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VOTE411 Voter Guide

GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 03

Guilford County is governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners; elected by district and at-large to serve four-year terms. Commissioners’ terms are staggered and general elections are held in November of even-numbered years. The board sets the policy for the county, determining the strategic vision for the county, appoints a county manager, attorney and others to serve the county, adopts ordinances, including zoning, and establishes an annual budget, which includes setting the tax rate and calling bond referendums.

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  • Candidate picture

    Jeanine Couto
    (GRE)

  • Candidate picture

    Derek Mobley
    (DEM)

  • Candidate picture

    Pat Tillman
    (REP)

Biographical Information

What experience and skills make you the best candidate for this office? (Max. 750 characters)

What is the most important issue the County Commission will have to address in the next two years? (Max. 750 characters)

What is the most effective role the County Commission can play in improving the local schools? What policies or funding will you suggest when elected? (Max. 750 characters)

What policies will you propose to improve the economy of your county? (Max. 750 characters)

What policies would you propose to improve the quantity and quality of social services in your county? (Max. 750 characters)

Additional Comments (Max. 1000 characters)

Position/philosophy statement People Before Profit
Campaign Mailing Address 100 MANOR CT
GREENSBORO, NC 27403
Current Occupation Chairperson and Visiting Assistant Professor
Age (optional) 54
Campaign Phone 3363556972
Campaign Website http://couto4ncworkers.org
Campaign X (Twitter) Handle @couto4ncworkers
Campaign Youtube URL
I am the best candidate because I've spent my career fighting for working people. A Ph.D. and 20+ years in higher education taught me to research, listen, and deliver—securing grants, building inclusive programs, and amplifying marginalized voices across the Americas. I know Guilford County workers: the factory hand, the caregiver, the teacher, the small business owner. I will fight for living wages, affordable healthcare, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. My scholarship on race, gender, and identity isn't abstract—it's a blueprint for equity here in the Triad. I lead with evidence, not slogans. I'll bring transparency, accessibility, and relentless advocacy to this office. Your voice belongs in Guilford. Let me represent you.
Affordability is the defining issue facing the Guilford C. Commission over the next 2 years. It is the foundation upon which every other priority depends.

The data is clear. Roughly 70% of low-income households in the County are cost-burdened, spending at least 30% of their income on housing. The county's poverty rate stands at 15%, the 3rd highest in NC. Renter cost burden in Guilford is among the highest in the state, around 40-50%.

The county's own fiscal pressures reflect this strain. The Commission's own strategic framework, "Advancing Our Livability," defines the goal as ensuring people of all ages, abilities and incomes can live, learn, work and play in the County. That vision is unattainable if residents can't afford to live in it
I support allocating more money to the district. Over the last 15 + years our public schools have faced nothing but cuts, reduced teacher pay (at one point ranked 49th in the nation), not maintained infrastructure (heating and cooling, roof repairs), cuts to teachers’ aides, cuts to music and art programs, and increased class sizes. All of this while adopting draconian performance policies seemingly designed to penalize public schools in favor of under-performing or average private schools, under the deceptive rubric of school choice. For example, teacher pay (elementary and secondary) in North Carolina since 2000, adjusted for inflation to 2021, showed that between 2000 and 2021, teacher pay declined 12.0 percent from 2009-2010 to 2020-21
My economic policy agenda rests on three pillars: workforce, small business, and disciplined incentives.

First, I will champion deeper alignment between Guilford County Schools, GTCC, and our target industries—aerospace, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and supply chain. Employers like Toyota and JetZero are here because of our talent pipeline, but we must ensure graduates are ready for those jobs and that they stay in Guilford County after graduation.

Second, I will strengthen our Small Business and Entrepreneurship Department's work, including the Guilford Gains capital access program and expanded technical assistance for minority- and women-owned businesses.

Third, I will support performance-based incentives tied to job creation
My social services agenda focuses on three areas: stabilizing the workforce, expanding behavioral health capacity, and protecting vulnerable residents.

First, I will invest in the social services workforce. The county eliminated 20 General Fund positions in the FY2027 budget, including social workers in Adult Placement and Guardianship. These cuts undermine the county's ability to serve residents. I will work to restore front-line positions and support competitive compensation to reduce vacancies and turnover.

