Vince Losito for Carolina Beach Town Council
Making a Difference
I am, and have always been, devoted to the people. Whether they are my team members, internal and external customers, or various stakeholders. That’s what being a leader is all about. After years of successful achievements working in business and leading great teams I am now taking those experiences to Carolina Beach. It’s this intense dedication, passion, and devotion that fuels my desire to "Make a Difference". Explore the site to learn more about the issues that I am concerned with, my plans to tackle the issues and ways you can join the cause.
The Campaign Kicks Off
July 6, 2021
I have lived in North Carolina for 24 years and have been a resident of Carolina Beach for the past 8 years. I "retired" after a 30+ year career as the Corporate Controller of a multinational consumer packaged goods company. I am currently the Corporate Controller of Autism in Motion Clinics, a company whose mission is to bring treatment to children with autism living in underserved communities. I currently serve as a member of the Carolina Beach Centennial Committee, am the CFO of the Carolina Beach Mural Project and am a member of the Island Men's Club. My wife, Kim, and I both love the beauty of Carolina Beach and I feel that this is an opportunity to assist in the continued growth and advancement of this wonderful community for now and for years to come.
Why Vote for Me?
Corporate Finance, Leadership and Budget Management
An accomplished finance person with 25+ years of proven success in managing all aspects of corporate finance. I am experienced in creating budgets as well as explaining them openly, transparently and simply. I am a good listener and will work hard for the best of Carolina Beach.
Corporate Controller at Autism in Motion Clinics, LLC
Corporate Controller (U.S.) for Imperial Brands
Assistant Corporate Controller - Lorillard Inc.
CFO of Carolina Beach Mural Project
Member of the Carolina Beach Centennial Committee
Member of The Island Men
B.S. in Accounting
M.B.A in Finance
The Issues At Hand
We all agree that we live in paradise here in Carolina Beach. What we seem to have trouble agreeing on is the definition of paradise. Carolina Beach means something different to all of us. To me, personally, it means a place that has been calling me all of my life, a place where my children and grandchildren love coming to. I want to do my part to help push everyone's vision of paradise forward to help make Carolina Beach a town that people will want to come to for generations to come. Also, I feel that, as Deb LeCompte said, win or lose on November 2, nothing will change how I feel about this town.
Fiscal Responsibility
The Stakes are High but the Sky is the Limit
I am proud to support and push for fiscal transparency throughout the community. This is a very serious issue that has been impacting the community for some time. I will work to address this issue head on, and rally the support needed to those changes that are truly needed. Fiscal responsibility means identifying the areas that would have the most impact on the community, communicating those issues clearly and working closely with stakeholders to reach consensus on the best path forward.
Who and What is Carolina Beach
For a Better Future
This particular issue has been increasingly debated on social media for some time now. My opinion is that Carolina Beach is first and foremost a hidden gem but getting noticed more and more every day as a family friendly tourist destination and secondly a small town community. The fact of the matter is that tourism is what drives this town and people that have vacationed here have seen the beauty and now want to live here. We have to continue to reinvent ourselves to continue to be that destination spot as that is the engine that drives this machine. We need to continue to invest in the boardwalk area as that is where people are driven to. We also need to focus on completing the lake project to make that a family gathering spot. We also need to make some hard decisions that may not be popular but we need to keep up the beauty of this town and that means enforcing the fact that landowners need to keep their property kept up and neat. I will do everything I can to see a brighter future.
Infrastructure
How to fund key initiatives
I am truly passionate about this issue, as it is one that impacts so many people in this community. We have played kick the can down the road for far too long and issues like North End flooding need to be addressed and acted upon. This will mean getting property owners, the town, CAMA and more in sync with a solution that works for all. We can no longer just keep talking about the problem but not actioning it. Another issue is the renourishment issue which we all know extends outside the scope of the town but we all need to call on as much support at the county, state and federal levels as we can get. One final point is that infrastructure and fiscal responsibility go hand in hand. The current council has done a good job but there is more to be done in breaking down the budget to really focus on those issues that need attention the soonest and have the biggest impact on the town. These, as we all know are difficult decisions but I aim to be open, honest and transparent about the process.
Parking
How to handle growth
I Have received a couple of questions related to parking and been reading the various posts in Facebook. Let me first say that, yes, we have a parking problem downtown. It is a 2 fold problem. The first problem is with the private lots. These lots are leased from the land owner on private property. These are not town owned lots. If elected, I would try to reach out to the owner of the parking lot company to, at least, work on better signage as it relates to the private lot and pricing. I would also investigate to see if there is anything the town can do with the rates being charged. The second, and larger problem, is the lack of public parking. I would strongly recommend the town re-visit a recommendation from a few years ago to erect a parking deck or decks via a public/private type of partnership. There is no more room to expand the parking so the only solution is to go up. The only other solution would be to purchase the private lot land from the owner. Either solution costs money but I would be happy to look at other alternatives as well.
