Carthage Town Council Candidate Interviews 2025
The Pines Preservation Guild reached out to the candidates who have filed for the November 2025 Carthage Town Council elections. Our organization believes it is important to understand how each candidate values the history and preservation of Carthage. These values signal how the candidate might view and vote on ordinances and town planning issues that directly impact the preservation of historic buildings and districts in Carthage.
The PPG has prepared a brief candidate survey with the following goals:
1-To educate our community about each candidate’s attitudes regarding preservation issues
2-To allow candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of local preservation issues
3-To introduce candidates unfamiliar with The PPG to our organization
The candidates were sent our questions via email to respond to in writing. If a candidate’s name is not listed below, they either decided not to participate in the questionnaire or could not be reached.
Responses are provided in full, may be edited for clarity, and appear in order of response submission.
The publishing of these answers does not constitute an endorsement by The Pines Preservation Guild nor its officers.
John McDonald
Mr McDonald is one of for candidates running for Carthage Town Council
1. Please state your views on the role of historic preservation and our historic resources in the future of Carthage.
The history of Carthage needs be preserved as much as possible. Historical preservation should be an assistant to owners to preserve their homes as close to the original as possible. It should recognize that materials are available that allow preservation without mandating what owners will be allowed to use.
2. What will be your top three priorities to ensure the preservation of Carthage’s historic buildings, sites, and neighborhoods
Encourage people to maintain their homes in good condition.
3. Would you support the creation of a Historic Preservation Plan in Carthage?
NO.
4. Carthage currently has a National Register District, that terminates north of Courthouse Square and does not include the historic structures around the courthouse. Would you support the town finding ways financially to help extend the National Register district south along McReynolds Street so historic property owners in the currently excluded area would be eligible for state and/ or federal tax credits?
I am not in favor of extending the National Register district.
5. Would you support the establishment of a historic preservation tax abatement? This could be a 10-15 year abatement to incentivize historic preservation anywhere in the town. Why or why not?
No. Opposed to taxes and prefer to allow owners to finance the own work
6. What is your favorite historic building in Carthage (older than 1975) and why?
My house. Built in late 1890’s as best I can determine, and I grew up in it. In 1967 my mother made radical changes to the house. I inherited the house upon her death. In 1994, due to changes in work I moved back to Carthage and back into the house.
I set about restoring it. Some of the more originate materials were lost in during her changes. However, I restored as close as possible.
