This year’s city council election consists of seven members of the Wilmington community vying for the council’s three open seats, including two incumbents.
Early voting starts Thursday, Oct. 16, and the election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Greater Wilmington Business Journal asked each candidate questions about their campaign to see how the candidates compare.
JC Lyle
Occupation: Senior regional director, Eastern North Carolina, Wesley Community Development
Political experience: Wilmington Planning Commission (appointed by City Council) 2018-2024; North Carolina Housing Trust Fund board (appointed by General Assembly) 2018-present
Political affiliation: Democrat
GWBJ: If elected, what changes would you like to see in Wilmington during your term?
Lyle: “Ease our growing pains. Use my seven years of practical experience overseeing our state’s housing trust fund to create a Wilmington Housing Trust Fund designed to leverage private investment to meet the unique needs of our community. Fully fund our urban forest master plan to increase and care for our tree canopy and aggressively pursue additional public green space. Strengthen our partnerships with nonprofits to identify and address unmet basic needs with efficiency and compassion. Bring nonprofit leaders to the table as valuable policy advisors. Incentivize a variety of housing types such as tiny homes, duplexes, and townhouses without relying solely on apartment complexes to meet housing demands. Improve development standards to encourage redevelopment of parking lots and vacant buildings. Fill vacancies in the Wilmington Police Department; increase efforts to retain experienced officers. Attrition is very expensive as it takes nearly 8 months and $80,000 to train a cadet with no experience. Mitigate traffic congestion by completing the 2014 Transportation Bond projects and supporting alternative modes of transportation with more bike lanes and crosswalks. Set goals to increase City’s contracts with local businesses, investing in the people who have already invested in the Cape Fear Region and building prosperity here.”
GWBJ: What is your approach to growth and development in Wilmington?
Lyle: “Get out of our silos. Housing, transportation, economic development, health, natural resources, workforce development, and many other aspects of our city are so connected that creatively addressing one problem can impact others. “For example, allowing housing in commercial areas is an important tool in addressing our housing shortage. It also puts people near services and workplaces, so they spend less time on the road, positively impacting traffic congestion. It also has the potential to reduce the footprint through mixed use buildings and shared parking – positively impacting the environment. And it helps employers fill vacancies with people who live nearby – positively impacting economic development. I will always look for opportunities to get the most value from every development policy and every taxpayer dollar invested. Responsible development means investing in our infrastructure, making thoughtful land use decisions, hiring and retaining skilled public servants, and keeping people safe. It’s also about Community Development: equitable access to necessities, high quality public spaces that bring people together, economic development that helps everyone prosper, and a strong human service sector. We are blessed to live in a beautiful thriving city, and the population will continue to grow. As leaders, it is our duty to be ready.”
GWBJ: What do you think the Wilmington City Council and mayor can do about the need for a Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement?
Lyle: "Advocate. We are $700 million short, and costs will continue to rise. We can continue to push our state and federal elected officials to devote the resources. Residents of the Cape Fear Region have paid our fair share of taxes and deserve to have our transportation needs prioritized. Thousands of North Carolinians vacation in our area every year and the bridge is an important part of our state’s trade industry with Wilmington serving as a port city. If needed, we can propose a bond or small hotel sales tax increase to build up the bridge replacement fund. We can also anticipate unintended consequences and be proactive in finding solutions, such as how the traffic flow to and from the new bridge will impact residential communities."
GWBJ: Would you put an emphasis on affordable housing in the city? How would you approach the issue?
Lyle: "Yes, this is my life’s purpose. My No. 1 reason for running for city council is to continue my work making housing more affordable and neighborhoods more stable. Investing in housing positively impacts mental and physical health, crime, disaster resilience, public safety, economic prosperity, and even educational outcomes. Homeownership is the most common way families escape poverty. I’ve had practical experience helping individuals in housing crises and developing policies that impact the city and state. During my 15 years as CEO of WARM NC, we provided free life-changing home repairs and accessibility upgrades that helped seniors and low-wage workers. Keeping low-wealth families in the homes they bought on their own is the most efficient way to address our affordable housing crisis. I served six years on the Wilmington Planning Commission, striving for greater workforce housing incentives and codes that support duplexes, townhomes, and garage apartments. Since 2018, I’ve served on the board that oversees the NC Housing Trust Fund. Every year, we allocate millions of state dollars to leverage private investment to provide housing where it is needed the most. Wilmington is ready for our own Housing Trust/Opportunity Fund that is designed to meet the unique needs of our community."
GWBJ: If elected, which industry would you like to see grow in your next term?
Lyle: “I would like to see the education and health services sector grow because our community’s quality of life and our nation’s economic competitiveness rely so heavily on these basic services. Currently employing about 16% of Wilmington’s workforce, this sector offers meaningful entry-level positions as well as opportunities to learn and grow. I’d also like to see clean industries that employ workers that won’t be easily replaced by artificial intelligence such as business and personal services. The Wilmington MPA has added nearly 30,000 new jobs since 2020, but two out of every three jobs are filled by people moving to the area. My focus will be on targeted workforce development opportunities so people who already live here can compete for new jobs in whatever industries are growing. Economic growth should help everyone prosper. Most of all, I want the City to prioritize contracting with our local businesses, so we use tax dollars to invest in our own prosperity.”
GWBJ: What do you bring to the role that the other candidates do not?
Lyle: "29 years of service. I bring a unique blend of professional experience, heartfelt service, and deep local ties to my 2025 campaign for city council. I make things happen because I am pragmatic, innovative, and fiercely committed to getting the best outcome for Wilmington. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with elected officials from all over the political spectrum to find practical solutions to community needs. During my 15 years as CEO of WARM, we helped over 2,000 families rebuild their homes and grew by an average of 14% annually. After Hurricane Florence, I helped build disaster coalitions in each county that are still active today, connecting FEMA and the county governments to community resources. I’m a proud Seahawk - I earned my MBA here at UNCW. In my current position at Wesley CDC, I help overcome incredible odds to finance and build housing that is affordable to seniors, Veterans, disabled adults, and low wage workers. My commonsense leadership has been recognized with awards and speaking engagements from Wilmington Biz Journal, Wilma Magazine, Wilmington Rotary Club, UNCW Cameron School of Business Alumni Association, NC Housing Coalition, and the National Coalition for Home Repair. I would be honored to serve as your next city council member."
