Candidates — Garner Election

Rex is a longtime Garner resident. He has received the North Carolina Fiscal Integrity Award from the North Carolina Office of the State Controller and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest award for state service

Rex is a financial management professional. He has worked as an auditor, budget officer, budget director, assistant controller, and chief financial officer. He is also a licensed certified public accountant (CPA).

Rex Whaley (Garner Town Council, North Carolina, candidate 2025 ...

Rex ran for Garner Town Council in 2023 but did not win.

Candidate website

Believes in maintaining a reasonable tax rate and efficient resource use.

- Believes in maintaining a reasonable tax rate and efficient resource use.
- Supports reducing property taxes.

Economy

Wants to preserve Garner's current community features for future generations.

Believes in adequately investing to maintain a high level of essential services for residents.

- Wants to preserve Garner's current community features for future generations.
- Believes in adequately investing to maintain a high level of essential services for residents.

Public Services

Believes residential development should serve the interests of Garner residents and businesses, saying, "Not all development is created equal."

Believes in attracting high-value commercial development to add amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and retail, and to reduce property taxes for residents.

Believes in attracting high-value commercial development to add amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and retail.

Supports pursuing actions and partnerships to address affordable and workforce housing needs.

- Believes residential development should serve the interests of Garner residents and businesses, saying, "Not all development is created equal."
- Believes in attracting high-value commercial development to add amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and retail.
- Supports pursuing actions and partnerships to address affordable and workforce housing needs.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports prioritizing the funding, staffing, and training of police, fire, and first responders.

- Supports prioritizing the funding, staffing, and training of police, fire, and first responders.

Public Safety

As of September 4, 2025, Rex Whaley’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Education

Rex Whaley

Rex's campaign for Garner Town Council Member is his first entry into politics. 

As of September 4, 2025, Rex Whaley did not have a website or any information online.

Walter Ley

Gra Singleton | Garner Town Council Election

Gra has lived in Garner for 45 years. He graduated from Garner Senior High School in 1980 and earned a bachelor of arts in business management and a bachelor of arts in economics from North Carolina State University in 1984. He and his wife, Tracey, have three children. They are active members of Garner United Methodist Church.

Gra is a small business owner in Garner. He has owned and operated his own business for 28 years. Earlier in his career, he worked at the old Winn-Dixie grocery store and at Hudson's Hardware.

Gra Singleton (Garner Town Council, North Carolina, candidate ...

Gra is currently a member of the Garner Town Council. He was first elected to the Garner Board of Alderman (now Garner Town Council) in 1993 and has served continuously since then.

Plans to actively promote Garner and pursue economic development that brings well-paying jobs.

Supports retail incentives if they benefit the community at-large.

- Plans to actively promote Garner and pursue economic development that brings well-paying jobs.
- Supports retail incentives if they benefit the community at-large.

Supports building a community center if funding is available.

Supports building a community center in the next 4 years if funding is available.

- Supports building a community center in the next 4 years if funding is available.

Plans for future development around the I-540 corridor.

Supports establishing a Housing and Neighborhood Manager to work with local and county officials to identify and increase affordable housing options in Garner.

- Plans for future development around the I-540 corridor.
- Supports establishing a Housing and Neighborhood Manager to work with local and county officials to identify and increase affordable housing options in Garner.

Plans to address public safety and gang emergence.

- Plans to address public safety and gang emergence.

Plans to improve transportation, sidewalks, and bus service in town.

- Plans to improve transportation, sidewalks, and bus service in town.

As of September 4, 2025, Gra Singleton’s website did not contain information on this issue.

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Gra Singleton

- Supports establishing a Housing and Neighborhood Manager to work with local and county officials to identify and increase affordable housing options in Garner.

Gra Singleton has lived in Garner for 45 years. He graduated from Garner Senior High School in 1980 and earned a bachelor of arts in business management and a bachelor of arts in economics from North Carolina State University in 1984. He and his wife, Tracey, have three children. They are active members of Garner United Methodist Church.

Gra is a small business owner in Garner. He has owned and operated his own business for 28 years. Earlier in his career, he worked at the old Winn-Dixie grocery store in Garner starting in 1978. He then worked at Hudson's Hardware from 1980 until September 1997.

Supports planning and designing sidewalks.

Kathy has lived in Garner for over 30 years. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is married and has six children and eight grandchildren.

Kathy has been an independent business owner for over 40 years.

Kathy is currently a member of the Garner Town Council. She has served on the council for 20 years. She also served on the Planning Commission for 6 years.

Supports economic development to maintain a balanced tax burden.

- Supports economic development to maintain a balanced tax burden.

Supports beautification efforts to enhance community pride.

- Supports beautification efforts to enhance community pride.

Supports "reasonable, balanced growth" in the town, believing it is essential to economic vitality.

- Supports "reasonable, balanced growth" in the town, believing it is essential to economic vitality.

Supports Fire, Police, and Rescue services.

- Supports Fire, Police, and Rescue services.

Plans to address infrastructure improvements such as street resurfacing and stormwater management.

- Plans to address infrastructure improvements such as street resurfacing and stormwater management.

As of September 4, 2025, Kathy Behringer’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Kathy Behringer

Kathy Behringer has lived in Garner for over 30 years. She has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is married to Jeff and has six children and eight grandchildren.

Kathy is currently a member of the Garner Town Council. She has served on the council for 20 years. 

As of September 4, 2025, Kathy Behringer did not have a website or any information online.

Supports balanced growth, believing it is crucial for economic vitality.

