Election 2025: Meet Southport mayoral candidate Rich Alt
SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — The 2025 municipal election is underway, and Southport voters will soon decide who will serve as the city’s next mayor and alderman.
To help voters learn more about where each candidate stands on key local issues, WWAY sent a questionnaire to all Southport alderman and mayoral candidates. The questions cover topics such as growth and development, public safety, housing, and transparency in government.
Not every candidate responded to our request. For those who did, we are publishing their responses in their entirety, to give voters a direct look at their priorities and perspectives before heading to the polls.
Background and Motivation
1. Tell us a little about yourself — your background, experience, and connection to Southport.
I have forty years of local, state, and federal career experience, twenty-five of which were in command positions. I have had extensive project management, problem solving, and team building, real life opportunities to learn and grow from. I purchased my first property in Southport in 2005. We finished the construction of home in 2015. I was elected as an alderman in 2021, and then elected mayor of Southport in 2023.
2. Why are you running for the Board of Aldermen, and what inspired you to seek public office?
I am running for mayor of Southport in order to continue the professional transition of the city government, to continue the progress made on infrastructure projects that were identified on a list but never completed, and to ensure the city’s financial health continues to improve.
3. What are your top three priorities if elected?
My three top priorities are:
a) Working with the city manager to enhance the efficiency of the city government.
b) Working with the city manager to move forward, in an economically sound program of infrastructure rehabilitation.
c) Working with the city manager and the city finance officer, on a top to bottom budget review.
Growth and Development
4. How would you balance the preservation of Southport’s small-town character with new residential and commercial growth?
Preserving Southport’s history, given all the outside forces that the city has very limited control over is the challenge. I have already started the process of a total review of the ‘Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) which is step one.
5. What role should the city play in guiding development along Highway 211 and surrounding areas?
I am fully engaged with our local six mayors round table, the Nineteen Brunswick County Municipal Mayors working group, and the Rural Planning Organization (RPO) transportation analytical body to act as a force multiplier when addressing the over development of Rt 211.
6. How should Southport plan for sustainable growth that protects natural resources, historic districts, and waterfront access?
The city has already taken a proactive program on waterfront access, which includes a shoreline stabilization project. The Historic District proposal as drafted has some legal challenges that the city and the Historic Committee are working through. The city is reviewing all of the activities within its parks to ensure they stay environmentally sound.
Infrastructure and Public Services
7. What infrastructure improvements do you believe should be prioritized, including roads, stormwater, and utilities?
The following are projects have been prioritized:
There is an eleven-point stormwater project underway that includes 2 separate grants, the complete stormwater mapping of where the water goes, and an engineering set of plans.
The city has encumbered a million dollars a year to address the placement of underground electrical utilities.
8. How would you ensure city services and staff are adequately supported to meet residents’ needs?
The city has undertaken a complete compensation review for city staff to ensure the city is not just a training ground hub, but rather a place for professionals to come and live. I am working with the city manager (remember the city manager is, by state statute, the designated lead for municipal staff) for ways to improve department head executive training. There are many free opportunities that the city should explore.
9. How should Southport address parking, traffic congestion, and pedestrian safety concerns?
I am against paid parking. Most of the city’s day to day traffic congestion takes place on state owned roadways so the city is taking advantage of both the staff level and mayoral level components of the RPO to address the traffic issues. There is a intermodal foot/golf cart review currently being undertaken by the city which is the direct result of RPO participation. There is also a review of national recognized “Greenway” bicycle path that runs from Maine to Florida, and passes through Southport being reviewed by the RPO.
Community and Economic Vitality
10. What ideas do you have for supporting local businesses and tourism while maintaining residents’ quality of life?
The city has hired a professional Community Resources director who has revolutionized how the city sponsors events which is directly tied to the city managers monthly business round table meetings. The revenue from many of these events no goes directly to the city rather than to third party entities.
11. How would you promote affordable housing and workforce housing opportunities in Southport?
The cost of property in Southport there are limited opportunities to impact on a larger scale workforce housing. That is a topic the encourages the county to give greater attention to. The city is a working partner with Brunswick Partnership for Housing. That organization is in the process of doubling its capacity. The city also works with the Southport/Oak Island Interchurch Fellowship Organization on shorter term housing issues for displaced persons.
12. What should the city do to enhance parks, recreation, and community spaces?
This city is undertaking a review of all its parks, events that take place in them, and how to increase the upkeep of these treasures. The city has some aging facilities that renovation but it is all a matter of finances. The city manager is in the process of looking at the pros and cons of hiring a grant writer/manager to determine next steps.
Leadership and Accountability
13. How will you ensure transparency and communication between city government and residents?
With my strong support from the first day as an alderman the city now live streams and records for future review all Board of Aldermen, Planning Board, and Board of Adjustment meetings. There has been a modernization of the city’s record keeping which now allows for routine social media posts on Boards’ and Committees’ meeting dates, advance review of agendas, and all board and committee appointments now take place in June so everyone knows in advance how to apply.
14. What do you think Southport does well, and what would you like to see improved?
What Southport is known for is its hospitality, welcoming atmosphere, bucolic waterfront vista, vibrant restaurant, and bar scene, while all the while, retaining its small-town feel.The city’s biggest challenge is its aging infrastructure and a means to the revenue needed to address those issues
15. What makes you the best candidate to represent your ward and the people of Southport?
What makes me the best candidate for Mayor is that I have 40 years of proven governmental service which has afforded me a high level of academic and professional training from the FBI National Academy, the Police Executive Research Forum’s international consortium with Harvard professors in Boston, advance Public Pension Trust Fund educational opportunities at the Wharton School of Business, which supports my 17 years as a trustee to the Arlington County, VA Retirement System (~$4 billion in combined trusts). I have personally been the lead for numerous county and federal projects with a proven rack record of project management success.
I also fully embrace that the city manager is the lead for all projects and operational tempo of the city. The mayor and board of aldermen, set the goals and objectives for the city, set the budget, and have a sworn oath to be fiduciaries for the citizens of Southport. I have never and will never use the office of the mayor for personal gain.
