Welcome & Ballot Basics

Amanda Benbow Lunn 0:08

Hello friends. Welcome back to the NC Deep Dive Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn, and this episode features another of our candidate conversations for the 2026 general election. It looks like we'll have 18 contested races with 46 candidates in southern Wake County, specifically in Holly Springs and Fuquay Varina. There are going to be a few other races that have only one candidate running, but we will not be including those this go round in our candidate conversations. Of course, the races on your particular ballot will vary based on your address and the specific districts your residence falls within. You can always find your jurisdictions and eventually your sample ballot by searching NC Voter Search made available by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Once you get to the page, you'll fill out your information. It will populate with all of those who share your name or the information you provided. You're going to scroll down until you find yours. Click on it, verify that it is indeed your name and address, and then you can scroll down to the appropriate sections you're looking for. Since there are so many races, your ballot will likely have both a front and a back, so make sure you flip it over when you're voting. And if you're short on time, you can see each episode's transcripts at www.ncdeepdive.com, or you can search each episode's chapter titles or the particular questions that interest you the most. For this episode, we are delving into the Wake County Board of Commissioners race for District 2. There are two candidates running, and you will have the opportunity to vote for one of them. The two candidates running include John Adcock representing the Republican Party and Safiyah Jackson representing the Democratic Party. Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in.

Safiyah Jackson: Intro, Why, & Experience

Amanda Benbow Lunn 2:04

On this episode, I am pleased to be speaking with Safiyah Jackson, who is running for the Wake County Board of Commissioners for the District 2 seat. Welcome, Safiyah. Thanks for hopping on with me today. You want to take a few minutes and introduce yourself, and then you can go into why you're running for this office and what experiences I prepared you to serve in this role.

Safiyah Jackson 2:24

Yes, thank you, Amanda. It is a pleasure to be here. I look forward to our conversation today. And thank you to all the listeners who are going to tune in and get informed about where I've come from, how I've contributed in the last 15 months of serving as your Wake County Commissioner, and what I plan to do should I be re-elected. It's awesome to be able to talk to you and have this podcast representing and being recorded right here in District 2. So thank you for bringing this resource to voters.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 2:52

Absolutely.

Safiyah Jackson 2:53

As you said, I am Safiyah Jackson and I am a public servant, a nonprofit professional, and I like to say that I see the world through the lens of babies. And a lot of times we don't talk about babies, infants, and toddlers. But give me just a moment because I want to be able to share how that lens really helps all of us. So for 25 years, I've been an advocate for early childhood development, ensuring that the first five years of life is off to a great start. And so what that means is I've been thinking about health care, housing, nutrition, schools, and learning environments, and community assets. These are all the things that helps to ensure that babies that are born in the first five years have a good start. But the beauty is that even at our age and beyond, all of those things are necessary. And all of those things are part of what we think about as a county commissioner. So when you ask what experience I bring to this, I bring 25 years of public service. I bring a passion for the things that matter to us throughout our life, from birth to seniors. So that kind of summarizes the experience that I bring. And I say I also bring 15 months of doing this job. And the beauty of that is that all of our meetings are recorded and voters can tune in and hear the kind of decisions that we make, the values that I bring, the kind of questions that I bring to analyzing our work. I've essentially been interviewing for this job for the past 15 months. So I bring all of that experience. But why am I running again? Why am I running to keep our values in this seat? Well, because I believe counties can deliver on the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We often know that associated with the Constitution and what we are promised in this country. And I believe that counties can deliver on that. And when I say life, I am talking about those same basic needs that I was just referring to, ensuring that affordable homes and food and well-funded schools and parks and recreation, that the basic needs for a good quality well-being is provided by the county. When I say liberty, I'm talking about really ensuring that people are protected and that people are safe and that they can engage fully in the democratic process and be a part of what we do at the county. And the pursuit of happiness, those are the most fun parts of the job of being a county commissioner. I'm talking about libraries, parks, cultural arts, the creative economy, those things that bring us together in community and create happiness. I believe that the county can deliver on that and we can ensure that if you live in Wake County, that it would be a great place to grow up, get a job, raise a family, and play, live, work, and play. And so that's why I'm running because I want to bring those values to this seat. And right now, a number of those things are being threatened by cost shifts that are happening from the federal level and from the state level. And I believe that if other levels of government are going to make decisions that impact us, I want to be in the seat to ensure that at the end of the day, that folks that live in Wake County will be able to receive and make this a great place. I want to just take a moment to just summarize that by saying county government are the first responders and the last line of defense. And I'm running to make sure that we are the best first responders and that when we're called to be the last line of defense, that we show up for our neighbors.

Biggest Issue for District 2

Amanda Benbow Lunn 6:33

Excellent. What do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing the people you would represent?

Safiyah Jackson 6:40

I think the biggest issue that is on our horizon that we are experiencing a bit now is the cost shifting that is happening at the federal and state level. It costs more to live in Wake County because of decisions that are made at the federal and state level. And while we are doing our jobs being first responders and last line of defense, the revenue that we have to make those decisions are being threatened. And I believe that if our job is to ensure public health, public safety, public schools, then we need to protect our revenue to be able to do that. There are a number of constitutional amendments that threaten that. There are a number of decisions that have been made at the state level that threaten that. And I would really want to voters to be thinking about how do we sustain Wake County as being, like I said, that place that can deliver on life, liberty, and happiness.

