Savvy Citizen: A Gaston County Podcast
The Gaston County team of Adam Gaub, Janet Schafer, Elizabeth McGee and Gavin Stewart host Savvy Citizen -- taking you behind the scenes on issues that matter to you as a Gaston County resident. New episodes drop every Monday.
The Gaston County team of Adam Gaub, Janet Schafer, Elizabeth McGee and Gavin Stewart host Savvy Citizen -- taking you behind the scenes on issues that matter to you as a Gaston County resident. New episodes drop every Monday.
Episodes
Jul 21, 2025
A Passion for Animals
Jul 21, 2025
Jul 21, 2025
31 min
Captain Kyle Yancey, who oversees the Animal Care and Enforcement Shelter for Gaston County PD, talks to Savvy Citizen about his passion for animals, his service to the community and why he was shocked to learn he was the Manager's Award winner for the county.

Jul 14, 2025
The Misconceptions of Zoning Permits
Jul 14, 2025
Jul 14, 2025
31 min
Peyton and Jamie are back for this month's 'A Planned Party' miniseries, where they break down the common misconceptions behind zoning permits, and the value they serve in keeping our county from descending into chaos.
Jul 7, 2025
The Big Budget Breakdown
Jul 7, 2025
Jul 7, 2025
42 min
We're celebrating the fiscal new year by taking you behind the scenes in the Gaston County budget process. Taylor Ricci, Scott Attaway and Elizabeth McGee explain why a strenuous budget year is producing good outcomes for residents.
Jun 30, 2025
Defeating Disinformation
Jun 30, 2025
Jun 30, 2025
35 min
In this edition of the Savvy Citizen podcast, host Adam Gaub sits down with Bret Schafer and Krystyna Sikora of the Alliance for Securing Democracy--an organization devoted to exposing, analyzing, and developing strategies to counter foreign information manipulation and interference in democracies. They talk about the role several foreign governments played in spreading disinformation in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
Jun 23, 2025
Connecting Gaston with the World
Jun 23, 2025
Jun 23, 2025
28 min
In this edition of the Savvy Citizen podcast, host Adam Gaub sits down with Justin Amos of Gaston County and Bruce Clark of the Center for Digital Equity to talk about a special project that is seeking to increase broadband access for residents of Gaston County, as well as increase knowledge of folks who are a little less tech-savvy.

Jun 16, 2025
Subdividing Land (Part 1)
Jun 16, 2025
Jun 16, 2025
15 min
On the fourth installment of A Planned Party, Jamie and Peyton talk subdivisions! We've all talked about subdivisions in our community, but what are they actually? And who all is involved in the process of subdividing land? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this topic! Do you have questions about this series? Email planning@gastongov.com.
Jun 9, 2025
Fun (and Safety) in the Sun!
Jun 9, 2025
Jun 9, 2025
20 min
In this week's episode of the Savvy Citizen podcast, host Adam Gaub sits down with Leigh Kish of the Office of Emergency Management & Fire Services to discuss all things summer safety--from the pool and grill to those all-American summer fireworks.
Jun 2, 2025
Classy, Not Trashy
Jun 2, 2025
Jun 2, 2025
26 min
Keep Gastonia Beautiful is participating in a national effort tied to the upcoming celebration of America's 250th Birthday -- The Greatest American Cleanup. Learn how you can get involved to help make our community really shine in time for next year's big celebration.

May 27, 2025
A Far-Reaching Impact
May 27, 2025
May 27, 2025
31 min
The annual Gaston Globe Awards celebrate employees who go above and beyond in their work. On this week's episode, hear from Maddie Moore from the Gaston County Public Library, and her supervisor, Andrew Pierce, on how Maddie is making the library an even more special place to be.
May 19, 2025
Keeping Kids Safe Online
May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
44 min
In this episode, Detective Smith of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Hannah Hopper of Hope United Survivor Network join our host Adam Gaub to discuss the implications of House Bill 301 and how to keep children safe online.
What Does It Mean To Be Savvy?
This podcast is all about connecting Gaston County residents to their government and their community. Not only do we take you behind the scenes of Gaston County's more than 30 departments, we help tell the stories of the people and places that make up this wonderful place we call home. Our hope is that each episode leaves you feeling better connected & informed.
Have feedback or want to pitch an episode idea? Email us at Adam.Gaub@GastonGov.com.






