I am a free-market capitalist to the absolute core. I believe there is nothing more American than ownership of land and the freedom to use it as you please (second only to freedom of speech and ownership of firearms, of course). Unfortunately, not everyone shares the same sentiment in Johnston County and throughout America today. There is a rapidly growing concept of regulating the right to sell or use your land as you see fit. Some of these government regulations are presented through a concept known as 'Smart Growth' or 'Managed Growth’ without any explanation about what it truly means.

Smart Growth is defined as a land use planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth into compact, walkable urban centers to avoid urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is the expansion of human populations away from central urban areas, leading to the development of low-density residential areas. While urban sprawl may put a strain on public utilities, regulating it through Smart Growth policies can create even worse economic problems down the road.

Prohibiting single-family residential development will cause property values to rapidly increase, subsequently dramatically raising the amount you pay in taxes. When supply is down (due to the prohibition on housing), demand goes up, and so does the price! We are already seeing the effects of rising property values. The median listing home price in Johnston County, NC, was $379.9K in October 2023. It is currently very hard for those looking for starter homes, young families, and those with families outgrowing their current homes to find a place that fits their needs and budget without getting overbid.

Now, along with the rising home prices, comes higher taxes because the value of the home is higher. Our older generation and retired military personnel CANNOT afford the higher taxes and are forced out of their homes. Smart Growth Policy forces the middle-class Americans to live in cities and urban centers with high rents and no way to create generational wealth. THIS IS UNAMERICAN. The American Dream is all about obtaining property with your family and exercising those property rights! There is a reason why people are leaving Smart Growth-managed areas like Denver, CO, and Los Angeles, CA.

Now, you may ask, what about the infrastructure? What about water and sewer capacity? What about the traffic? I truly believe that these issues can be solved without resorting to the failed Smart Growth policies of Denver and Los Angeles. We must grow our capacity by investing in what we have, NOT by regulating what other people have or are trying to have!