2nd, I will strengthen the behavioral health system. I support the $10 million Women and Children's Residential Recovery Center and the expansion of residential treatment services through the Graves Center partnership with Daymark.
A living wage today is at least $25 an hour, and that's what I will push for. Finally, last but not least: My third point above was Medicaid for All: I will protect the safety net. With 185,000 residents relying on county programs and $7.5 million in federal and state funding reductions, I will prioritize maintaining food security, Medicaid enrollment support, and the Family Justice Center's navigation services. The county's social services must remain coordinated, accessible, and effective.
Position/philosophy statement I plan to use my time on the Board of Commissioners to make sure Guilford County residents can enjoy a high quality of life no matter where they choose to live.
Current Occupation Quantitiave Analyst
Age (optional) 39
Campaign Phone 3364101285
Campaign Email electmobley@gmail.com
Campaign Website http://electmobley.com
Since graduating from UNCG, I have spent the last 15 years as a Senior Analyst in Corporate Finance. Civic involvement is also very important to me, and that's why for the past decade I have held VOLUNTEER UNPAID leadership positions with several local non-profits as well as commissions. I've served as a member of the Executive Committee for the Wyndham Championship, as President of the Greensboro Junior Chamber, as a member of Class 28 of Leadership North Carolina, as the President of the Bryan School Alumni Association, and as Secretary of the Oak Ridge Lions Club.
Finally, after two decades and large investments in our education and infrastructure by our County Commissioners, we are seeing the potential for more jobs and better pay. As your Commissioner, I want to make sure those jobs go to our residents, and that we keep Guilford County affordable as we grow. I think my background in finance and the relationships I have built through my volunteer service make me the best candidate for this time of transition.
Repair and Rebuild Schools in the Northwest, Grimsley, and Western High School Districts with Existing Funding Build the Airport Magnet School in District 3 Use Budget Supplements to Keep High Performing Teachers
Support Construction of New Homes Across the County Increase Housing Options in Rural Areas and Small Towns Increase the Availability and Reach of Water and Sewer Systems Use Existing Vacant Office Spaces to Consolidate County Operations
Have the Fastest EMS and Fire Response Times in the Region, Especially in Rural Areas Choose Clean Energy When it is Affordable Repair County Parks and Make them More Fun and Accessible Ensure Food Safety Policies are not Wasteful and Support Street Food Options
Candidate has not yet responded.
Position/philosophy statement NC
Campaign Mailing Address 105 HOMEWOOD AVE
GREENSBORO, NC 27403
Current Occupation Government Affairs
Campaign Phone 3364181729
Campaign Email pattillman916@gmail.com
My life has been focused on serving others and working to make our Guilford community a better place to live, work, recreate and raise families. This is why I am running for re-election to County Commissioner. My service to my country as a 14 year US Marine Veteran, (including combat deployments), service on the Board of Education, as a Commissioner and serving on non-profits equips me a depth and breadth of experience that is unrivaled in this race. Guilford County is undergoing a true "Renaissance". I have have had a front row seat helping lead, collaborate and serve as a County Commissioner. I will continue to work with our business community, K-12 education, GTCC, higher education to keep Guilford County thriving.
Affordability or what I call "livability" is a critical element we as leaders must prioritize. I will continue to fight to keep our property taxes low so that we do not compromise service delivery, but alleviat the tax burden. Personally, I have taken the lead on creating another policy lever/revenue generator helping to secure binding language from the State Legislature for a quarter of a cent sales tax on the November ballot. This would generate between $25-30mm in annual revenues to be designated for local teacher supplements, our rural fire districts and for GTCC. It's this kind of creativity and relationships I have forged that help secure these wins. I will continue working to make Guilford County a great value to live for residents.
County Commissioners play a pivotal role in helping build/ maintain schools. We also have the ability to pay local teacher supplements, classified staff (bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, etc.) and we have done so. I/we have worked closely with GC Schools to fund K-12 in a robust way. For example, Guilford County ranks 5th in the state for principal supplements, 3rd for assistant principal supplements, and 23rd for teacher supplements. Since FY2021, we increased funding to GCS by $72.8 million. Guilford County ranks 12th in the state in the recently updated relative funding, according to the NC Public Schools Forum. In FY2026, we increased operating funding for Guilford by $12,279,927. I am a public school champion.
Regionalism - we have already had some wins in this regard, particularly with the excellent work by our Chamber and the Carolina CORE. Early successes have been illustrated with Toyota megasite, Jet Zero, Marshall Aerospace and Lenovo to name a few. Regionalism enables us to look beyond our boundaries for the to improve quality of life, while also maintaining our own identity/authenticity. I see regionalism not only as the future to fostering job creation and sustained success but also in areas of Public Safety, how we build and maintain our schools. I think some may view regionalism with a focus on business but in my judgment "regionalism" is a force multiplier for the all areas - our schools, GTCC, social services and beyond.
We have created a true "one-stop" social-service system through much collaboration to provide several services at once - food, Medicaid, child care, housing, transportation, employment and behavioral health. We can strengthen/expand services outside the traditional office setting by bringing social-service enrollment where people are (i.e. - Libraries, Schools, Health clinics, Senior centers, Community Centers, Veteran events, etc. Collaborating with our non-profits is key. We must continue to focus on early prevention and intervention. Rather than waiting until a family reaches a crisis, expand services such as parenting and family-support programs, mental-health services, domestic-violence prevention, workforce development/job-training
I will continue to work for all Guilford County residents to be responsive, effective, transparent and accessible to our citizens. I won't let you down and I appreciate your consideration. Please feel fee to call or text me anytime if I can be helpful. 336.418.1729