Village Council

NOTE: Pursuant to the Village of Marvin's Candidate Questionnaire Policy, this page will be archived when the polls close at 7:30pm EST on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

NOTE: Those listed below have officially registered with the Union County Board of Elections as Mayoral Candidates for the Village of Marvin. This list may not be all inclusive, as participation in this questionnaire was voluntary and some candidates may have chosen not to participate. For an official and all-inclusive list of registered candidates, please visit the Union County Board of Elections website.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Marvin voters will elect a Mayor for a two-year term and three Councilmembers for four-year terms. This questionnaire is intended to provide the Marvin electorate with some basic information about Mayoral and Councilmember candidates. Completed submissions are listed in alphabetical order by the candidates’ last names.

Mayoral Candidates (Vote for One)

Candidate For Mayor

image
Name
Joseph Barbara

State
609 Appomatox Drive
Marvin, North Carolina 28173

Subdivision
Bridle Path Estates at Wyndham Hall

Phone
(704) 2925312

Email
jbarbara@marvinunited.com

Education
NC State University - BA Political Science

Occupation
National Sales Director, Kayco Inc. (Kenover Marketing Group)

Briefly describe yourself and your background.
Joe was born in upstate NY and has lived in NC since 1984. He and his wife Jennifer have lived in Marvin since June 2007. They have 2 children, Benjamin, a 2025 graduate of the IB program at Marvin Ridge High School, who began his first year at The United States Military Academy at West Point on June 30, 2025, and Julia who is a rising 5th grader at Marvin Elementary. They engage in several charities and are long-time parishioners at St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church in Ballantyne.

Describe your experience and accomplishments.
Joe’s successful 30-year career in the consumer products industry spans from large to microcap sized companies, both public and privately held. Integrity, collaboration and forward-thinking drive Joe daily. His range and depth of experience in strategic high-level account management, project management and team leadership have been paramount in solving and avoiding complex problems. These skills are critical in dealing with the challenges Marvin faces currently.

What would be your top priorities for your term in office?
Marvin Economics: reduce taxes and spending. This can be achieved rather easily with discipline and clearly defining priorities. Vision of the Village: Narrow/eliminate the scope of projects the current council is committed to. Focus on common-sense, smart, low-density development; mitigate the impact the areas surrounding Marvin have on us as a Village. Restore Public Trust: In the 18 years Joe has lived in Marvin, the tone and relationship between Village leadership and the electorate has never been worse, and its unacceptable. The taxpayers/residents deserve better. Marvin leadership needs to regain their trust and respect.

How do you plan to address those priorities?
Generally speaking, put the “Will of the people” above the current agenda. Joe believes that he can help revive the sense of unity and purpose that the Village of Marvin needs, while returning to an amicable spirit of collaboration back to Village business and politics. This is done through listening, with a spirit of humility, servitude, collaboration, and better communication/transparency. These attributes seem to be missing in the current process.

What is your long-term vision for the Village and how do you plan to make it a reality?
We have to keep things simple in the Village. The majority here want a safe, quiet, wonderful place to live, and educate their children, with low taxes, controlled growth and low density. They don’t want tax increases and $20MM Go Bond type pet projects forced upon them. The taxpayers want validation, and better engagement, which they deserve. Right now, many are disillusioned and feel powerless.

Back