EP 70: President Neisler Speaks
In April, during his acceptance speech as the new president of the N.C. League of Municipalities, Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler emphasized that public service can be fun, that we can enjoy ourselves in working together, knowing our communities and their histories, charting how they've changed over time and what the future calls for. On this episode, we hear the affable president's perspective on service and his priorities ahead, in addition to some of the ways he's stepped forward to make positive change where he lives.
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Transcript
This episode of Municipal Equation is brought to you by MedCost. MedCost balances the care of your employees with the financial health of your local government by offering flexible administration, best in class care management, cost containment strategies, health and wellness programs, access to a broad provider network, and exceptional customer service. MedCost. This is Municipal Equation from the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Hello again. This is Ben Brown with the North Carolina League of Municipalities coming to you from the league's studio in Downtown Raleigh. This is Municipal Equation, the podcast about cities and towns adapting to change. And we have a real treat for you on this episode with a very special guest. He is the mayor of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He's the president of the League of Municipalities. Scott Neisler will be joining us to talk a bit about his presidency, but also his background, where he comes from, and why he's into public service. I've known mayor Nisler for a number of years at this point, but my first real opportunity to get to know him and hang out with him for a day was in early twenty nineteen. I went to Kings Mountain to interview him for Southern City Magazine, and I learned all kinds of things I didn't know prior. Like, he's a radio guy. He does radio. That's the business he's in. He's broadcast and commentated on youth sports games and so on, and it was just a very cool thing to learn about him. He's deeply involved in the community aspects of Kings Mountain. He would do the fireworks displays, which I asked him about in the interview coming up. So mayor Neisler was elected president of the League of Municipalities this past April, and his acceptance came at City Vision twenty twenty two. That was the league's annual conference held this past year in beautiful downtown Wilmington. About four hours east of Kings Mountain, hundreds of municipal officials there for the conference, including Kings Mountain elected and staff officials, they made the drive to see the installation of president. And I wanna play you a little clip from his acceptance speech.
So we have a way, for those that are controllers and directors, the list of the things we're gonna work on in the coming days that is relevant to cities today. The ARPA funds, helping those cities that are smaller, that don't have the staff to take care of things. ARPA money and being able to use that. The state really wonderfully gave us the funds to be able to help those cities that need that sort of help. So that's been relevant to all our cities in North Carolina. Also, lobbying state leaders from the importance of local flexibility, local decision making. Because I with our decision making goes the way of the way of the state. Strong cities make a strong state, and you all know that. Affordable housing is gonna be a concern for us and how we can achieve that and how we have a voice and how that growth is gonna take place. Also, one of my pet projects is broadband. I think cities should be a part of the puzzle of being able to have good broadband, fast broadband, and connectivity in the state through our cities. And me being a part of the electric, system, as well as those with electric cities that are in here in this room, why can't we put fiber on our poles?
So that's something that's a pet project of mine.
Also continue to offer racial relations help to to to the cities that need it to to talk about it and get it out, the race relations that we have in our state to make it better, better than it ever has been. But But hopefully we can have a non crisis year this year. Now this is my socialization leadership. We have had such a tough time. Now we wanna have fun in doing this. We wanna have fun in advancing all cities working as one to help all cities in this state. So let's have fun doing it. Otherwise, we could be back in the city city council meeting having a having a terrible meeting with a with a a controversial issue in our cities. So we're gonna have fun. And I'll tell you this. Have we not had fun in Wilmington? What a great place.
Kneisler also publicly declared to an audience of officials representing hundreds of cities and towns that Kings Mountain is the greatest municipality in North Carolina. And while we can leave it to the various city officials to fight that one out, I know mayor Nisler means it. I mean, for one, he knows all about the history of his town and can recite it when asked. And that's the one thing well, not the one thing, but it's one of many things I love about our municipal officials, our mayors, and city council people, because I'm kind of a nerd. I like knowing history and, you know, interesting historical points, and this is something that mayors and city council people can typically talk about at length, especially if they're native to the area, the history of their community and what makes it unique, how it's changed over time, and what gives the town its historical character. So that's where we start here with Scott Neisler, the mayor of Kings Mountain.
