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North Stanly High School graduate Matt Tracy, who’s lived in the county since the late 1970s, is running for an at-large seat on the Albemarle City Council.

There are four other candidates running for two seats: Incumbents Martha Sue Hall and Dr. Chris Bramlett, along with challengers Benton Dry and Tim “TJ” Morgan.

Originally from Iowa, Tracy, who is a stock market trader and a caretaker to his mother and uncle, is seeking his second elected position within the county. He unsuccessfully ran for agricultural and water supervisor a few years ago. He previously worked as a customer service associate at Lowes, as a tax preparation volunteer at the senior center and he owned the Five Points Book Store.

He has a degree from Stanly Community College in mechanical drafting and design.

Tracy, 58, decided to run because “I have some fresh new ideas that have never been tried before.” His ideas include providing affordable housing for people moving to the county, including employees of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, and fixing up dilapidated properties, such as the old Heart of Albemarle hotel, which he said could be turned into a rehab house. He also wants to add a designated swimming area at City Lake Park, fix roads with potholes and bring more healthcare jobs to the city.

One of the issues that’s most important to Tracy is the environment. He is concerned about climate change and says both Democrats and Republicans have not done enough to address the issue. One of his proposals is cleaning up brownfield sites in the city, including transforming the Wiscassett Mill property into a solar farm.

He also wants to capitalize on the city’s agriculture and water ties by bringing in water-intensive businesses such as those associated with meatpacking, beverage, textile and automotive industries.

“They need a lot of water and there’s a good supply of water here,” he said.

National politics have also played a role in motivating Tracy to seek political office. Having been personally hurt by tariffs imposed against China by President Trump, he decided he wanted to make his voice heard, albeit on a much smaller stage.

“You got to start somewhere,” he said.

Contact reporter Chris Miller at 704-982-2122.