Sig Hutchinson
Name as it appears on the ballot: Sig Hutchinson
Age: 67
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: sig4wake.com
Occupation & employer: President, Sig Hutchinson Communications
1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Wake County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?
Transportation, Affordable Housing, Job Creation & Economic Development are the most pressing issues. Since taking office in 2014, I have been working to create safe and healthy communities where people can thrive by addressing the social determinants of health, including affordable housing, transportation, a living wage, access to health care, public safety, mental health, opioid addiction and working with our most vulnerable communities. I am currently Chair of the "Live Well Wake" initiative working on the social determinants mentioned above, as well as being the Chair of "CAMPO" (Capital Area Metro Planning Organization) and Vice-Chair of "Go Triangle" working on transportation and transit issues.
2. Do you approve of the way the Board of Commissioners is running? Why or why not? Are there specific votes the board has taken to which you take exception? Please explain.
I am quite pleased with the accomplishments of the Commission since I was elected in 2014 when it comes to addressing the most pressing issues facing Wake County, including education, job creation, transportation, mental health, opioid addiction, as well as creating safe and healthy communities.
I would not say I have taken exception to any votes of the Commission. Rather, there is still much to do to address issues that can improve our residents' health and well-being so everyone can thrive.
3. Wake County is by most accounts prospering. What do you think the county has done effectively? What policies would you like to see put in place to that it continues to grow going forward?
We have done an excellent job around critical issues such as education, transportation, economic development, housing, food security and equality. However, there are still many of our residents who are being left behind. I have started initiatives that need to be continued, such as "Live Well Wake," which strives to create opportunities where all our residents in Wake County can thrive. There is still much more to do around equality, mental health, public safety, and recidivism.
4. With that growth comes challenges related to sprawl, transportation, and affordable housing, among other things. In your opinion, what have the county's successes been in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?
Significant success has been achieved with affordable housing through the dedicated 1-cent property tax. Transportation improvements are moving forward with the $2.3 billion transit referendum. We have also made strides around job creation and economic development, as well as building healthy communities. There is just so much more that needs to be done.
For example, many of these issues deal with land use. Since elected in 2014, I've been working with staff on a long-range comprehensive land-use plan called "Plan Wake." It completely changes the way we think about how we grow, move around the area, and create healthy, happier communities. Wake County plans to roll this initiative out in early 2021. Along with cooperation from our Municipal partners, it will help address many of these issues.
5. In 2018, voters approved more than $1 billion in bonds for school construction, parks and greenways, and Wake Tech. This came on the heels of a 2016 sales-tax referendum to fund the county's transit plan. And the county has raised property taxes every year since 2014. Do you worry that residents are going to feel overtaxed?
Yes, it is a concern and I believe we cannot continue to raise taxes at the rate we have done in the past. When I came into office in 2014, there was much to be done, especially around funding education. Much of the annual tax increases went to the WCPSS budget. However, we all must remember that funding education is the responsibility of the state as mandated in our constitution. We need to look to the state leaders to provide the proper education funding and relieve some of this burden from the county budget.
6. As a result of the recent revaluation, property values in the eastern part of the county have increased significantly, putting pressure on some low-income households in gentrifying neighborhoods who may be unable to keep up with their rising taxes. What can the county do to ensure that long-time residents can remain in their neighborhoods?
The best thing we can do to ensure that our housing remains affordable is to build more housing units and make it easier for developers. This also includes greater density in urban centers. That is why I have championed the "Plan Wake" Comprehensive Land Use Plan developing a road map for how we can grow better and more affordably.
7. In 2018, commissioners voted to add a penny to the property tax—about $15 million a year—for affordable housing. Do you believe this is adequate?
What strategic investments would you like to see?
It's not adequate, but it is a start. Creating the Housing Department in Wake County and working with our Municipal partners, we are accomplishing a great deal that we should all be proud to see.
This year alone, that 1 cent allowed us to build 750 new affordable housing units, create the "House Wake" initiative focused on keeping families in their homes, and opened two "healthy hotels" to house our homeless populations in light of the COVID situation. There is still much more that can be done.
8. County officials often say that schools are their number-one priority, and schools account for the lion's share of the budget. Do you believe the county is properly balancing school funding with its other responsibilities? Should the county be spending more on its school system?
The WCPSS is currently 57% of the Wake County budget. Funding public education is the state's constitutional responsibility, and our elected state leaders are not doing their job. Therefore, Wake County taxpayers must step in to fill the gap for our students and teachers. However, there are many other needs to be addressed in Wake County. Moving forward, County leadership will need to carefully balance the needs of the WCPSS with the rest of the needs of Wake County.
9. Three years after voters approved the transit plan, how do you see the future of public transportation coming together in Wake County? What sort of things would you like the county to do differently? Are there any new initiatives you'd like the county to try?
I helped champion the 2016 transit referendum; much was done before the funding request. We developed a 10-year transit plan through an exhaustive 18-month process, including more than 80 stakeholders. The plan is to triple bus capacity, add 20 miles of a new technology called "Bus Rapid Transit" and 38 miles of Commuter Rail running east and west from Garner through Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, RTP and into Durham. The referendum helps to fund this plan.
We are only beginning to see the product of this significant investment taking shape. Citizens need to know that we are well underway, on schedule and look forward to completing our plan. It's also important to realize that even if you and your family don't use the transit system, you will benefit from the plan. The ability for others to use the transit system will reduce traffic congestion on our roads and highways well into the future.
10. Are there any issues not covered by this questionnaire that you would like to address?
Yes, racial injustice is a public health crisis. What has led to the deaths associated with police actions across the country goes beyond a single issue. That said, better training for officers is important, and I have already started discussions with the sheriff about this.
For real change to happen, we need to keep a focus on the social determinants of health and the role the judicial system plays. I have been working for several years to improve funding for programs such as "drug court" and initiatives to reduce recidivism.
Comment on this questionnaire at backtalk@indyweek.com.
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