Re-Elect Chatham County Commissioner Franklin Gomez Flores
About Franklin Gomez Flores
Fun Fact: Since my last campaign, I got married and am happily married, and I have become a father.
My family and I are originally from Guatemala. In 1999, when I was five, my family immigrated to the United States due to Guatemala's violence, poverty, and lack of opportunities. Yes, I was born in Guatemala, but raised in Siler City.
We arrived in Siler City and have called Chatham County our home ever since. I attended the Chatham County School System and graduated from Jordan-Matthews High School in 2012. I was a varsity soccer player for Los Jets, and I ran track all four years.
In 2016, I graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Biology. I was specifically interested in human and plant biology courses. These courses provided me with the foundation to be eco-conscious, to understand that our bodies depend on natural resources for survival and repair, and to care for our environment!
Growing up, I helped my family with our investments in rental units. Now, I have followed my father's path into real estate investing. We do not build new homes; instead, we buy abandoned or severely damaged homes and bring them up to code. As a family, we will handle some work in-house and contract out the rest. All while providing affordable housing options.
I have been in office since December 2020, for a total of 5 years and counting (a term and a half). It has been a humbling experience serving the residents of Chatham County. My experiences growing up in Siler City during a period of economic decline shaped my goals and interests in serving you. And, becoming a husband and father further solidified my goals and interests.
Successes
Brief List of Successes:
Human Services
- Participated in the UNC Health Chatham Maternity Care Center (MCC) task force
- Supported the transition of the nonprofit Council on Aging to become a County department
- Supports the improvement of additional space
- Removed the consideration for the consolidation of our Pittsboro and Siler City Centers for Active Living (formerly called Senior Centers)
- Supported implementation of the Tax Relief Program
- Recruited young individuals, residents of District 5, with the required expertise to serve on our advisory committees
- To learn more about serving in a committee click here.
- Capital Improvements Plan
- Public safety
- Schools (HVACs, New Gymnasiums, Roofs, New Schools)
- Park Improvements
- Advocates for increased transparency during our budget process
- Less private conversations, more public conversations
- Creation of the Information Hub
- A visual representation of the county's progress towards achieving our goals
Economic Opportunities
- Attracting economic investments into Chatham County
- Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Megasite
- Wolfspeed
- Innovative Construction Group (Pulte)
- Apex Gateway Park
- Coca-Cola Bottling
- MetOx
- Lifescience Logistics
- Triangle Innovation Point
- FedEx
- Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Megasite
Housing
- Supported the creation of the Housing and Community Development Director position
- Initiated the conversation of hosting an Affordable Housing Retreat.
- Emphasized the need to address it at the root cause, not just programming
- We have to identify, if any, unintended consequences from our approved policies.
Responsible Growth
- Approved the Unified Development Ordinance
- Included the creation of a new zoning district that requires 10 acres per dwelling to help preserve rural Chatham County
- Supported the hosting of Chatham County's first Climate Change Retreat
- Supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Coordinator position
- Supported the creation and funding of the Chatham Agricultural Preservation & Development Trust Fund
- Supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Program
- Funding the purchase of conservation easements, with the partnership of the State's Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund
- Supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Program
Education
- Supported the installation of HVAC systems in gymnasiums that lacked HVAC systems
- Supporting the replacements of Bennett, Bonlee, and Silk Hope gymnasiums
- Supporting the roof replacement of Siler City Elementary School
- Supporting the need of additional classroom space
- Supports Local Teacher Supplement for our K-12
- Cognia System of Distinction (2025): CCS was one of only 35 systems globally (and seven U.S. public districts) to receive this top honor for excellence
- Milken Educator Award (2025-26): A Chatham County educator was a recipient
- Look at their accountability results. Click Here
- Supports Chatham Promise
- 2-year tuition-free at CCCC for graduates of Chatham County Schools
- Expanded to include non-traditional students
Intergovernmental Collaboration
- Advocated for Joint Board meetings with elected bodies to share successes, challenges, and opportunities to partner
- Pittsboro Town Council, Siler City Town Council, Chatham County Board of Education
- Merger with TriRiver
- Supported the merger of County Utilities with TriRiver
- Supported the merger of Siler City Utilities with TriRiver