's an interesting question.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Responsiveness . . . to the people we serve.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, transparency, and a willingness to collaborate, but not to the point of selling out my values.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Honesty, intergrity, transparency, willingness to collaborate, but not to the point of selling out your values.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I listened to citizens to the point of correcting course of a decision. I've found myself in that position twice in public office, and both times did not hesitate to re-examine the issue based on additional input. I understand I'm not perfect, and don't mind admitting that.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was a kid during the Vietnam War. It was on the TV every evening.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

McDonalds as a 16 year old. I worked for them for nearly 3 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I've read so many books. I can't possibly pick a favorite.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I prefer to work on being the best version of myself I can be . . . that's real.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I Wanna Be a Cowboy by Boys Don't Cry - Our family did a vacation this summer which involved time riding the prarie in Wyoming. I could not get that song out of my head.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Balance between my work, publice service, and family. It's not easy, but I do my best.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

We have the power to tax and regulate development through legally defensible ordinances.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

To a degree . . . there is no manual for the job. So, experience serving on the Town Council is an asset. It also provides continuity from one Council to the next.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Ability to listen to residents concerns in a sincere mannger. Professional approach to solving problems. Willingness to collaborate.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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