Priorities & Hopes for Accomplishment

Amanda Benbow Lunn 7:38

If elected, what would you prioritize and what specifically would you hope to accomplish during your term?

Safiyah Jackson 7:44

Well, we're playing defense. We're trying to protect our revenue right now. Let me just get into that a little bit. Sure. So each year, generally, when the county begins its budgeting process, we generally expect from natural revenue growth, meaning the natural tax revenue. We don't raise taxes, it's just the natural growth from being in one of the fastest growing, the top five to 10 fastest growing counties in the country. We generally expect and can count on about 40 to 50 million dollars. This last budget cycle, because of a number of different factors, often tied to, as I said, decisions that are made by those leading at the federal and state level here in North Carolina, we saw only 8 million. And so what that does when we see such a drastic drop in our revenue, it really forces us to decide: do we fund public safety or public schools or public health? I believe that our first effort is to try and protect our revenue. That means working with our lobbyists to appeal to the folks that are leading at the state level to make very simple decisions that would protect our revenue. That also means establishing stronger relationships with our nonprofit partners and our business community and our faith community because we're going to need their help. And I am committed to building those kinds of relationships. I'm not the lobbyist. Our lobbyist is doing his job. We do meet with the state delegation and appeal to the needs for our county. But as they're doing their job, what I'm committed to doing is turning to our business community and our faith community and our nonprofit community and saying, please help us maintain what works for Wake County because we can't do it when our revenue is continuously threatened. That's what I'm committed to doing is ensuring that we protect the resources that make Wake County work for us and to ensure and build the partnerships and get to try and secure investments in other ways when our natural tax revenue is being threatened.

The Blue Ridge Loophole Breakdown

Amanda Benbow Lunn 9:47

Could you go into a little bit more detail? Like if you were expecting 40 million, I believe you said, and you received eight, where does that difference lie?

Safiyah Jackson 9:56

Yes. Okay, we're gonna get a little wonky, but I'm gonna try and make this really accessible because it really comes down to something that's called the Blue Ridge Loophole. And so I would encourage everyone to Google that, check it out. There has been a lot of coverage of how this Blue Ridge Tax Loophole has drawn down the revenue of counties across North Carolina. This isn't specific to Wake County. And so the Blue Ridge Tax Loophole is essentially a tax benefit that is available for nonprofit organizations that are providing affordable housing. So, on its merit, it is a good benefit. It's essentially saying that if you're a nonprofit entity and you are providing affordable housing and helping address the affordable housing needs in our county, then you get a tax break. But what we have found is that existing corporate entities are finding very minimal nonprofit partners to come in, maybe 1% or less than 1%. And they're claiming this tax when they're not increasing the supply and they're not changing anything different. We have apartment complexes, for example, that have been around for 30 years and we have generally collected 13, let's say, million dollars of property tax revenue. But now they will go find a nonprofit partner and say, hey, partner with us. And then we'll submit and say, we are that nonprofit entity. So it is a loophole that the General Assembly have explored. Many people recognize it is being exploited and not used in the ways that it's intended to be, but it is happening such that it is impacting the revenue that we bring in because all of these apartment buildings that have already been existing and already housing folks are getting this tax break. And what we're seeing is that they're not passing that on to lower rents or to fill apartments or to build more supply. So the intention and what's happening is misaligned, and that is causing a significant gap in our budget.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 12:02

Gotcha.

Safiyah Jackson 12:02

A significant number.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 12:04

I mean, 40 to 8 is a big chunk.

Safiyah Jackson 12:07

It is a big chunk. Yeah. I mean, we it's the affordable housing loophole. And I'd encourage folks to take a look at it and help us advocate for closing that loophole. We don't have an issue with the ability to provide that tax break for nonprofit partners that are helping us fill this gap. But we should be mindful of how folks are just using it to bring down their property taxes as apartment owners, corporate owners, but not passing that on and not adding to actually addressing the issue of affordable housing. So that's one major reason why we have seen such a drop in our natural tax revenue.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 12:46

Gotcha.

What Should Be Preserved

Amanda Benbow Lunn 12:47

What do you believe Wake County is doing well that should be preserved?

Safiyah Jackson 12:51

I really like this question. There are a lot of things that we're doing well. We're doing public schools well, we're doing public health well, we're doing public safety well, and we're doing parks and open space well. But to answer your question, the one thing that I would say we're doing well is being fiscally responsible and maintaining a triple A bond rating, having clean audits. By having such a strong financial and fiscal position, we're able to show the public that we're being good stewards of their dollars. We're able to secure and support partners. We're able to secure investments from our corporate partners and businesses. It's the foundation of what we do. And I believe that all of our decisions should ensure that we preserve that strong financial position by making fiscally responsible decisions. We can't underestimate the good financial position that we're in. It helps us borrow money at lower rates. There's just so many things that come from having a strong financial position and having clean audits. We're doing that well. We need to protect it because it's the foundation by which we do all the other things well.

What Would You Change

Amanda Benbow Lunn 13:57

What county policy or practice would you change if you were re-elected?

