Ballotpedia, Bruce O'Connell

Bruce attended the Cornell Hotel School, where he developed an interest in energy conservation. 

Bruce has been the operator of the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina since 1979. He has worked in various industries throughout his career, including as a substitute teacher. 

Bruce O'Connell ran for U.S. House in 2022, but did not win.

As of June 14, 2024, Bruce O'Connell’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Services

Candidate website

Opposes using reserve funds to balance the budget and believes promising no tax increase for political gain is irresponsible.

Believes cutting wasteful spending and focusing on essential expenditures is better fiscal policy. Said, "The idea that this is good fiscal policy is not going to fly with the taxpayers."

Believes cutting wasteful spending and focusing on essential expenditures is better fiscal policy. 

Believes in fighting government overreach to protect small businesses. Said, "Bruce has the courage to fight government overreach."

Believes in fighting government overreach to protect small businesses. 

Believes in charging different prices or rates for goods or services, including the use of discounts or other benefits or imposing penalties.

- Opposes using reserve funds to balance the budget and believes promising no tax increase for political gain is irresponsible.
- Believes in fighting government overreach to protect small businesses. 
- Believes in charging different prices or rates for goods or services, including the use of discounts or other benefits or imposing penalties.

Economy

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Believes schools should teach core subjects and practical life skills like budgeting and civics. Supports mandatory testing, performance-based promotions, classroom discipline, and increased SRO presence.

Supports mandatory testing, performance-based promotions, classroom discipline, and increased SRO presence.

Believes in adding "real world, practical education" to the curriculum, including teaching household budgeting, debt management, and work ethic.

Believes education should cover basics like reading, writing, math, science, and history. Supports teaching practical skills such as understanding debt, interest, budgeting, credit, civics, and career development.

Supports teaching practical skills such as understanding debt, interest, budgeting, credit, civics, and career development.

Believes in restoring "respect, discipline, and consequences for actions" in education. Supports policies that reinforce these values in K-12 schools and beyond.

Believes in restoring "respect, discipline, and consequences for actions" in education and supports policies that reinforce these values in K-12 schools and beyond.

Believes promotions and rewards for teachers should be based on merit, excluding "DEI."

Opposes gender studies in K-12 education, stating, "No gender studies until at least high school."

Believes in "100% parent’s rights to know everything that is going on in their schools and with their children."

Believes in "parent’s rights to know everything that is going on in their schools and with their children."

Believes in returning to fundamental subjects in education: reading, writing, math, history, civics, and science.

Emphasizes returning to fundamental subjects in education, mainly reading, writing, math, history, civics, and science.

Believes in promoting and striving for higher expectations from the education system and students.

Denounced current leadership's "woke ideology that seeks. to take our money, punish our work, destroy our education, dishonor our history, and divide our people."

- Supports mandatory testing, performance-based promotions, classroom discipline, and increased SRO presence.
- Believes in adding "real world, practical education" to the curriculum, including teaching household budgeting, debt management, and work ethic.
- Supports teaching practical skills such as understanding debt, interest, budgeting, credit, civics, and career development.
- Believes in restoring "respect, discipline, and consequences for actions" in education and supports policies that reinforce these values in K-12 schools and beyond.
- Believes promotions and rewards for teachers should be based on merit, excluding "DEI."
- Opposes gender studies in K-12 education, stating, "No gender studies until at least high school."
- Believes in "parent’s rights to know everything that is going on in their schools and with their children."
- Emphasizes returning to fundamental subjects in education, mainly reading, writing, math, history, civics, and science.
- Believes in promoting and striving for higher expectations from the education system and students.
- Denounced current leadership's "woke ideology that seeks. to take our money, punish our work, destroy our education, dishonor our history, and divide our people."

Education

Believes in strengthening penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers.

Supports improving safety and security, advocating for justice, fairness, and compassion, and backing law enforcement and first responders.

Supports being "100% supportive of all law enforcement."

Is "100% supportive of all law enforcement."

Plans to improve safety and security in downtown areas and communities.

Believes in protecting the personal safety of service users and the public.

