Full name: Sue Mu

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: https://suemuforapex.com/

1) In 300 words or less, please give our readers your elevator pitch: Why are you running? Why should voters entrust you with this position? What prior experience will make you an effective member of the Apex town council?

I am a wife, mother, small business owner, long-time community volunteer, and most importantly, a proud resident of Apex. My family and I chose Apex because of its natural beauty, small-town charm, and welcoming spirit, and I am deeply committed to keeping it a place where all families can thrive. With a background in engineering and finance, I bring practical problem-solving skills, data-driven thinking, and a focus on accountability to the challenges facing our town.

One of the things I love most about Apex is its strong sense of community. From our schools and parks to our cultural festivals and neighborhood gatherings, Apex is a place where people from all walks of life feel welcome. As a volunteer, I’ve spent years working to build connections across cultures and generations, helping neighbors support one another and strengthening the bonds that make our town special.

I’m running for Apex Town Council because I believe leadership means listening, serving, and acting with fairness. I want to ensure that everyone who calls Apex home is treated with respect and feels they belong here. At the same time, I know we must balance our rapid growth with the quality of life we all value. That requires smart planning from the beginning of each development – thinking ahead about schools, roads, and infrastructure, rather than waiting until problems arise.

I’m running to serve, unite, and empower our community. Together, we can make sure Apex continues to be the “Peak of Good Living” for today and for generations to come.

2) What would your priorities be as a member of the town council? Please identify three of the most pressing issues Apex currently faces and how you believe the town should address them. 

Economic Vitality
A thriving local economy is the backbone of our community. I want Apex to remain a town where small businesses flourish and families feel secure about their future. My approach includes:

Supporting local small businesses through fair zoning, accessible permitting, and programs that connect them with resources.

Attracting clean, innovative industries that bring good-paying jobs while respecting our community’s values.

Strengthening our local economy by encouraging a vibrant downtown and shopping districts where residents can shop Apex first and support local businesses.

Sustainable Growth
Apex is growing rapidly, and that growth must be smart, balanced, and sustainable. I believe in smart planning that protects our neighborhoods and quality of life. Requiring infrastructure, including roads, schools, parks, and utilities, to keep pace with development. 

Encouraging housing options that are affordable and accessible, while preserving the small-town character that makes Apex special. Setting strong environmental standards to protect our air, water, and green spaces.

Public Health & Safety 
The safety and well-being of our families must always come first. I will champion policies that keep Apex a safe, healthy, and welcoming place to live. This includes: Ensuring our emergency services, police, and fire departments have the resources they need to protect residents, while also fostering community trust and accountability. 

Expanding pedestrian and traffic safety measures, such as crosswalks, sidewalks, and safer intersections. Supporting community health initiatives, from mental health resources to expanding afterschool programs for our children, to ensure every family has access to the essentials of healthy living.

3) What’s the best or most important thing the Apex town council has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the town should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.

One of the most consequential developments for Apex is being selected as the site for North Carolina’s first freestanding children’s hospital, a joint project between UNC and Duke. The NC Children’s Hospital is projected to create 8,000 direct jobs and 18,000 indirect jobs, significantly boosting the local economy while generating very little pollution. This project positions Apex as a regional hub for pediatric health care and innovation.

On the other hand, one area where the Town Council could have done better is in its handling of the Data Center Annexation and Rezoning. The proposals moved forward with neighbors feeling they had little advance notice, which understandably breeds distrust. Apex should have provided a longer notice period – 30 days or more, rather than only 10 days before the developer submitted its proposal, so residents could fully review, understand, and voice their concerns before proposal were presented at the council meeting. 

4) President Trump is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas. At the same time, the state legislature has passed laws requiring agencies to cooperate with ICE. What do you think the Apex Town Council can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?

1. Acknowledge the context: Recognize the reality of federal/state authority over immigration while clarifying the town’s scope.
2. Affirm values: Apex passed Non Discrimination Ordinance (NDO). I will uphold this NDO to ensure that no discrimination against any hard working resident that contributes to Apex’s vibrancy.
3. Focus on local levers: Emphasize what the council can do – community programs, outreach, and partnerships.
4. Balance trust and compliance: Show awareness of legal requirements while reinforcing the importance of community trust in public safety.

Immigration law is largely shaped by federal and state authorities, and towns like Apex have limited ability to change those mandates. 

For me, that starts with building trust. Our local government should prioritize policies that ensure all residents feel comfortable engaging with town services – whether that’s calling 911 in an emergency, attending a public meeting, or enrolling their children in recreational programs. When people feel unsafe or unwelcome, it undermines public safety for everyone.

The council can also support partnerships with nonprofits, faith communities, and schools that provide resources like language access, legal assistance, or other support to families in need.

5) As climate change leads to more intense rainfall, communities are at greater risk of inland flooding, such as the historic floods in parts of the Triangle this summer, including the 200 year storm that collapsed Olive Chapel Road. How should the Apex Town Council address climate resilience, particularly flooding? 

Climate change is no longer abstract—we’ve seen firsthand how intense storms can wash out roads like Olive Chapel and put homes and businesses at risk. Apex has to be proactive about building resilience.

That means strengthening stormwater infrastructure so it can handle more extreme rainfall, expanding natural buffers like wetlands and tree canopy that absorb floodwaters, and ensuring new developments are designed with resilience in mind—not just meeting the minimum requirements.

We should also update our emergency preparedness plans and explore regional partnerships, since flooding doesn’t stop at town borders. Investing now in smart infrastructure and green solutions will save money in the long run, reduce risk to property and lives, and make sure Apex remains a safe and sustainable place to live as our community grows.