Safiyah Jackson 14:01

I'm gonna answer that in two ways, Amanda. In North Carolina, we're considered what's called a Dillon state. What that means is that counties are operating at the function of the state legislature. So a lot of our policies and what we can and we can't do are determined by the state general assembly. Our mandated services are determined by the General Assembly. What we can spend our money on, there are a lot of things that are determined at the state level. That's really unique in North Carolina. I think there are only nine states in the country that operate like this. So I think it's important for folks to understand that as a county commission, the folks that are operating at the General Assembly have direct influence on what we are able to do. What's within our control, and what I would like to change, is how we engage more folks in the process of county government. Our meetings, we meet at the first three Mondays. We have work sessions, we have board meetings, we have committee meetings, and oftentimes we aren't seeing people viewing or participating or showing up. And I believe, as I said earlier, in protecting liberty, which means that we need folks engaging in the democratic process of our county government. So we do a really good job being accessible and making it available. I would like us to do more to actually invite people, work with organizations to bring them into the county government. The county government runs, is like the quiet engine that runs behind our daily lives. And a lot of people don't understand from water and soil and food inspections, building inspections, landfills, the sheriff department, EMS, public school funding, that we are the entity that helps to fund those things. And so what I would love it to see is significantly more people understanding what we do because we are one of the closest forms of government to them, just behind their municipal and town leaders. And I think that that is fully within our control to make sure that in this time where costs are being shifted to us, our revenues are being threatened, costs and cuts are a strong consideration that we do that in partnership with our neighbors. So that's one thing, and it's not really a policy, but it is a practice that I think we should be leaning into more, especially as we are making tough decisions. It's seven of us on the council, and we may share the same party, but we all have very different ways of approaching things. And if you're in any of the board meetings, you can hear the debate, the dissent, the discussion. And it would be wonderful to have community come in and give public comments and email us and tell us how do we navigate these very tough times where significantly more threats to the livelihood in Wake County are pending, are coming simply because of bills like HR1 and the big beautiful bill that is shifting costs to the counties. I want to do that work in partnership with the residents that live here because we're so close. So come on down to our meetings, email us, and get involved.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 17:07

Awesome.

Infrastructure & Keeping Up with Growth

Amanda Benbow Lunn 17:08

As District 2 continues to grow, how should Wake County address existing infrastructure and service needs while ensuring that future growth is matched by the capacity needed to support it?

Safiyah Jackson 17:19

There are a couple of parts of that question that I want to dig into. You started off by asking about as District 2 grows. This seat will be elected by those who live in District 2, which includes Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs, Garner, where I live, unincorporated Wake County, and the bottom southeastern part of the county. And so while the voters will elect me to represent them, I think it's important to note that when we are making our decisions at the county level and when we're making our budget decisions, we don't make decisions by district. We look at the whole county. We look at 66 people moving to the county a day. So not only is district two growing, but district one is growing. And we need to think about the whole county. So I will speak specifically about district two in a moment, but I just want to acknowledge that while the voters are electing me to represent Southern Wake County, much of our budget conversations, much of the work that we do. Let's just think about EMS, for example. When we're funding EMS, we don't assign or fund EMS just for District 2. Or when we're funding sheriffs, we don't fund just for District 2, or even public schools because it's our school board and partnership with us where we decide where to build. So there is growth happening, and we do account for growth in District 2 as well as the full county of Wake. I just mentioned a couple of service areas that we need to think about as we're growing: public safety, public school, public health, water, infrastructure. We need to be thinking about these things. And as we grow, what we can do to ensure that we're keeping pace with that is number one, our strategic plan. I encourage everybody to check out our strategic plan. We have written it with an eye towards growth. Number two, partnering with our municipal partners. A lot of the growth actually is directed at the municipalities. And so in partnership, when they're making their decisions about growth through economic development or housing development or business development, we want to partner with our municipalities to ensure that together we are addressing the needs of growth. As I mentioned earlier, we're also taking a look at the revenue that's needed. There's going to need to be more EMS. We just funded 16 more EMS service professionals in this recent budget. We just graduated 30. So we're thinking about how to keep pace with these needs and we need the revenue to be able to fund that. And so this particular year, we decided because of the revenue shortfall and the need to keep up with growth that we would increase property taxes by two cent. And I want to just break that down for those that aren't aware. When we raise property taxes by two cent, that equals $90 a year for a home that's about $450,000. Our current property tax rate is $53 for every $100. And so when we raise it by $2 cent, that $90 a year for a home, roughly of $450,000, gives us the revenue to be able to fund the growth in schools, the growth and public safety that is needed. So it is the combination of all of those things, how we balance growth and need that is specific to District 2, but felt across the county.

Public Education: Balancing Needs, Funding, & School Options

Amanda Benbow Lunn 20:41

Wake County provides significant local funding for public education while the elected school board is responsible for operating the school system. What do you believe the county's financial responsibility to Wake County public schools should be, particularly as District 2 and the county continue to grow?

Safiyah Jackson 20:58

I appreciate this question because it allows us as voters and residents of this county to really understand the relationship between, like you said, the county board and the school board, but also how property taxes sit right in the middle of that relationship. As I mentioned previously, because our counties in North Carolina operate under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina General Assembly, we are mandated to pay for by the General Assembly to pay for buildings and capital investments. So as we grow, it's the county's responsibility to build the new schools and make sure that those capital investments meet the needs of the growth.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 21:41

What are capital investments?

Safiyah Jackson 21:43

Yes, um, buildings, building more buildings, um, maintenance, making sure that the infrastructure, the the uh school building, as compared to operations.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 21:52

Okay.

