Full name: Gilbert Todd, Jr.
Party affiliation: Unaffiliated
Campaign website: www.toddfortownmayor.com
1) In 300 words or less, please give our readers your elevator pitch: Why are you running? Why should voters entrust you with this position? What prior experience will make you an effective mayor?
My name is Gilbert Todd, Jr. My family has been involved in this community for generations, and I’m running for Mayor to ensure Zebulon’s tomorrow is more promising than its yesterday. I am a public servant, not a politician, with nearly 20 years of hands-on local government experience. This service is complemented by my background as an Air Force veteran and a pastor.
While I have always been interested in Zebulon’s future, my recent experience as your Town Manager solidified my decision to run. I was faced with an unethical directive and asked to make decisions that violated my core principles of fairness and integrity. That experience, combined with the current Board’s track record of chaos and inaction, revealed a crisis of leadership that must be addressed.
Voters should entrust me with this position because my career has prepared me for this exact challenge. My career has been spent on the front lines of how a town works—from reviewing development plans for the City of Raleigh to managing million-dollar construction projects and overseeing public works services for Wake County, Zebulon, and now Goldsboro. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for good governance and a clear understanding of what needs to change.
As Mayor, I will bring that same practical experience and unwavering integrity to the office, leading our town with three core values at heart: truth, transparency, and togetherness.
I am rooted in principle and ready to serve the community I call home. I am asking for your support and your vote.
2) What would your priorities be as mayor? Please identify three of the most pressing issues Zebulon currently faces and how you believe the town should address them.
My three most pressing priorities are all interconnected: (1) restoring trust in our government, (2) managing our growth thoughtfully, and (3) strengthening the bonds of our community.
(1) The current crisis of leadership has resulted in an erosion of public trust. As Mayor, I will lead with unwavering integrity, ensuring our government operates with the truth, transparency, and togetherness that residents deserve, restoring professionalism and accountability to Town Hall.
(2) Our town’s rapid growth requires a steady, experienced hand. By leveraging my nearly 20 years in local government, I will ensure Zebulon is a predictable and reliable partner, establishing clear rules so that our infrastructure and services keep pace with new development.
(3) As we grow, we must actively preserve our small-town character. As Mayor, I will focus on what brings us together by championing our local businesses, investing in our parks and public spaces, and ensuring our public safety professionals have the resources they need to keep every neighborhood safe. We are not “old Zebulon” and “new Zebulon,” we are one Zebulon.
3) What’s the best or most important thing the board of commissioners has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the town should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.
Frankly, the board’s most important decision was its selection of a new Town Manager. The Town Manager is our town’s chief executive, and that selection sets the tone for the entire administration. Unfortunately, I believe that decision was driven by a desire for control rather than a true desire to let leadership run the day to day based on the best interest of Zebulon, which is why I ultimately had to resign on principle.
Another decision they should have handled differently was the failure to promptly fill the vacant commissioner seat. Leaving the seat open for an extended period was a clear example of the board’s indecisiveness and inability to govern effectively. It demonstrated a lack of urgency in conducting the people’s business.
4) President Trump is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas. At the same time, the state legislature has passed laws requiring agencies to cooperate with ICE. What do you think the board of commissioners can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?
Our local law enforcement is not, and should not be, an extension of federal immigration enforcement. As Mayor, I would ensure our town’s policy is clear: our police department’s mission is to build trust and ensure the safety of all Zebulon residents, regardless of their immigration status. We must foster an environment where every member of our community, including our large and vibrant Latino population, feels safe reporting crimes and interacting with town staff without fear.
5) As climate change leads to more intense rainfall, communities are at greater risk of inland flooding, such as the historic floods in parts of the Triangle this summer. How would you like the board of commissioners to address climate resilience, particularly flooding?
