BY MIKE FUHRMAN
Former city council member William Morgan is the first official candidate in the 2025 Statesville mayoral election.
Morgan, who served on council from 2013-2022, announced his candidacy on Thursday morning, nearly a week after Mayor Costi Kutteh told Iredell Free News that he would not seek a record sixth term in office.
“There are things I’d like to see done that haven’t been completed yet,” Morgan said. “We need to ensure that Statesville remains a city where business can thrive and there are opportunities for success created for everybody.”
Voters in Statesville will elect a mayor and two at-large city council members in the November 4 election. Residents of Wards 2, 3 and 5 will also elect their representatives on the city council.
The official candidate filing period is July 7-18.
If elected, Morgan said his priorities would be supporting public safety agencies, job retention and recruitment, and ensuring the city has the necessary infrastructure — including roads, water and sewer capacity, and parks — to handle the surge in residential development that has begun and is expected to continue for years.
“I want to build upon our successes and work hard for the best Statesville for all of us,” he said. “Working people deserve a chance at a good job. Children deserve a quality education. Businesses deserve a solid infrastructure and cooperation from City Hall. Retirees on fixed incomes deserve low taxes and quality services.
“I will work hard to make all of this and much more a reality. I care about all the people in our city,” he added.
Morgan vowed to work to keep city property taxes low, while working closely with federal, state, and county leaders to ensure that Statesville gets its fair share of funding for city services.
“I’ll put in as much time as I think it’s going to take,” said Morgan, who is the CEO of the Capital Management Group of the Carolinas, a wealth management firm based in Statesville.
Morgan, 61, has extensive experience as a civic leader. While serving on the city council, he was mayor pro tempore for his final three years. As a council member, Morgan worked with federal and state lawmakers to secure over $10 million in grants for the Statesville Regional Airport and helped secure development of Larkin Regional Commerce Park, which could ultimately add more than $800 million to the city’s tax base. He’s also proud of his efforts to help establish and fund career development programs for Statesville police officers and firefighters.
A current board member of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, he has also served on the Statesville Planning Board.
His community involvement includes service as a board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, work on the Campaign Committee for the United Way and as a board member for the Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center. He is also a past president of the Fourth Creek Rotary Club and a former board member of the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce.
A graduate of Wake Forest University, Morgan has done graduate course work at Penn’s Wharton School of Business and the UNC School of Government. He and his wife Tina have one adult daughter, Margaret. The Morgans are members of Statesville First Presbyterian Church, where he previously served as a deacon.