Safiyah Jackson 21:53

So we are mandated to fund the buildings and the infrastructure and the capital. Investments to build new buildings, it is not our responsibility, according to the General Assembly, and what we are mandated to do to fund the operations. And when I say operations, I'm making a distinction between like teacher pay and the buildings that they walk into. So we are mandated to fund the buildings, not the operations. But what we find is that we're funding both because, and I, you know, continue to go back here, because we're in a Dillon state, so much of what we experience at a county level is in direct relationship to decisions that are made at the state level. So when the state decides to give us less per pupil rate, when the state decides to not fully fund public schools or cut for Wake County master's pay, then we're left to think about well, who's going to pay for those operations? And so right now we are paying so much of what we shouldn't be paying just to keep our schools going. And when you ask about the responsibilities, Wake County Public Schools Board does not have the ability to collect taxes to pay for their needs, but we do. And we've calculated that if the state were paying fully for what they are responsible for paying for, not just for public schools, but public safety and foster care, if the state were paying their part, we would be able to reduce our taxes by 19 cents. And I want to just pause on that because a minute ago I talked about we raised it two cents, and that was $90 a year that we're needing to pay to get more EMS and more things that we need with our public schools, for example. By contrast, when you ask about the responsibility of the school board versus the county board, I think it's important for people to understand that at our county board, we are filling gaps to the tune of 19 cent per $100, which means that again, it's more expensive to live in Wake County because of the disinvestments and the underfunding that we're getting from the state level. And so we collect the property taxes at the county and we allocate it to the board. And the board is an elected board. And so the voters get to say what kind of values they want on that board. The school board creates the budget and they submit it to us. And then we have to look at our available tax revenue and say, do we give you zero because we've only collected 8 million and you're asking for 24 million and we still have public safety to fund? Or do we raise property taxes, in this case by two cent to be able to invest in the school board priorities and what they need to keep pace with growth? One of the themes between these two questions is how do we pay for growth? And growth does not pay for itself. And so we have to make very careful decisions, very thoughtful decisions, thinking about the impact not only to our financial position, but also to the financial position of our residents. What is the best way to help the school board meet the needs of a growing district two and growth around the county? So I will summarize that by saying the school board and the county board have a good working relationship. We trust the voters to pick the people they want representing on school board. And when those people tell us what they need to maintain and keep up with growth, we then have to make a decision about how much revenue we're able to provide to their requested budget. And in this particular case, we increased by two cent in order to meet that need. And if we're no longer able to increase our property taxes, which is an option that voters will have on the ballot, then it will make it even more difficult. And we may have to even say no because there would be no other way to fund the school board. One fun fact 75% of the Wake County Board revenue, Board of Commissioners, 75% of our revenue as a county comes from property taxes. Another 14% comes from sales tax. And then there are a host of fees. But the lion's share of what we're able to do in this county is tied directly to property taxes. So school board, county board, property taxes sit right at the center of that relationship. But property taxes sit at the center of every conversation that's related to what we provide and what the experience is like living and working in Wake County.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 26:20

What

Housing Affordability & Homelessness

Amanda Benbow Lunn 26:21

should Wake County's role be in addressing housing affordability and homelessness, particularly in rapidly growing areas like District 2? What can the county realistically control?

Safiyah Jackson 26:31

I'm so proud of this area. We can control quite a bit. And one of the themes that may come very clear in this conversation is every topic that we talk about at the county level has some relationship to the state. So recently there was a bill passed to criminalize homelessness and to try and clean up encampments by removing the people and maybe even putting them in jail. Well, while some counties are just responding to this new legislative requirement, we are prepared and ready. We just relocated our first homeless encampment area and provided an opportunity for 33 people to have a safe, reliable home. We don't just provide that opportunity an on-ramp. We provide 12 months of wraparound service because the research and experience shows us after three or four months, whatever it is that people are dealing with from mental health or maybe not earning enough, being able to sustain that home. So I'm so proud that we have already blown past our 2029 goal for preserving and providing affordable housing. Another plug to go check out our strategic plan and see what the county is up to and the risk role and responsibility that we take on in terms of public housing. We're blowing past our goal. We're being innovative. Partners from across the state are coming to Wake County from the region to look at our housing solutions. And we're again doing this in partnership with funding from the state, I'm sorry, the federal level to be able to meet these needs. There are a couple other things I just want to put on the table regarding affordable housing. Affordable housing is a spectrum from those that are working but just not earning enough. I just heard an interesting statistic from one of our nonprofit partners that 75% of the unhoused actually work full-time jobs. They just don't make enough to be able to afford housing. So it is a spectrum from the unhoused all the way to many people who live in district two who may be paying more than 30% of their income on housing. So that's kind of our measure and our benchmark. We want to ensure that everyone on that spectrum has an opportunity to have stable housing and to do so in a way that is within 30% of their income. So we have solutions that are for every part of that spectrum. And I think we have a significant role to play. As I mentioned in the very beginning, the county has a role to play in delivering life, basic life needs. And housing, healthcare, safety, and education are basic things that we provide. So I believe we have a role to play. We're doing it well. We've set our intention and made it public. We are finding our nonprofit partners and our business partners to do so. We have a significant role to play and we're doing it really well. Do you want to end on this point? One of the most exciting moments of the last 15 months serving as county commissioner is hearing from our housing team that we could get to functional zero homelessness in this county. But in order to get there, we need our corporate partners to contribute. At $10 million a year, we could be able to drive throughout our county and know that there's no one living on the streets. Functional zero homelessness, where folks have an option to have homes and have a safe place to lay their head. And again, we're also thinking about supply of homes being built. And I'm so happy that Holly Springs recently announced their plan to address affordable housing, making that I believe 11 out of 12 municipalities across the county that have stepped up and acknowledged their role in contributing to the housing solutions in our county.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 30:33

Awesome.