At Kings Mountain, a lot of people think that it's up in the mountains, beautiful place up there. Because when I say, do you know where Kings Mountain is? They'll say, oh, it's beautiful up there. And, we're only 30 we're, yeah, we're only 30 miles west of Charlotte. And, so I I know they don't know exactly where we are, but, it's actually, we're about eight miles, which the Battle of Kings Mountain was fought in South Carolina, but we're sort of the namesake of the battle. And it was the turning point of the revolutionary war. And I and I think a lot of people even going up and down I 85, which is where we're located right before you get into South Carolina, you know, think that, you know, everything in the South was was, civil war. Yeah. But but we were we were revolutionary war. And, what was so interesting and, you know, I would know this because of my background being in Kings Mountain, but, you know, very few foreign soldiers fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain. It was, you know, basically loyalists that were loyal to the king. Mhmm. And, you know, those people, I mean, I I can go back to families that, that back in the early days were granted land from the king. So how could you go against the king that gave you all this land for your settlement? So I guess the I guess the, the moral of the story is that, be always be on the winning side.
Right. Yeah. That's a good choice.
But there was a a British soldier, and, he was he was Scottish, by the name of Patrick Ferguson. Actually, gathered up a band of the loyalists. And they were camp camping on a, a knoll, you know, from the pinnacle of Kings Mountain. Mhmm. And, the, there were it's a group called the Over Mountain Men that started in Sycamore Shoals, Virginia. They gathered up patriots to fight against the British. And we we found ourselves, having, you know, people coming in from Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia. And they converged on this little knoll. And, they, they as they were charging up the hill. In fact, one of the the things that's, that's, interesting part about this this battle is it was the first known guerrilla warfare that had ever been fought Because the patriot patriots were basically hiding behind the trees. And, and picking the soldiers off at the top of the hill. But as they were charging up the hill, Padgett Ferguson said, Let's protect the King's Mountain. And it's tough. So so that's where we are with that. But, another interesting, part is that, you know, there's so much, connectivity with this battle because there was a colonel Shelby that was in this. Shelby, North Carolina. Right. Yeah. Neighboring town. Yeah. Colonel Cleveland, which Cleveland County. Mhmm. Also Cleveland, Tennessee. Okay. You've got, the Tennessee volunteers, which were the volunteers that came to fight in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Also, there was a colonel John Sevier, which is Sevierville, Tennessee. Sevierville.
Yeah. So,
and, you know, just on and on, you know, connections to, to the Battle of Kings Mountain, which was very important in our history.
That's neat. Are are you from that area? Did you grow up in Kings Mountain? Oh, yeah. Born and bred. I I live within 50 feet of where I grew up. You were, you have kind of a pedigree. Right? Am I incorrect in remembering that your dad was also,
a public official at at some point there? It was a it was actually a great grandfather. A great grandfather. Yeah. And, I come through one of his daughters that that that married that married an Eisler. Okay. And, so but W. A. Mooney was a, one of the founders of the city and the first mayor of the city. And, and I've I've got that lineage. Also, on my grandmother's side, there was a Henry Parks Allison, that was mayor of the city as well. So I've I've got a lot of pedigree here. So do you know what that means? You mean it means I can't talk about anybody because I'm related to everybody.
So, growing up in Kings Mountain, and I mean, did did you have, a sense of, duty or responsibility? I mean, what was that Mooney connection kind of solidified in you or or or growing up was being mayor nothing that was on your your plan?
You you know, I can go back and I had really no plan at all. But, you know, being from this area, I I I went, and graduated high school and actually attended Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Okay. And, going down there, obviously, my accent sort of stuck out because Florida is not a southern state. Right. That's right. And and I ended up using it to my advantage because it was sort of like that was my calling card, you know, that I was, you know, I guess, you had this had the southern drawl or whatever. And I I got pretty active in in, you know, school, politics, whatever. You know, ran for, I guess, junior class senator, and I was chairman of the student union board to put on the events. But there was something missing about, being home. And in Florida, it goes from light green trees to dark green trees and, you know, no no seasons in between. And I found myself coming back and taking, believe it or not, landscape pictures. And, so I really did I really did miss it with the four years that I was down there. I wouldn't have wouldn't have given, anything for the experience because I got to meet other people from other places. A lot of people from up north, you know, attending Florida Southern. Some original Floridians, that I met, lifelong friends that have really been with me and and, stood by me during some of my difficulties in life. But, wouldn't have given that up. But it was just sort of a a situation where, you know, I really wanted to be back home. And when I got back home, I actually asked somebody, a council member, if I was too young to run. And and he said, yeah. You are. And and, I was still a little bit wet behind the ears. And and I wait I waited till I was 33 years old and ran for council and and was there for two years. And then the the mayor the then mayor decided he wasn't gonna run. And I I was one of the last elected officials that had to resign its seat to run for another office. You know, and and I I think that's that's a good thing that, you know, that because you kinda if you're an elected official, it it means you're less than the citizen if you can't run for something else. And, but, I was elected mayor back in '91 and had that stint to '99. So '91 to '99. Is that what you said? Yep. And and then took a fifteen year hiatus and then back in it for another eight years.