Kelvin lives with his wife, Allysa, and their dog in Wake County.

Kevin is currently the Director of Community Engagement at a statewide nonprofit. He previously worked as the Policy and Advocacy Manager at Children’s Home Society, North Carolina’s largest foster care agency and as a legislative aide at the North Carolina General Assembly.

Kevin's campaign for Town Council Member in Garner, North Carolina is his first entry into politics.

Supports creating work groups, commissions, or task forces to address poverty, gun violence, and small business development in Garner.

Supports creating work groups, commissions, or task forces to address poverty and small business development in Garner.

- Supports creating work groups, commissions, or task forces to address poverty and small business development in Garner.

Plans to pass an ordinance requiring all votes taken by the town’s mayor and council members to be listed on Garner’s official website.

- Plans to pass an ordinance requiring all votes taken by the town’s mayor and council members to be listed on Garner’s official website.

As of September 4, 2025, Kelvin Stallings’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Plans to create work groups, commissions, or task forces to address poverty, gun violence, and small business development.

Plans to create work groups, commissions, or task forces to address  gun violence.

- Plans to create work groups, commissions, or task forces to address  gun violence.

Proposes a one-time 5% salary supplement increase for Garner school teachers who live within the town limits, a one-time 2.5% salary increase for teachers who live outside the town limits, and an annual $100 supply stipend per classroom.

Supports policies aimed at improving child and family welfare statewide.

- Proposes a one-time 5% salary supplement increase for Garner school teachers who live within the town limits, a one-time 2.5% salary increase for teachers who live outside the town limits, and an annual $100 supply stipend per classroom.
- Supports policies aimed at improving child and family welfare statewide.

Kelvin Stallings

Kelvin Stallings earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives with his wife, Allysa, and their dog, Olive, in Wake County.

My name is Kelvin Stallings, and I am a candidate for Garner Town Council.

Proposes a one-time 5% salary supplement for town teachers and a one-time 2.5% salary increase for teachers who live outside the town limits, as well as an annual $100 supply stipend per classroom.

Mike is from Garner, North Carolina. He has a master’s degree in justice administration from Methodist University. He is married with three grown children and two grandchildren. He is a former president of the Garner Rotary Club and a board member of the Garner Area Historical Society and the Poole Family YMCA.

Mike is a law enforcement professional who retired as deputy chief of police after 25 years with the Garner Police Department. He also worked as a criminal justice instructor and educator. 

Mike McIver (Garner Town Council, North Carolina, candidate 2025 ...

Mike's campaign for Garner Town Council Member is his first entry into politics. 

Believes tax increases should be rare, emphasizing efficient budgeting and long-term planning.

Supports private investment that expands the tax base.

- Believes tax increases should be rare, emphasizing efficient budgeting and long-term planning.
- Supports private investment that expands the tax base.

Supports balanced development throughout the community.

Supports balanced development across Downtown Garner, US 70/Hwy 401, Mechanical Boulevard, and throughout the community.

Believes in "declining projects that don’t align with community values."

Wants to maintain the current parks system.

- Supports balanced development across Downtown Garner, US 70/Hwy 401, Mechanical Boulevard, and throughout the community.
- Believes in "declining projects that don’t align with community values."
- Wants to maintain the current parks system.

Believes revitalizing Main Street and promoting well-designed neighborhoods boosts quality of life, supports local businesses, and prepares Garner for the future.

- Supports "smart growth."
- Believes revitalizing Main Street and promoting well-designed neighborhoods boosts quality of life, supports local businesses, and prepares Garner for the future.

Supports "continuing support for public safety."

Supports keeping police and fire well-staffed and equipped, investing in youth and prevention programs, and strengthening emergency preparedness.

- Supports "continuing support for public safety."
- Supports keeping police and fire well-staffed and equipped, investing in youth and prevention programs, and strengthening emergency preparedness.

Lists smart growth, traffic and infrastructure, and tax rates as top concerns for Garner residents.

Lists traffic and infrastructure as top concerns for Garner residents.

- Lists traffic and infrastructure as top concerns for Garner residents.

As of September 4, 2025, Mike McIver’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Mike McIver

- Lists traffic and infrastructure as a top concern for Garner residents.

Mike McIver is from Garner, North Carolina. He has a master’s degree in justice administration from Methodist University. He is married with three grown children and two grandchildren. He is a former president of the Garner Rotary Club and a board member of the Garner Area Historical Society and the Poole Family YMCA.

Mike McIver's campaign for Garner Town Council Member is his first entry into politics. 

As of September 4, 2025, Mike McIver did not have a website or any information online.

Supports community involvement in education.

Patricia is a wife, mother, and grandmother.

Patricia has over a decade of experience in civic leadership.

Patricia T. Uzzell (Garner Town Council, North Carolina, candidate ...

Patricia's campaign for Garner Town Council Member is her first entry into politics.

As of September 4, 2025, Patricia T. Uzzell did not have a website or any information online.

Patricia T. Uzzell

Patricia T. Uzzell's campaign for Garner Town Council Member is her first entry into politics.

- Town council members serve as the governing body of the town, along with the mayor. 
- The town council members make policy decisions for the town, including creating ordinances, policies, and making agreements with other governments. 
- The town council can amend and revise town policies, as well as approve or reject the town budget. 
- The town council is also in charge of the appointment of advisory boards, commissions, task forces, committees, the town manager, and the town attorney. 
- Members of the town council are elected to staggered 4 year terms. 