Approach to the Responsibilities and Decision-Making Authority of this Office

Amanda Benbow Lunn 30:34

How would you approach the responsibilities and decision-making authority of this particular office?

Safiyah Jackson 30:39

Well, I have 15 months of thinking about how I have been approaching the role. And there are a couple of things that I bring as values to this role and I believe are evident in the way that I engage in the decision making. First is transparency. As I mentioned earlier, one of the practices that I would like to lean into is more folks being involved in what we do and being aware of how we're making our budget decisions, where we're spending our money, how we're applying our values. So I would approach in a very transparent way and would lean into even more transparency. From a strategic perspective, I see our role as investing in an ecosystem and not just any one thing, because all of the things that we fund really work together. None of them really operate in silos. So I really bring like a systems thinking role, a systems perspective to ask very strategic questions about what's happening. So the last thing I would say is really strong partnerships with a transparent government that is making very strategic decisions from a systems lens and really thinking about how one lever moved shifts another, and doing that in partnership with our municipalities, with our nonprofit partners, with our business community, with our faith community. Those three things really summarize how I approach almost every decision. Who needs to know more? What aren't we thinking about? What are the unintended consequences? And who can partner with us? We can't run this county alone. We need our municipal partners and all the others that I mentioned. And I'm committed to maintaining strong relationships and partnerships so that we can do this together. And I believe that if we were to pressure test this approach, every decision that comes before us is made better by bringing that lens.

Balancing Taxes, Obligations, Investments, & Fiscal Responsibility

Amanda Benbow Lunn 32:31

Wake County faces pressure to fund growing demands for services and infrastructure while also keeping the property tax burden reasonable for residents. What is your philosophy on taxation at the county level? And how would you determine whether Wake County's property tax rate is appropriate and whether we can afford the reduction or expense?

Safiyah Jackson 32:50

Well, this question is actually very apropos to follow the previous question because our primary responsibility and decision-making authority is to pass a balanced budget and to make sure that the budget reflects our values and maintain a strong financial position, as I mentioned earlier for the organization. So as we face pressures and make very responsible decisions, let me start with, like you said, what my philosophy on taxation is. I'm a property owner and I want the lowest property tax as possible. I buy things, I pay for fees. I want it all to be as low as possible. Affordability is on the minds of everyone these days. And I believe that anything we can do to make life more affordable, we should be making those decisions. But as you mentioned, we are experiencing, and as I shared earlier, a number of pressures on our revenue. And I interchange revenue and taxation because 75% of our budget is property taxes, which is our sole source of revenue. So any conversation about taxes, property taxes, is a conversation about county revenue. And so what I think is appropriate is that our revenue should be paying for what we're mandated to fund. I don't believe that our taxation and our revenue should be paying for cost shifts from the federal government and the state. If we are shifting as a country where, for example, SNAP and families that rely on those nutritional benefits, if we're shifting from a 50-50 shift where the federal pays 50, the state pays 50, to a 75-25, if we're making like a philosophical shift in that way and then shifting those costs to us at the county level, or if the state doesn't choose to give Wake County our per pupil rate, that is we're the lowest per pupil rate, by the way. So if we are engaging in a cost shifting where the federal and the state are saying, no county, you take care of it, then I believe that what's appropriate is that we collect the revenue that's needed to fund those things. I don't believe that we should take on those cost shifts and then cut the funding that would then leave our schools not able to address the growth or not allow our public safety, our sheriff and our EMS and our fire to be able to meet the needs. So appropriateness is a very interesting question because appropriate for what is our responsibility to pay. But if our responsibility is growing, then I think that it's appropriate for us to grow to be able to take on those expenses. We've made decisions in the past two years. I've passed two budgets during my time here, and we've made decisions both times to reduce in every way possible. So we aren't always looking to increase revenue, we are also looking to make strong fiscally responsible decisions. And but when you put all of these things together, I'd like to just offer a metaphor. If I'm paying for my household and contributing to my community, and I'm kind of barely getting by, like I'm being very frugal about that, but I am committed to our values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I'm committed to those things and I'm getting those things done. If my parents, in this metaphor, decide to come and cost shift their expenses to me, then I can take them on, but now I have to go collect more revenue to do that. But if my parents then come behind and say, but you can't get another job, you can't ask for a raise, you can't collect more money, then it becomes an untenable situation. And in this metaphor, we as the county, we have been moving along, taking care of Wake County. But the federal and state level are shifting bills to us. And then we have to decide do we pay for public school? Do we pay for a new detention center? Do we pay for EMS? Well, when we try to go do that, but then a constitutional amendment says no, you can't raise money to do that, then it becomes untenable. And essentially what ends up happening is where you ended that question, reduction. What ends up happening is that schools and public health and public safety essentially becomes defunded. And I don't believe that that should be the case. I believe that, you know, safety is the core of Maslow's hierarchy, basic needs. We have to ensure that those things are protected. And so as we face these pressures, and I think about my values around taxation and what's appropriate and how we collect our revenue, I hope that voters would know that at every decision that I make, that it is done with a mindfulness towards affordability and knowing that we can get a lot done through our corporate nonprofit and faith partners. I believe voters can count on me to make the best decision for their pocketbooks and to make that decision while holding true to our value and not defunding our public safety, our public schools, our public health, and even our public spaces like parks, recs, and open spaces.

