William “Toonk” Wesley is a lifelong Cumberland County resident, licensed educator, and community advocate running for Cumberland County Commissioner – At-Large. His leadership is grounded in service, accountability, and a people-first approach to government.

 

As a current educator, Wesley works directly with students and families and understands firsthand the challenges facing public education, workforce development, and family stability. Education is not just a policy issue for him — it is personal. He is committed to protecting legacy educational institutions and ensuring that Cumberland County maintains teacher salary supplements at the highest level in North Carolina to recruit and retain quality educators.

 

Wesley brings meaningful political experience, having worked behind the scenes in campaign strategy, voter outreach, volunteer coordination, and issue-based advocacy. This experience has given him a clear understanding of how county government operates, how decisions impact neighborhoods, and where communication and accountability must improve.

 

Public safety is a central focus of his platform. Wesley supports improved coordination among emergency services, county control of the 911 Center based on logistics and proximity to first responders, and faster response and recovery times during emergencies. He also supports exploring the creation of an elite Cybertech Services Unit under the supervision of the Fayetteville Police Chief, staffed by highly trained professionals dedicated to protecting residents, seniors, veterans, and small businesses from cyber fraud and identity theft. This unit would maintain and deploy advanced cameras, drones, and other high-tech public safety tools to proactively safeguard communities and enhance modern crime prevention efforts.

 

Wesley believes in common-sense budgeting, transparent decision-making, and strong checks and balances. He supports plain-language budgets, enforced project timelines, and accountability measures to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and equitably.

 

Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has further shaped Wesley’s perspective on leadership, access, and responsive government. This lived experience reinforces his belief that policies must work for real people navigating real challenges every day.

 

Wesley is running because he believes county leadership should be accessible, collaborative, and grounded in real-life experience — not driven by personal ambition at the county’s expense. His commitment is to exhaust all possibilities so youth, veterans, elders, working families, and every community in Cumberland County can thrive.