6) Federal funding cuts this year have hit the Triangle particularly hard, from cancelled grants to layoffs, and local government officials are having to make difficult decisions about what to fund and how. What are your ideas for how the town council can prioritize competing funding needs, close funding gaps, and support impacted residents?

Federal cuts put more pressure on towns like Apex to do more with less, but our responsibility is to make sure essential services—public safety, infrastructure, and programs that directly support residents—are protected first.

The council should set clear priorities by distinguishing between what’s essential now and what can be phased in later. We can also look for ways to close gaps through efficiency measures, partnerships with nonprofits and businesses, and by aggressively pursuing state and private grants to replace lost federal dollars.

At the same time, we need to support residents who feel the impact most, whether through housing stability programs, workforce development, or access to community resources. By being disciplined but creative, we can keep Apex moving forward without sacrificing the things that make our town strong.

7) Describe what sustainable growth and development mean to you. Additionally, what is another municipality you believe has made smart decisions related to growth and development that could be similarly implemented in Apex?

To me, sustainable growth means planning in a way that balances our rapid development with the infrastructure, natural resources, and community services we need to support it. It’s about making sure new housing, roads, and businesses don’t outpace schools, parks, water systems, and public safety—and that we’re protecting the character and environment that make Apex special.

We can look to our neighbor Cary as an example. They’ve been intentional about mixed-use development that reduces traffic pressures, integrated greenways that connect neighborhoods, and thoughtful stormwater policies that anticipate growth rather than react to it. Adapting approaches like those would help Apex grow in a way that’s not only smart and fiscally responsible, but also sustainable for future generations.

8) In 2021, a consultant’s report identified “deeply entrenched” racial bias in the Apex police department’s culture. What progress has been made in rooting out racial bias in the Apex PD? What measures have been taken, what else should be done?

The 2021 consultant’s report was a difficult but necessary mirror for our community. Acknowledging the presence of racial bias within the Apex Police Department created an opportunity for real change, and since then, there have been steps forward. The department has expanded training in implicit bias, cultural competency, and de-escalation, and has made efforts to diversify recruitment. Community engagement initiatives, such as listening sessions and youth outreach programs, have also been strengthened to begin rebuilding trust.
Progress has been made, but trust is rebuilt not by one-time reforms but by consistent action and openness. Apex must keep moving forward to ensure our police department protects and serves all residents equitably.
The 2021 report was a wake-up call for Apex. It made clear that systemic and cultural issues within the police department needed to be confronted directly. Since then, the town has taken steps — including implicit bias and de-escalation training, expanding community engagement, and beginning efforts to diversify recruitment. These are positive steps, but training by itself does not change culture.
As a council member, I would push for reforms that build accountability and trust:
• Independent oversight through a civilian advisory board to review policies and incidents.
• Transparency by requiring the department to publish disaggregated data on stops, searches, arrests, and uses of force.
• Shared policymaking by inviting residents into the process when revising use-of-force and community safety policies.
• Workforce diversity and support, so that our police force better reflects the community it serves and officers have the tools to lead cultural change from within.
Rooting out bias is not a one-time effort — it’s ongoing work that requires both transparency and partnership between the department and the community. Apex can and should be a model for equitable, community-centered policing.

9) Apex has identified a need for 13,000 new homes over the next 10 years, including 3,600 affordable units. While Apex’s 2021 affordable housing plan has made some progress in providing affordable housing, the town hasn’t been able to keep up with an influx of new service workers. What should the town do in order to provide housing for lower income families, especially those who will be building and eventually working in the upcoming NC children’s medical facility?

Apex’s growth is exciting, but it also brings real challenges. The new NC children’s medical facility will create jobs across the spectrum – from physicians to service workers — and our housing supply must match that workforce. If nurses, technicians, and support staff can’t afford to live here, we risk longer commutes, worker shortages, and a less connected community.
The town could take these steps:
• Incentivize mixed-income housing by requiring or rewarding developers who include affordable units in new projects.
• Leverage public–private partnerships to build affordable rental and ownership opportunities close to transit and job centers.
• Expand use of town-owned land for workforce housing, with priority given to households earning below the area median income.
• Protect existing affordability through preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing and assistance programs that help families stay in their homes.
• Regional collaboration with Wake County and neighboring municipalities to align housing strategies and maximize available state/federal funding.
Ultimately, affordable housing is not just a social issue – it’s an economic one. To make the medical facility and Apex’s future growth successful, we must ensure the people who care for our children, serve our meals, and support our families can also afford to call Apex home.

10) The Town of Apex has annexed more than 5,000 acres of land into town limits since 2013. It has also taken property by eminent domain and recently lost a lawsuit after it tried to obtain an easement for a sewer line on behalf of a private developer. What are the ethical, environmental, and quality of life considerations town leaders must take into account when acquiring property for the town’s growth?

When the town considers acquiring property – whether through annexation, purchase, or eminent domain – it is making decisions that have long-term consequences for residents and landowners. Town leaders have an ethical obligation to ensure fairness and transparency in the process, always respecting private property rights and needs before taking action.

Environmental considerations must also be front and center. New growth should be weighed against its impact on streams, forests, and open space, with infrastructure planned in a way that protects water quality and prevents sprawl. Smart land-use decisions today will determine whether Apex maintains its character and natural resources for the next generation.

Finally, quality of life must remain the guiding principle. Residents expect that growth will bring not only new homes and businesses but also greenways, parks, safe roads, and adequate schools. Land acquisition should align with a vision of Apex as a community where people of all incomes and backgrounds can thrive without sacrificing the charm and livability that brought them here in the first place.

11) If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here. 

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