Deciding What Takes Precedence

Amanda Benbow Lunn 37:54

When priorities compete or resources are limited, how would you decide what takes precedence?

Safiyah Jackson 37:59

That's gonna be the question before us in the coming years, because all of the decisions and forces and cost shifts and pressures that I've described leave us constantly thinking about what takes precedent. I think public safety takes precedent. And when I say public safety, I've mentioned EMS, fire, but I'm also talking about food and building inspections. I'm talking about funding our sheriff departments, talking about our detention center. Public safety is the core of Maslow's hierarchy, and it is also a mandated requirement. So I think what takes precedence, we have to ensure that minimally the things that we are mandated to do by the General Assembly get funded. And that includes public safety and public schools and public health and child protective services. There are a whole host of mandated services that minimally, at the most difficult time of budget pressures, we will have to cut off our discretionary decisions like animal shelters, like housing, like parks and rec. Those discretionary items that make Wake County a great place to live, those will have to be deprioritized because they're discretionary. And we would have to focus on the basic mandated requirements. Libraries are a discretionary item. That's how I would approach it. In the toughest times, what are we absolutely required to fund? And how do we make that happen? Going back to the question around public schools, in the most catastrophic environment, we would probably have to consider how much money we're putting into the operations of Wake County, because that's discretionary to keep our schools working for us, to fund just the basic needs. It would be a really dark time to get to a place where we are only funding our mandated services because so much of our discretionary services are what people enjoy about Wake County. So that's one way that I would make decisions based on what's mandated and what's discretionary. I also make decisions based on balancing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I absolutely believe that we must always prioritize what it means to make Wake County a place to build community. And our parks and our trails, those are important to the well-being of this community. So my values around well-being are also really important to how we make decisions. And we may not be able to do all of what we would want in all of those areas, but we need to prioritize making sure that we're doing a little bit in each area. And so those are the values that I bring and also understanding of what we're required to do. And between that, it's a delicate balance of making that decision when priorities are competing.

Thoughts on Property Tax Amendment

Amanda Benbow Lunn 40:46

And you've mentioned a little bit about it, but what are your thoughts on the property tax amendment that's going to be showing up on the ballot? Basically, the North Carolina state legislature has put it on there so that voters will be voting on whether or not they can put a cap on the property taxes. What are your thoughts? Are you worried about it? Where do you fall?

Safiyah Jackson 41:06

I'm very worried about it. I'm worried about it because it removes local control, which is what we pride ourselves on in North Carolina, being a hundred county state. I'm worried about not being able to make the decisions for our county and having those decisions made for us even more by folks at the General Assembly. I'm worried about it because it appears that we're recklessly raising property taxes. In North Carolina, there's a cap now. No county can charge more than $1.50 per $100 in tax rate. We're at 53. We're really far from that. I'm worried that people think that we are overtaxing. I'm worried about it because, for example, the General Assembly were to say you can't raise that two cent tax, we would not have been able to fund our public schools and many of the other priorities that we discussed. As I mentioned, we put our natural revenue of $8 million all in public safety. If we weren't able to raise that two cent and it was capped, then we would have to decide, well, how much do we put in public safety versus uh school operations? It would be very tough decisions. And ultimately, I'm very worried because if the state would pay what they were actually required to pay for, and if the state would not shift costs to us, we would actually be able to reduce our property taxes by 19 cents. That's just the scale of how much we are filling the gap. I want to take a moment and encourage people to go to our website. We have an eight-page document entitled The Recommended Budget. It distills down a lot of what we've been discussing today. And I encourage people to read it because it really lays out in a lot more detail a number of things that we've discussed, including where we are on property taxes. There's also a 45-minute video where our county manager articulates the same thing that's in this eight-page. I want to read a line in this document in the section called covering the state's expenses. A better way to keep the property tax low is for the state to increase its investments in areas like education, public safety, and foster care that are chronically underfunded. Then county governments wouldn't have to fill the financial gap. And I'm worried because we've been filling the financial gap and doing so in a fiscally responsible way, keeping our bond ratings and our audits and our financial positions solid. We have been raising only minimally, where we're asking property taxpayers to give us $90 a year. That's if your home is $450,000, $90 a year to fill the gap. And I'm worried that if this amendment passes, then we could be forced into. To a position where we're not able to fill the gap. Thus taking us to your most recent question: how do we make decisions when there's essentially no new revenue to fund growth, fund inflation? It's a challenge. And I really encourage people to do their homework and really consider why we need this, what we're trying to fix, and if this is actually the solution to get it done.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 44:25

Do you have thoughts on like how often the property valuations are done and or for people maybe older or on disability, people with fixed incomes when they're navigating the fixed incomes plus the increases that are happening all across the board?