This issue is right in my wheelhouse. My career in public works has taught me that resilience starts with proactive maintenance and smart planning. As Mayor, I would call for a comprehensive study of our stormwater infrastructure, particularly our network of retention ponds, to ensure the entire system is functioning as it should. Drawing on my experience, I’ll ensure our public works teams have the resources they need to keep our storm drains and culverts clear of debris, which is one of the most effective, ground-level ways to mitigate local flooding.
6) Wake County and Zebulon recently agreed to lease Five County Stadium to Capitol Broadcasting Co. following the Carolina Mudcats’ move to Wilson. CBC plans to host a summer baseball team and Wake Tech sports teams there, and has also agreed to hold 10 free community events at the stadium each year. How would you like to see the stadium and surrounding area be activated now that the Mudcats are gone?
The new partnership between Capitol Broadcasting and Wake Tech is a fantastic starting point, and it opens the door for exciting new opportunities. My vision is to transform the stadium into a true community hub, and we should absolutely pursue family-friendly attractions like Savannah Bananas games, community concerts, and the even larger return of the beloved farmers’ and artisans’ market.
However, it is critical that we do not allow the stadium to become an isolated island of activity that pulls energy away from our downtown.
That is why my top priority would be to ensure there is clear, safe, and enjoyable connectivity between the stadium district and our downtown. This means prioritizing the long-planned greenway along Barbee Street. An off-road path for walking and biking is essential to ensure that the new investment and excitement at the stadium directly benefits our existing small businesses and our charming downtown, rather than leaving them behind.
In short, new attractions are great, but they are most successful if they lift and integrate with the community we already have.
7) Zebulon’s population has more than doubled in the last five years, making it one of the fastest-growing towns in North Carolina. Describe what sustainable growth ought to look like in Zebulon. What is another municipality you believe has made smart decisions related to density, growth, and development that could be similarly implemented in Zebulon?
Sustainable growth is about balance. It means welcoming new families and businesses while ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace, our small-town character is preserved, and our local businesses are supported. It requires a predictable, transparent development process where the rules are clear for everyone.
I believe Apex has done a good job of managing this balance. They have successfully integrated new, dense, mixed-use developments while simultaneously investing in and preserving their historic, walkable downtown core. That’s a model Zebulon can learn from—concentrating growth in strategic areas to create new energy while protecting the character of our established neighborhoods.
8) Earlier this year, hundreds of Zebulon residents signed a petition calling for the replacement of the current board of commissioners based on a high rate of staff turnover in town government and the board’s perceived lack of transparency and accountability. Whether you are an incumbent candidate or not, how would you work to improve public trust in the town government if elected?
I wouldn’t just work to improve it; restoring public trust is the central mission of my campaign. I understood the frustrations of the hundreds of residents who signed that petition because I was one of them. I signed it myself.
As Mayor, I will do all that I can to ensure that decisions are debated and made in the open, not behind closed doors or constantly kicked down the road. I will treat the office as a privilege to serve, not a position of power, and I will foster a climate of respect and professionalism at Town Hall that our citizens and our staff deserve.
9) Within the past two years, two town managers, an assistant town manager, a police chief, a planning director and a communications director have resigned. If elected, what would you do to help the town recruit and retain qualified staff?
As a former Town Manager who resigned on principle, I am in a unique position to address this. The key to retaining qualified staff is creating a stable, professional, and supportive work environment, and that starts at the top.
A Mayor who respects the council-manager form of government and empowers professionals to do their jobs without political interference is essential. My message to potential employees is simple: I have been in your shoes. I will lead a board that is focused on policy and vision, not micromanagement, creating the kind of healthy workplace where talented people want to build a career. But ultimately, the real solution lies with the voters to not re-elect leaders who will threaten the careers and livelihood of people with integrity and instead, elect those who will support those individuals to do good work for Zebulon.
10) If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here.
The central issue in this election is the future of our town’s character and reputation. As we grow, we can either become a community of disconnected subdivisions and even more disjointed leadership, or we can improve on what makes us a community of choice for quality of life. As Mayor, my focus will be on unifying our community, celebrating our shared values, and ensuring that as we step into the future, we do it together, as neighbors.
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