WILMINGTON — Kelly J. Roberts Jr, a senior security engineer, is seeking one of three seats on city council.
It is Roberts’ first time running for public office and he is concerned about crime and the unhoused population downtown, as well as traffic congestion.
“I am a leader in my career field and I bring over 15 years of management experience to the table,” Roberts said.
The city council is a nonpartisan race, though Roberts is affiliated with the Republican party. He’s up for one of three seats and running against him are: incumbents Luke Waddell (R) and Clifford Barnett (D), and newcomers JC Lyle (D), Richard Collier (R), Cassidy Santaguida (D), and Chakema Clinton-Quintana (D). Sean Guerrero (R) will also appear on the 2025 municipal ballot, though he dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Port City Daily asked all candidates a slate of questions about topics that are tracking high with voters and residents of Wilmington currently. Roberts’ answers have been edited below for clarity.
A few things to consider this election season:
- A valid ID is required to cast ballot in North Carolina
- Election Day is Nov. 4, 2025, with voters required to go to their assigned precinct locations
- Early voting opens Oct. 16 and closes Nov. 1, and voters can cast a ballot at any of these four sites: Northeast Library (1241 Military Cutoff Road), Carolina Beach Town Hall’s Police Training Room (1121 N. Lake Park Blvd.), Cape Fear Community College’s McLeod Building, (411 N. Front St.), and New Hanover County Senior Resource Center’s Multipurpose Room, (2222 S. College Road). See all hours of operation here where you can also track the wait times at each early voting location.
- Anyone who wants to register to vote can do so here through Oct. 10 or register and vote in one stop during early voting
The paywall has been dropped on candidate profiles to help voters make informed decisions ahead of the election. Candidate opinions and statements are not a reflection of Port City Daily.
Port City Daily: What makes you qualified for a seat on council and sets you apart from other candidates?
KR: I may look young, but I am actually 45-years-old and I offer a perspective from other cities that had to deal with extreme fast population increase; I mean things to help the influx of people.
An example and a top priority will be implementing intelligent traffic systems (ITS). These systems use traffic analysis to keep green lights green for longer depending on the traffic flow.They are easy to implement I have seen this work in cites that deal with increased traffic such as Dallas, Texas. I used to work on these systems in cyber security and I understand how they are implemented. If you are tired of being stuck in traffic, I’m your guy to fix that.
PCD: Homelessness continues to be debated among area leaders; what isn’t being discussed about it, in your opinion, that you think could help better steer its direction? Do you support implementing the former joint strategy that the city and county devised in September 2024? If not, why and what strategies do you think should be implemented? How much money would you support the city dedicating to the effort?
KR: This is a great question. As we look into this it becomes more of a Federal, State and Local issue. The nonprofits are also a big part of the solution. This is a problem all over the United States, not just locally. What I believe that is not being discussed enough is a committee to focus on this — a group of people that can organize the funding and oversee the funding. We need proper auditing of our funds that are being spent and the return on investment to make sure that these people are getting the help they need. Leaving them on the street is not an option if I get into office, neither is having the City of Wilmington funding the entire project to help. This is a multi-agency project and what is not being talked about enough is the collective effort and who will lead this collective effort.
I support the core goals and collaborative spirit of the former joint strategy; however I do not support the presented strategy for one main reason: lack of accountability and specifics. The plan was a framework, and critically, staff never returned with the requested cost estimates and measurable benchmarks before the county withdrew its committed partnership. The county is just as responsible for this. A strategy without a clear budget and metrics is not an implementable policy.
This is not just on the City of Wilmington to front the bill for this initiative. I will not let the city spend more money on this without being matched by the county. We are making this worse for our citizens and tourist by allowing the homeless population to harass people at every storefront of downtown. The business in this area are down 30% because of this. We need to remember the businesses and remember how beautiful downtown can be.
PCD: In development conversations, the supply of housing and affordability are often at odds with residents’ desire to keep density low. How would you propose tackling these issues respectively? Do you think it’s possible for the city to satisfy both desires? Why or why not?
KR: I do. The answer is clear as day to me. This will also help with traffic. My approach has been direct since the beginning of my campaign: Stop the overdevelopment in the city. I said it flat-out at the Power Breakfast. We need to start building outward to preserve our greenspaces. We have an interstate that is very close to the city. I spoke with several developers and the overwhelming answer is that we simply do not have enough exits on I-140. Let’s work with our state and federal DOT. Get some exits on this highway. Build some homes. Create new business. Lower density. Lower housing prices by providing more options. Ease traffic congestion.
PCD: What does balancing green space with development needs look like in your view, such as when it comes to protecting wetlands or rebuilding the tree canopy? Do you have examples of cities or developments that have done this successfully?
KR: We need to balance green space by developing outward. This is extremely important. Stop building on every piece of vegetation in the city. Build outwards. This will allow for proper planning at a pace that makes sense for saving our pre-arranged green spaces. I have seen this when I was stationed in San Diego. They will not let anything be built on the marshes around the Pacific Ocean. No matter the amount of money offered. It’s a law. This is how intense we need to be about this issue. Green space is a staple of our city.
