Former Johnston County Commissioner Lee Jackson of Smithfield filed Monday afternoon for the District 6 seat he previously held. Jackson was joined by his family at the Board of Elections Office in Smithfield for the filing.
In November 2017, Mr. Jackson was appointed to fill a vacant seat created by the resignation of Commissioner Keith Branch who stepped down in September 2017. Jackson was one of four candidates being considered for the open seat.
During the May 2018 Republican Primary, Jackson campaigned on a property tax cut for residents. He was defeated by former Commissioner Tony Braswell of Pine Level who carried 63 percent of the vote total.
Braswell had no Democratic opposition during the Nov. 2018 elections. Mr. Braswell still holds the District 6 seat and filed for re-election last week.
“I have filed for election to the Board of Commissioners because I would like to serve as a new leader for fiscal responsibility in our county,” Mr. Jackson said Monday. “Our county has had the same issues related to growth and school overcrowding for over 20 years. It’s time that we tried new ideas to solve those issues. The next few years will be challenging for our county. Our school system faces a $9,000,000.00 budget shortfall this year. I believe that with my professional experience as a Certified Public Accountant, I can help be the problem solver our county needs.”
“I believe my background as a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant gives me insight into the finances of our growing county and will help the Board of Commissioners continue to keep our tax rates low while we continue to build the schools and infrastructure that we need. Our county is currently needs 7 schools due to our population growth. I want Johnston County to be a place that our children will get a great education and will want to call home after graduation, where they can raise a family, and where they can enjoy life as wonderful as I have enjoyed here. However, we have significant problems to fix in our county moving forward. It’s time to fix the lingering problems and set the stage for the future.” said Jackson.
Jackson was named the Smithfield Selma Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2013. He served as Chairman of the Johnston County Visitors Bureau from 2007 to 2009. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation between 1999 and 2001. Jackson is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church.