- Believes in strengthening penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers.
- Supports improving safety and security, advocating for justice, fairness, and compassion, and backing law enforcement and first responders.
- Is "100% supportive of all law enforcement."
- Plans to improve safety and security in downtown areas and communities.
- Believes in protecting the personal safety of service users and the public.

Public Safety

Believes high property taxes are driving residents out and plans to cap taxes and expand sewer and water services to make more land buildable.

Supports offering incentives to developers for long-term affordable housing projects.

Believes in smart development that considers traffic, neighborhood culture, environmental impact, and quality of life. Supports small local businesses and aims to contain onerous regulations.

Supports small local businesses and aims to limit heavy regulations.

Supports cutting regulations and reducing construction costs to make housing more affordable.

Believes that affordability and quality of life are critical issues, stating that the county has become unaffordable for many residents.

Believes in reasonably capping property taxes for locals.

Believes in strong private property rights.

Believes in "smart development" for housing and urban development. Supports policies that promote efficient and thoughtful growth.

Believes in "smart development" for housing and urban development and supports policies that promote efficient and thoughtful growth.

- Believes high property taxes are driving residents out and plans to cap taxes and expand sewer and water services to make more land buildable.
- Supports offering incentives to developers for long-term affordable housing projects.
- Supports small local businesses and aims to limit heavy regulations.
- Supports cutting regulations and reducing construction costs to make housing more affordable.
- Believes that affordability and quality of life are critical issues, stating that the county has become unaffordable for many residents.
- Believes in reasonably capping property taxes for locals.
- Believes in strong private property rights.
- Believes in "smart development" for housing and urban development and supports policies that promote efficient and thoughtful growth.

Housing & Urban Development

Plans to improve infrastructure, including water systems, roadways, electrical grids, and internet accessibility, while balancing smart development and mitigating traffic issues.

Believes we need to prioritize addressing failing infrastructure.

Believes addressing failing infrastructure should be a priority.

Supports leveraging business experience to manage infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public transit, and ongoing maintenance.

Plans to focus on infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transit.

- Plans to improve infrastructure, including water systems, roadways, electrical grids, and internet accessibility, while balancing smart development and mitigating traffic issues.
- Believes addressing failing infrastructure should be a priority.
- Supports leveraging business experience to manage infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public transit, and ongoing maintenance.
- Plans to focus on infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transit.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Twitter

Instagram

Bruce O'Connell

He attended the Cornell Hotel School, where he developed an interest in energy conservation. 

Bruce O'Connell has been the operator of the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina since 1979. He has worked in various industries throughout his career, including as a substitute teacher. 

As of July 10, 2024, Bruce O'Connell’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Opposes balancing the budget by using reserve funds, calling it "irresponsible."

The candidate's website says, "• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service"

Candidate's website states he is "100% supportive of all law enforcement."

- Believes in strengthening penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers.
- Supports improving safety and security, advocating for justice, fairness, and compassion, and backing law enforcement and first responders.
- Candidate's website states he is "100% supportive of all law enforcement."
- Plans to improve safety and security in downtown areas and communities.
- Believes in protecting the personal safety of service users and the public.

Bruce O'Connell has been a resident of the Candler area in Western North Carolina since 1988. He attended the Cornell Hotel School, where he developed an interest in energy conservation. Details about his family life, church attendance, or other aspects of his personal background are not provided in the information given.

Bruce O'Connell has been the operator of the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina since 1979. His first job was as an elevator operator at the age of 10 in a family-owned hotel. He has worked in various industries throughout his career and has a particular interest in energy conservation within the hospitality sector, which he pursued while attending the Cornell Hotel School. Under his management, the Pisgah Inn has become a model for energy efficiency and environmental consciousness.

As of July 8, 2024, Bruce O'Connell’s website did not contain information on this issue.

The candidate's website says, "Bruce has leadership experience in the classroom. As a substitute teacher, he faced the challenges of education today."

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners can create, change, or abolish offices, positions, departments that are not required by law. 
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms, with no term limits. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.