From your background, I I think did did your family have something to do with textiles, before you got into radio? Is is that accurate?
Yeah. It is. My family, has been in the textile business since the civil war, and and I I told everybody that, they made blue and gray cloth just to hedge their bets. Right.
You never know. So how did you get into, radio?
Well, that's the interesting thing because, when I was born, my, there my father's, father's family decided to sell Neissler Mills, which was a collection of about seven meals. And my father found himself without a job. And, because he was he was a cotton classer. And, so he classified the cotton and, you know, get it where it needed to be. And he said, Scott, you need to have something to fall back on in case we don't have a mill. Now what ended up happening was my grandfather, which was my father's father, went and built a mill in Shelby, North Carolina, and we made upholstery material up until 2012. So, so I I went to Florida Southern and graduated with a health and phys ed degree. Came back, didn't have anything really to do with the with the, you know, the, the degree because I wouldn't I was gonna go into textiles and and not do coaching. Mhmm. And then I had decided that what I wanted to do was try to to, make baseball a revenue producing sport because everybody knows that football is, is the cash cow. Right. It's where what what promotes and what supports the rest of the sporting, programs in the high school. And, proud to say that I got in it as a kind of a gentleman coach and was able at the time because of, you know, making enough money at my other job to, you know, buy great uniforms, fixing the field up, you know, doing all kind of things. And and I had talked the guy here in town to, into doing the radio games. And he developed throat cancer. I've stepped in to take over for him and started doing that as a hobby. Okay. In in doing so, I asked a guy at WFNZ in Charlotte to come and show me how to really do it. And he had he's told me he said, I've had a ball doing this with you, Scott. Let's go see if there's a college, that's going to the NCAA's, and, we'll do their games. And so we connected with Winthrop University, went down there and did did a few games. And, and then I had an eighteen year career doing baseball games for Winthrop. And did basically the same thing. Went down there and tried to boost the program and, you know, it worked because they were recruiting out of, Canada, and we were streaming up there. And he could recruit knowing that the parents could listen to all the games. So, so anyway, during that stint, April in 2008, you know, I dropped. And there was a guy that came to me and and said, you wanna buy a radio station? So, like the unwise thing that I did, I cashed in the rest of the four one k and bought the radio station. Mhmm. Okay. And and thank and thank goodness because that's my vocation now. That's what, you know, that's what puts food on the table now. Yeah. Well, I'm that that's that's really cool that you're able to do games like that. I, you know, I I used to work in radio
as well, but it was more on the news side of things. Oh. And I never got to call any games or anything like that. We, you know, we had a dedicated sports reporter, but that always looked like a blast. You know? It was just win or lose. There was always goodwill there. And,
you know, it was always about the community. You know, it was funny because my my daughter for Father's Day came and said, I wanna take you to a night's game in Charlotte. And I told her I had just done 58 games with the winner. But I said I said, sweetie, I appreciate it. I said, but I wanna stay home. And, but it was it was it was fun. And in fact, last week, the, my my radio station is the flagship station for the Gastonia Honey Hunters. And it's an Atlantic League team. It's kind of an independent thing. The Honey Hunters? Honey Hunters. And it's about it's a it's a honey badger is the mascot. Oh, I see. Okay. And and so the announcers that they had had, I guess, contracted with were able to come a couple for a couple of days last week. And I thought, oh, gosh. I might have to go and be at the game. And and it was like getting on a bicycle again. It was so it was so much fun those, like, those two days. Nice. And and I love doing that and being able to follow a team that way. And, in fact, they're on the road as we speak, and and I think it's a way for the community of Gastonia to be able to connect with their hometown team. Well, you know, you do a lot to to help people connect with
with their town. I mean, specifically talking about Kings Mountain because I know you do a lot, kind of outside the usual, auspices of mayor. I I think you do. Do do you do the fireworks show still? Is is that something? I know you've done that in the past. Yeah. And and and there again, I I had a kind of an end with the radio station guy
because of the the baseball. And, and when I was elected, to the commission, the fire department was doing it. And I had a tractor with an auger on it. And at that particular time, they were putting mortars in the ground and using post hole diggers to get them in the ground. And I said, hey. I'll come and drill holes for you, and you can do it. And so my connection with the radio station, I said, well, you know, it might be nice to have a simulcast music at the same time you're shooting fireworks. Yeah. So so I got that started. And so one thing led to the other. We got an automatic firing box. We started building racks so you could preload everything. And and, we we've got a got a great reputation of a great fireworks show here, you know, every fourth of July.
