Bartlett candidate profile: Mick Wright

Most of this election cycle’s candidates in Bartlett are in uncontested races, but incumbent W.C. “Bubba” Pleasant and challenger Mick Wright are both vying for the Position 1 seat on Bartlett’s board of aldermen.

Wright was the only one of the two who had responded as of Tuesday to requests to complete a candidate questionnaire.

Mick Wright

At 36, Wright works as the digital communications coordinator at Youth Villages.

His education includes a bachelor of arts in English from harding University (2000) and a master of public administration degree from Strayer University (2012).

He has been married since Jan. 8, 2000, to Alison Wright, an ICU nurse at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

He has been involved in the following organizations, groups and activities:

• 4th Vice Chairman, Republican Party of Shelby County; chairman, candidate recruitment committee
• Immediate past president, Northeast Shelby Republican Club
• Founder and Chairman, Better Bartlett Schools
• Director, Bartlett Education Foundation
• Director, Bartlett Chamber Foundation
• Steering committee, Youth Leadership Bartlett (co-chair 2009-2012)
• Member, Leadership Bartlett Alumni Association (class of 2009)
• Member, Bartlett Education Advisory Committee (2012)
• Member and small group leader, Highpoint Church

Issues

Wright said, “My vision for Bartlett is a city with great schools, safe neighborhoods and thriving businesses.” He listed the following three issues in the election:

• Building a strong foundation and reputation for excellence in public education.”
• Maintaining highly efficient, effective public services
• Fostering economic growth

He provided specifics on how he plans to deal with each of those issues if elected:

• “To create a great school system, we must expect excellence, provide opportunity and encourage involvement. Expecting excellence means setting high standards and helping students reach them, and that’s something we can do without implementing Common Core. Providing opportunity means adequately funding our schools, supplementing public investment with private contributions. One additional key to a successful school system is involvement, so the more engaged our parents, advocates, business leaders and neighbors are as mentors, coaches, boosters and fans, the better. To accomplish all of these things, aldermen should develop close relationships with members of the school board, administrators and others in the community dedicated to managing and improving our school system.”
• “The City of Bartlett provides excellent services at a low cost to taxpayers. We should maintain this high level of service by continuing to adopt conservative budgets while also keeping our promises to city employees, rewarding their efforts and letting them know we appreciate their work.”
• “The city can spur economic growth by providing a great education system, keeping taxes low, staying tough on crime and creating an inviting climate for business. Beyond these things, the city should continue to work with the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce and other partners and stakeholders in order to attract new retail and industrial businesses, while securing our existing base. Bartlett can support much more investment by the business community, but we have to be proactive by showing them we are a business-friendly city, and by frequenting the businesses already located here.”

Greatest concern

Wright said, “The biggest concern facing Bartlett at this time is an out-of-control federal government that has vastly expanded its scope of power and threatens our economy, our community and our way of life. Federal overreach, mismanagement and corruption are running rampant and are causing havoc across the country, and Bartlett is not shielded from the impact. There are major scandals being investigated in a dozen federal agencies and departments, from the VA to the CDC, NSA, IRS, Justice, Health, State, Border Control, Secret Service and Treasury. We should do everything we can at the local level to block federal encroachment and guard against the continued onslaught of corruption and chaos.”

Qualifications

“I am the most qualified candidate for this position because I am an experienced, conservative leader with a sense of urgency and a willingness to serve,” Wright said. “I get involved in the issues and organizations that make a difference, and I will always stand up for Bartlett citizens and our values. I have dedicated my life to the success of young people, and having an alderman with that focus will help Bartlett establish itself as a community of choice in the Mid-South – a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.”