PCD: With the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge price tag escalating to more than $1 billion, how to fund it also remains debated. Both a toll has been floated and a transit sales tax, which would need voter approval potentially in a tri-county referendum that could include multiple projects in New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties. Do you support either and/or is there another option you think should be considered to fund the bridge replacement?
KR: This is supposed to be a 1.1-bllion-dollar-project. I would not allow the City of Wilmington to fund all or even most of this. We received a federal grant from USDOT for 242 million dollars. However the city does not need a bridge that is 135 feet with longer off-ramps that could lead to the demolition of historic buildings and significant traffic pattern changes.
I would ask the state to assist in funding if that is the bridge that they need. I believe in the 100-foot bridge option; it’s the least costly and fits within the existing bridge footprint, significantly reducing negative impacts on the Historic District. Walkways, and more lanes will still be obtained, so would our federal grant of $242 million.
PCD: Traffic is a main complaint for Wilmington residents — how do you envision the city’s role in addressing it? Do you think the city should promote public transportation or the expansion of it? How so? Do you think the city’s current plan to maintain and improve the roads it owns is/will be effective?
KR: We need to implement more roundabouts. We also need to address the left turn lane issues. The one on Independence Boulevard is a great example. We need to use more intelligent traffic systems.
When I was contracting for TXDOT I worked on these systems, so I am very familiar with them. I can work with the appropriate vendor to get these in our city. We need technology (like Adaptive Signal Control) to adjust signal timing in real-time based on actual traffic volume, allocating more green time to the approach with the longest queue.
Per public transportation: I think we need to focus on the smaller vans that take people to specific destinations based on neighborhoods. I rode the bus several times this past week and we have around three or four passengers at any given time. The buses on Market Street cause more traffic congestion than traffic relief. Some cities need public transportation. It has to be done eventually; however, we are a small city and it is causing more congestion than relief.
And, yes, the city’s plan to maintain roads will be effective. We have over $100 million over a decade invested on this initiative. Maintaining roads is something tax payers actually expect and we will deliver.
PCD: With a new police chief starting his post for the Wilmington Police Department, what areas would you like to see him focus on to strengthen public safety and create a sustainable workforce? Explain.
KR: I would like the city expand its police force, first and foremost. The new city manager should help with that, and if I get elected this will be my top priority. I spoke about this issue at the Wilmington Business Journal Power Breakfast and every opportunity I get. I know I sound like a broken record, but public safety is a top priority. I need them to expand the downtown task force. That name sounds cool, but we only have four officers on patrol with that unit. We need police cars at the corners at night time, we need horses, we need them to present that new patty wagon that the city bought. We need police presence downtown at night time. Currently we have a group of officers huddled up which is not deterring any crime. We are looking for crime PREVENTION not crime PROSECUTION. We need more of a forward presence.
PCD: As the city continues to see an influx of residents, how do you think city council should ensure Wilmington’s economy keeps pace and opportunities remain varied across all ages and types of households? What can the city do to ensure its residents have a high enough wage to afford life in Wilmington?
KR: Do not tax new business coming to Wilmington. They will create new jobs its as simple as that. I have been reaching out to try and get a top golf here. I think the community would rally around that.
First, we need to ensure the business that move here hire local. We also need to focus on real job skills for our children. My job, for instance, cannot be simply taught in a classroom. After college, and after the Navy, I attended an engineering bootcamp that had a 50% failure rate. I graduated top of my class, but during that time I acquired on the job training.
Each certification I received was a 800-page book for only one exam. Certifications are becoming more of a need in the professional world. Let’s ensure we are teaching our youth job skills and not just sending them to a classroom that will leave them hopelessly job hunting.
PCD: Some residents have accused the city council of only representing a select few in the community, rather than the needs of all. Do you agree with this sentiment? Explain. What would you do in a leadership position to represent more equitably?
KR: I think we need to set up districts for city council representatives. Downtown has been forgotten about by the Democrats on city council.
PCD: What is one other issue not discussed above that you have a plan to address if elected and how would you do so?
KC: I have a fresh perspective on how things can be better. I bring a technical component to the campaign and hopefully city council. My goal is to set up a Network Security commission. Most cities have them to oversee the cyber security and overall network infrastructure. Currently, we do not have anyone even looking at that. Without that, it is only a matter of time until we get hit and lose all of our data. That means social security numbers, addresses, and lots of personal data for the citizens of this city and loss of city services.
The North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) Data Breach Report for 2024 states that 2024 was a record-breaking year for data breaches in North Carolina, with more than 2,258 total incidents reported across all sectors. 50% of that was small municipalities. The city was hit with a major cyberattack that caused a server outage and impacted city services. We need someone looking at this. I can be the person to get a team of experts to oversee our network infrastructure so that we do not get attacked.
It’s not a matter of if it will happen, it’s a matter of when. This city needs me.
Have tips or comments? Email info@portcitydaily.com
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