Safiyah Jackson 44:43

I really appreciate that follow-up question because you're naming what do we advocate for and how can we protect those most vulnerable as our county grows and values increase? And then what is the role of the valuation cycle in addressing that? I want to take the second part first. In North Carolina, counties are required to revaluations every eight years. We had been four years. And what happens in a county that's growing the size and as fast as we're growing, if we wait eight years or four years and we're growing so rapidly, it becomes sticker shock when it's time to look up and say, wow, I this county is growing at 66 people a day, and we have economic development and demand, everybody and we're on the top of the list. Waiting four or eight years really creates sticker shock. So we have adjusted our cycle of reevaluation so that it is not such a sticker shock. We will be moving to reevaluating every two years. Now, one of the things that think can get a little wonky is like what we even mean by values. When we talk about property taxes, there is the value of the home and then the rate at which the levy is set. And in a county that's growing so fast and the demand is so high, the values can go up, costing more, even when we have actually lowered the rate. And that's something that I don't think a lot of people, when I talk to people and I'm knocking on doors, that's a point that most people don't recognize. That in a year when Wake County actually did lower the rate, so the amendment is saying block increases. Well, Wake County actually lowered our rate, but because the value of the homes went up, the bill still went up. And so by moving to a two-year valuation cycle, it helps us sort of keep pace with the growth and allow for people to slowly see that increase as opposed to sticker shop. I want to take a moment right now to say I bought my home six years ago. And the way that it has grown in value and with the interest rates that are out here now, I would not be able to afford my home just six years later. So there are people on fixed incomes, but they're also working professionals that are at the middle of their career. Well, maybe I have 20 more years of working, but some maybe a little bit over. But folks just like me who are single with no children and still find it difficult to be able to afford a home. And the home that I live in simply because of the growth and the demand, it's a high interest market. Like folks, there's good things happening in Wake County and North Carolina. So I just want to share my own personal experiences. So I believe that by shortening the valuation cycle, it helps us all to more slowly move with the rate of growth. Now, how do we protect those that are vulnerable, those on fixed income? We have been advocating to the General Assembly to do more to protect priority populations. We do have tax protections for veterans, for disabled, for those seniors that are earning a certain level, but we need the General Assembly to give us permission to do more. And I believe that they can. This is another plug for tuning in. Our work session just this past Monday covered our legislative priorities. And we continue to lean on the General Assembly to help us make life more affordable because they absolutely have the ability to do so. And they have the ability to do so without adjusting our constitution, which is a forever decision that blocks the increases that we can make at a local level to meet our county's needs.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 48:33

And the valuations are mandated by the General Assembly?

Safiyah Jackson 48:38

To happen every eight years, yes.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 48:40

Okay.

Safiyah Jackson 48:41

And in a slower growth county that's not growing that much from year one to year eight, you're not going to see that much valuation. But think about how much growth we've seen in Wake County since 2018.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 48:54

I've been hearing that 66 to 68 people moving into Wake County a day since at least 2014.

Safiyah Jackson 49:02

That's like a whole new Wendell. Yes. I mean, when you think about it. So if we were to take valuations in 2018 and then not again until 2026, even four years ago, like I said, I've been living in this particular place for six years. And the amount of growth that I've seen in District 2 in Fuquay, I mean, in Garner, there is just development happening everywhere. So even from four years ago, 2022 to 2026, that can still be a significant sticker shop. And so we're moving to every two years because our rate of growth is so fast. And we don't want it to hit at a particular time. And for all the people that have moved in, we want them to start contributing to the pot. So if all those people that are moving in in the eight or the four years aren't actually adding to the tax base, then it makes it inequitable. So we want to be able to, you know, again, make sure that we're not causing sticker shock and our tax assessment department receives appeals and concerns. If folks have questions, they are available. I've heard so many positive things about the way our staff shows up to answer questions and to help people on any topic. Our staff is completely open. This goes back to really ensuring that we're a transparent government. If anybody has any questions about their taxes, our tax assessment office is ready and waiting. We actually had to hire new staff to our tax assessor's office to even deal with all the growth. So please reach out to them. They are here to help. And we have programs now that help folks, but they don't go far enough. And we need support from the General Assembly to be able to do more.

Accountability: What & How

Amanda Benbow Lunn 50:49

What should voters hold you accountable for if you're elected and how?

Safiyah Jackson 50:53

Well, they should hold me accountable to the values that I communicate as driving my decisions. If I'm ever making a decision that violates a value, a stated value, I want to be held accountable to that. You asked earlier about how do I approach the responsibility and the decision making. I would want folks to hold me accountable to my approach. And if they see that I'm violating that approach, that they reach out. One other thing I would want them to hold me accountable to is making the most fiscally sound, fiscally responsible decision that balances keeping affordability low, but keeping quality of life at the level at what makes us proud to be Wake County residents. So if folks are seeing that I am violating my values or my approach or doing something that's fiscally irresponsible, I would want them to email, call, come to a board meeting during public comment periods. Those are all ways that I can be held accountable. I'm very open. I have an open door policy. And I would expect folks to just say, Safiyah, you're in violation of this, and we expect you to do better. So that's how folks can hold me accountable. And ultimately in America, elections are the ultimate way to hold people accountable. And I work very hard every day to demonstrate a very consistent approach to decision making that leaves us fiscally sound and responsible while honoring my values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And one of my desires and practices that I hope we lean into more, as I said earlier, is that folks get engaged more. The more people are getting engaged and follow us and show up and read our materials that are made available, it makes it easier for them to stay informed and to hold us accountable.

Final Thoughts & Where to Learn More

Amanda Benbow Lunn 52:44

As we wrap up, is there anything we haven't discussed that you would like voters to know or anything from our conversation that you'd like to expand upon or clarify?

