June 3. NC Rep. John Bradford has submitted a formal NC House budget funding request for local projects, including $3 million for the Smithville redevelopment plan.
The other requests include $150,000 for studying ocular melanoma, as well as $3 million for the Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center.
NC Rep. John Bradford
For the Town of Davidson, Bradford has requested $1.5 million for various park and pedestrian safety improvements.
Bradford, a Cornelius resident, launched his career in elected office on the Cornelius Town Board.
I think it is necessary for Smithfield to have all the public utilities and serices as all other citizens of Cornelius. If the $3 million includes repairing the homes of the current residents, I think this is not fair to other citizens of Cornelius. Has anyone gone or spent time in Smithfield? There are few black families there and many of the homes are owned by non-African American individuals. The houses that are in disrepair are not occupied.
Bradford [Degam] obviously has never even strolled through Smithville if he thinks few black people live there. His remark that revitalization of the homes in Smithville is not fair to those not living in Smithville is totally irresponsible considering that the town since 1910 has systematically neglected to provide services to Smithville that have routinely been provided to the white section of Cornelius. Those in Smithville had to provide their own sewer system and roads and consequently were not able to afford to invest in their own homes. The rest of Cornelius owes the residents for this lost revenue. I’m appalled at the insensitive callous irresponsible attitude of some Cornelius residents. I’m not at all surprised that Bradford could be so negative as he would love to gentrify Smithville so his real estate business could take over the properties. His approach to Smithville is the classic procedure for gentrification.