So this is great. This is sort of what I'm building up to is you have this level of, enthusiasm and participation, which is really admirable. And you've been involved with the league. I I think I've been at the league about, six plus years as a as a as an employee, and I've known about you, I think, pretty much that entire time. Yeah. And so serving as president now, I mean, what what what made you want to get involved with the league to begin with? I mean, it's it's a pretty elective thing. It's a good thing in our opinion, obviously. But, what drew you to, league involvement to begin with? I think the thing that draws me to the league is how I believe that, you know, the cities are the strength of the state.
I do remember whenever I went to the school of government, when I was newly elected as a commissioner, thinking that, you know, I'm all autonomous. Kingsmont's autonomous. We get to do what we wanna do. To find that the state charters all cities, and the state is is, you know, pretty well tells the cities what they can do and what they can't do. Right. I think the thing I really love about the league is the way, you know, we advocate for cities. And and, because with over 500 cities, we do have certain cities that have made some mistakes, you know. And and, being an advocate for all cities, you know, I I think it's, it helps us in a, as the as the glue or the conduit to be able to to, you know, say what we need to do, to, you know, make sure our city stays, strong with the general assembly.
So what do you think is, sort of on that menu in terms of staying strong with the general assembly and and other things that cities need? I I know you had mentioned broadband in your, acceptance speech as something that would be a priority focus for you.
Yeah. I I think, yeah, I can use sort of an example like this. John Torbett, who's a, house member from Gaston County, was I know him well. In transportation. And he said, you know, we got $99,000,000,000 worth of needs and transportation, but only 5,000,000,000 to pay for it. Yeah. And and I I sorta wanna look and and not look at, you know, throwing money after it. But having cooperation between entities to be able to invest and be a part of it, a part of a piece of a puzzle to connect North Carolina as far as broadband is concerned. There's no reason in the world why electricities and cities where we're a we're a wholesale member of electricities. Mhmm. But with the the polls that we have, I see it as the twenty first century electricity connectivity, project. You know, I I there's there's no reason why we can't participate in being able to connect North Carolina. And and I think a lot of emphasis has been put on the rural areas of North Carolina. We could be the hub to be able to if we could invest in in getting the infrastructure within our cities, easily invest in getting into the rural areas, Just like they are already given the the capacity or capability to the electric co ops to go out in the rural areas and get the connectivity that they need. You know? And and and I'm just seeing, especially in our city, you know, where the private entities are basically putting the the fiber wherever the more affluent areas in town are, where they can afford the the subscription for for, you know, the fast Internet. And and, frankly, it's just like this. We got $9,000,000,000 worth of needs in in broadband, and only only private entities putting in the money into it. You know? And now now the state has put money into it, but, you know, they'll they'll say, well, we're we're gonna give 40,000,000 to it. Well, it's it's like, you know, taking a teaspoon and, you know, putting it on the fire. You know? Putting something on the fire. You know? It's not nearly enough. So I think all of us working together can connect the state and do it in a do it in a great fashion. I I also I also wanna say that, you know, some years ago, they took, you know, the ability for cities to annex. And, so they're really economic development and things you can do within the city. And and those that will voluntary annex in the city is the only way we can keep up, with the rising cost of being able to take care of the infrastructures within our cities. And and and I I would love to go back to general assembly and say, you know, at at what, what would you allow us to do to maybe get back into annexation a little bit? You know? You know, I'd like to see that. And just basically have a better, a better relationship with General Assembly so that we're working together. And it's not like we're looking down the pack and saying, oh, this this bill is getting ready to be introduced. It's gonna be harmful for cities. I would rather sit down and talk about it and and and take care of that and put bills forth in the general assembly that's gonna be positive for cities. You know, we we have a a leg up on those legislators that that come from city backgrounds. And, you know, but I don't think it's enough of them at at this particular point. And it would be great just to have a little more closer relationship to, to do that. And and, you know, I I realize there are some at risk cities at this point. And, you know, we need to to really try to help, you know, gather in the forces and and get them back on their feet. And I think we have made real big strides with, you know, the the, treasury, secretary treasurer. You know, they will fall well and be able to to to go and help these at risk cities to either be, you know, decommissioned or, you know, or get them straight, get them, you know, back like what they should be.