Safiyah Jackson 52:52

Yeah, Amanda, there are a couple of things that I would like to add to the conversation and also underscore. One thing I'd like to add to the conversation is that one of the fastest growing populations in our county are seniors. And we have recently been discussing how we adjust our strategic plan to focus on that particular population. As I said in the beginning, all the things that make life good and strong from the start are the same things that keep us sustained into our senior years. And so this is a new area that we are exploring for our strategic plan. And I just want to bring that into the conversation because we are experiencing demographic shifts and addressing the needs of the senior population is very interesting in terms of what the county's role is in terms of meeting those needs. The second thing that I'd like to highlight, and I'm happy to come back and talk more about what's possible in the world of supporting our seniors, but it is a population that we do need to think more about in terms of aging with dignity, being safe, and living in community as seniors. The other thing that I'd like to just highlight is how many times I've mentioned partners. Whether we're talking about young children, seniors, or any part of our government operations at the county level, we can't do it without our partners, our municipal partners. And I'm thankful to our Fuquay, our Holly Springs, and Garner Town Council that are in District 2 that are partners with us. But all of our municipalities, Raleigh and Nightdale, very thankful for those partners. Also thankful to our faith community that has stepped up multiple times and in different ways to our business community. I just want to highlight my appreciation, but also how critical it is for us to establish those partnerships in order to get things done because we can't do it on our own. And we can't do it on our own because of our revenue. I just want to highlight that one last time. Everything that we discuss today has to be paid for somehow. And at the county level, our primary level is property taxes. So I would encourage folks to really give any amount of time to just thinking about how we're using our revenue, how we're spending, what we can do to protect it, and what are some of the things that are pending that threatens our revenue and puts pressure on our revenue. Two cent equals $90 a year. And for many of us, that could be a night out on the town with dinner and drinks. But for too many, that is a lot to take on if you're working $10 an hour. So I really call on voters, listeners to think about intergovernmental relationships and how important it is to elect the right people at the state level to ensure that at the county level, as property taxpayers, we are not taking on the burden that isn't ours. We could reduce our property tax by 19 cent, which is $900 a year. We're not blowing $900 a night. That's really meaningful to a lot of people. So without getting too much reiteration on that, our senior population that is growing and becoming a more critical part of our community, our partners that are helping us show up and meet the need throughout the full spectrum of life and needs of our county and the role that our revenue resources play in meeting those needs. I'd like to just end on that note and say that I invite voters to reach out to me if they have any questions about anything that I said, any objections. I want to be in communication. I want to be able to further earn their vote. They can tune in every Monday and see me in action. Go back and look at recordings to see me in action. I hope that I have earned their vote. And I continue to want to earn their vote because I believe we can build Wake County together and ensure that we all have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as our collective priorities for what it means to be born, live, work, and play in Wake County. I am Safiyah Jackson. I'm at teamjackson4nc.com for more information and to contact me.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 57:13

Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Safiyah, for taking the time to join me and to present this information to voters to be able to speak with them directly. I really appreciate your time and trust in allowing me to do this for you. And I wish you the best of luck on your campaign.

Safiyah Jackson 57:27

Awesome. Thank you, Amanda. Appreciate you for creating this platform.

Closing Reflections & Voting Info

Amanda Benbow Lunn 57:31

Democracy is built on participation. Politics can sometimes feel distant or abstract, but the decisions made by our elected officials at the county, state, and federal levels have a profound effect on the communities we call home and the way we live our lives. From the roads we drive on and the schools our children attend to public safety, parks and recreation, housing, health care, taxes, the economy, and the many other services and amenities that make up our communities, government plays a role in shaping both our everyday experience and our future. That makes taking the time to understand the choices on your ballot and the people asking for your vote an important part of being an engaged member of your community. Early voting for the 2026 midterm election begins October 15th and runs through October 31st. In southern Wake County, there will be early voting locations at the Hunt Center in Holly Springs, the Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse in Fuquay Varina, Beech Bluff County Park, and Southern Wake Tech Campus close by. Election Day is November 3rd. A general reminder that you will need a valid photo ID to vote, the regular voter registration deadline is October 9th, although you may still register when you vote during the early voting period. Please note that you cannot register to vote on Election Day itself, and that that day you will absolutely have to vote at your designated precinct location to have access to your full ballot. And because there are so many races and ballot measures this year, your ballot will likely be double-sided. It can be helpful to start on the back so that you don't accidentally overlook anything. You'll vote for the races that apply to your jurisdiction along with statewide amendments and for Southern Wake County voters, local Wake County bond referenda. Voting is one of the ways we take part in the communities we share. You don't have to agree with your neighbors or even with the candidates you've heard here to recognize that our communities are shaped by the people who show up, ask questions, learn about the choices before them, and cast their ballots. So please take the time to get informed, make your voice heard, and encourage the people around you to do the same. Your vote matters, your voice matters, and you absolutely matter, my friend. And with that, this episode of the NC Deep Dive has come to an end. Please feel free to check out this episode's show notes at ncdeepdive.com for further information and relevant links for this candidate along with general election information. As always, if you have any topics or thoughts you'd like to share, you can find us on social media or email us at ncdeepdive at gmail.com. If you found value in this episode, I'd love for you to subscribe, rate, and share it so that others may more easily be informed. Please make sure to stay tuned for all the relevant candidate, amendment, and referenda episodes for the 2026 midterm election by visiting ncdeepdive.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you currently listen to your podcast. Until next time, my friends, Namaste: The Love and Light in Me sees and honors the love and light in you.