Mount Airy voters will choose a mayor on Nov.

Mount Airy voters will choose a mayor on Nov. 3, with incumbent Jon Cawley facing challenger Bill Goins, who chairs the Surry County Board of Commissioners. The race is non-partisan.

Cawley, first elected in 2022, moved to Mount Airy 36 years ago to pastor Flat Rock Baptist Church and served as interim pastor at Mount Airy Friends Meeting for 17 years. His local government experience began in 2008 when he was selected to finish Commissioner Tom Bagnal's term, and he has coached for Mount Airy City Schools for four decades. He said his focus is making sure voices are heard and building an inclusive, hopeful narrative for the city, and he pointed to a transparent, fiscally responsible board and strong city services with little waste.

Goins worked 28 years for Surry County Schools as a teacher, assistant principal and principal and has served two terms as a county commissioner representing the Mount Airy District. His platform centers on public safety, economic development and a low tax rate, and he argues that if the city's fund balance keeps growing there is a point where taxes should come down. He also named housing as one of the city's biggest challenges, saying partnerships with regional stakeholders will be needed to attract industry and jobs.

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Source note: Star News TV · Nov 2, 2026 10:45 PM.