Yeah. And to your point, you know, Treasurer Falwell is, he's been active with the league. I mean, he's been at our conferences, several of our events,
speaking. And And and, like I say, I'd love to have that, you know, with the speaker and with, you know. And and I've sort of floated an idea with him about having a city, state committee within the general assembly where we could sit down and just really talk about these issues, really, before some of these bills are introduced.
What would be your message to, other League members listening? Say, you know, I'm I'm from a town. You know, I I may live three hours from Kings Mountain or two hours from Kings Mountain, but there are certain things that we can all kinda do to work together to, to kinda help to to raise all the boats. You know, what would you say to league members in that regard in terms of being active and us kinda being on the same page when we communicate with, say, lawmakers?
Well, I think I think the main thing is to to to reach out to the league, and the league, I know, wants to reach out to cities. But there are so many benefits that can be garnered from being a part of the league. And, you know, we haven't even really talked about the insurance pools, risk management. You've got a situation where, you know, you can come in and assist your your police and make sure that, you know, things are done the right way. And all of these things, you know, really make your city better. And, you know, and and with that being said, I think the league, and I think I said this in my remarks, has always been, something that's that is, you know, good for the times. I mean, we stay current with what cities actually need, and we provide that need and provide that help. So there is help out there. And, all you have to do is contact the league, and and we'll we'll be there for you.
And and, yeah, that's a great point about the other services that the league has. I mean, we've been talking about legislative advocacy, and, you know, that that was sort of the original core function when the league was founded in nineteen o eight. But then, you know, as the times changed and as needs changed and became obvious, and we were thinking ahead too, you know, then we start offering insurance services and professional developments and, you know, the things that we kind of incorporate to to respond to immediate needs of cities and towns. And, you know, as the times continue to change, we will continue to to do that and evolve and look at certain issues and launch new programs. And that's, you know and and these are all things that people can be involved with, in the league's membership.
And and doing all these things, within the league with all the difficulties that we've had in the last few years, you know, with the fire destroying our building. You know, y'all moved twice already. You know? And and and now COVID hits, you have to work from, you know, remotely. And, but, still being, you know, very effective even with all those ad ad, you know, the the the, you know, the the, adversarial things that have been going on.
I mean, this is we've been going for about, a half hour, and we've covered a lot of good territory. We've gotten gotten to know you and, some of your background and priorities with the league and some of your thoughts on that. Is there anything that I haven't asked that is is on your mind now as, as league president or anything you think we ought to be doing?
Well, I I tell you, I I wanna offer myself up for anybody that'd like to call and and talk to me about some issues that they might have. You know, race relations, I think, is a big topic for us. And and, you know, maybe, you know, getting it out out front. You know, we we had an ad hoc committee with that, looking over those relationships and and and trying to go through, you know, difficult conversations. And, you know, that is available for cities for a resource to try to do that. You know, every city is just a little bit different. And, you know, I I again, you know, if you think, you you've got, a situation where you you need to try to find some answers on things, call the league, about that. But I wanna offer myself up that, you can call me at (704) 460-6049. And that's (704) 460-6049. Because the way I look at this is that I am president of the league, but I am serving you. I am serving you, the the cities of of North Carolina, and anything that I can do to help in that regard, that's what I'm supposed to be doing.
Well, president Scott Nisler, the mayor of Kings Mountain, thank you so much for your time. This has been a lot of fun chatting, and I'm sure we'll do it again soon. And Ben, you do a great job. I really enjoy going talking to you. And, let's do it again. Thanks so much to mayor Nisler, president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, for spending time with us on Municipal Equation. And I know you'll get to know him even better as his term as president plays out over the next year. I referenced that Southern City article I wrote about him in 2019. You can find that online at nclm.0rg. Joining mayor Kneisler over the next year as officers of the board, the league's board of directors, our first vice president William Harris, the commissioner from Fuquay Varina, second vice president Mark Anthony Middleton, the mayor pro tem from Durham, and immediate past president Karen Alexander, the mayor of Salisbury. That's a solid squad in addition to the board of directors representing cities and towns across the state. If you have a good story out of your town that would be a great highlight for Municipal Equation, please let me know. It could be a great episode. My name is Ben Brown, and you can email me at bbrown@nclm.org. That's bbrown@nclm.org. NCLM stands for North Carolina League of Municipalities, Working as One Advancing All. Online at nclm.org. We'll be in touch. Thanks again. This is Ben Brown.