Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 5: DaQuanta Copeland

Name as it appears on the ballot: DaQuanta Copeland

Campaign website: https://daquantaforwake.wixsite.com/daquanta-for-wake

Party affiliation: Democrat

Profession or occupation: Wake County Government Community Engagement Coordinator

Years lived in Wake County: 33+ years

1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Wake County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?

The most important issues the BOC needs to address should be stabilizing our most marginalized communities while focusing on ending and preventing homelessness, advocating for living wages, developing effective and equitable programs to empower, enhance, and support our first responders which are our local non-profits, faith-based partners, and businesses. We cannot continue enhancements that’s expediting the displacement of our aging population, working class families, and the most marginalized communities.

2. How would your experience―in politics or otherwise in your career―make you an asset to the county’s decision-making process? 

My experience in setting policy while serving on the Wake County’s Health & Human Services Board as Vice Chair for almost 2 years makes me a great asset to the Board of Commissioners. I know and understand the areas of disparities in our county from my lived, advocacy, and professional experience. I have current and past knowledge of most of the human service programs and how they could be made better. As Chair for a year and now Co-Chair of the Social Committee I have in-depth knowledge of economic benefits and the needs of the families in our county. While serving in these capacities, I brought a different and equitable mindset into the space that helped shed light to areas of opportunities that are needed that no one else in the room could highlight. Because of my diverse, transparent, equitable, and honest input, we as a board were able to address, create, and provide a more intentional and equitable way of providing effective programs for the residents of Wake County.

As the only Community Engagement Coordinator for Housing Affordability and Community Revitalization Dept., I travel the county educating residents, businesses, and service providers on available resources while bridging the gaps between the communities and government. I am the voice of the community when in the county’s leadership rooms to effectively create strategic plans to address the needs of the community. I advocate for the homeless population to employers whose businesses are impacted by the disparities their employees are facing. I’m Co-Chair of the Crosby Advocacy Group which is the parent group that birthed the Social & Economic Vitality Program that will now be integrated from SE Raleigh throughout the County’s 5 regional Centers. I am Co-Chair alongside the County’s Housing Director to the Live Well Wake Affordable Housing Committee, and I’m Co-Chair to HUD’s NC507 Continuum of Care Racial and Equity Advisory Committee. What makes me an asset in the County’s decision making process is I’m not limited in knowledge of the needs of the residents in the county because of my lived experience, education, service to the community, or professional skills and training. I bring a diverse mind-set that often tells a different story than what’s in the room. I resonate with many of the community members and I will be the voice of change. I am the translator that comes as a bridge with a crosswalk.

3. With Wake County’s rapid growth comes challenges related to suburban sprawl, transportation, and affordable housing. What have been the county’s successes in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?

– The County has been very intentional in recent years to design strategic plans that developed diverse, equitable, inclusive, and effective programs and resources to acknowledge and address the needs of the community. My current position is one example of intentional engagement to enhance and improve the lives of our residents. Through our housing team, we are very proactive in taking the lead to foster sustainable relationships with all municipalities to address the need of having affordable housing that doesn’t just cater to the higher income earners but for those who also have income below the 50% poverty levels. Partnering with local non-profits to establish nightly drop-in shelter with higher capacities that are low barriers for those in need, Revitalizing housing for the critically homeless that will provide wrap around services to prepare families for permanent housing, partnering with businesses to provide a living wage for employees, and working with municipalities to develop a transportation model are only a few things the county has a success story.

– Areas of opportunities are not partnering with more small local non-profits, businesses, and faith-based orgs. that are the real first responders in the crisis our residents are facing.

– I will be a tangible resource to the municipalities that support the growth and needs for all residents.

4. What should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality, such as gentrification and affordable housing? Do you believe the board is doing enough to help its municipalities manage Wake County’s growth in order to prevent current residents from being priced out? 

-The County is not only a funder of resources, we are also a service provider of resources. The economic inequalities affect the county’s budget and how much funding gets wasted by economic inequalities. The county doesn’t have control of land use within a municipality without owning the property or receiving zoning accommodations, therefore, often times there’s counter production happens when the county is working to preserve affordable housing, develop affordable housing, or rehabilitating affordable housing but the municipality allows more luxury or higher priced homes to be built around or instead of affordable housing.

-I believe the Board supports the Housing initiatives to sustain affordable housing by funding programs such as the LEU-Landlord engagement Unit, which incentivize landlords to keep housing affordable to lower income earners, and work with those with barriers such as less than perfect credit, evictions, and criminal backgrounds.

Tax Revenue, which supports affordable housing programs, such as homeless assistance, supportive services, and affordable housing development. Just to name a couple.

5. The Wake County Board of Commissioners voted to give the Wake County Public School system a $50 million budget increase over the last fiscal year to hire more employees and raise teacher pay, $12 million more than the county manager had recommended. Was this the right move? Please explain.

I do believe this was the right move. Our teachers are deserving of so much more! Right now as we have a congress that could legally segregate schools by underfunding public schools while overfunding private schools, our students deserve an equitable and high quality and safe education. In order to receive an equitable and high quality education, our teachers should not have to worry about the struggles of not earning enough to sustain their personal lives while providing the majority of their supplies used in classrooms. Our students are not just competing on a local level, they are competing on a global level and our students and teachers deserve an accessible quality education and the resources to do so.

6. Thousands of Wake County residents recently received property tax appraisals that, in some cases, doubled the tax value of their homes. Many residents fear that they will not be able to continue to afford to pay taxes on their homes if Wake County’s current rate stays at .675 cents per $100 of property value. The county could opt to leave the rate revenue neutral at .4643 cents per $100 of value. Would you support this approach? Why or why not? 

– .4643 from the previous year was still too high for many of the county’s residents, however, understanding we must have a starting point to adjust I would support this approach with some amenities. I feel our aging, disabled, retired, lower income, and veterans residents should have a higher earning capacity to receive tax relief assistance.

$40,000 in retirement is not enough earnings to pay $4,000 in taxes after you factor in life’s necessities.

7. North Carolina is a “Dillon Rule” state, meaning that the only powers municipal and county governments have are the ones granted to them by the legislature. Would you like to see this changed? How would you work with state legislators from Wake County, as well as mayors and council members from the city’s municipalities, to ensure that Wake County, its municipalities, and the state are on the same page regarding policies that affect residents of Wake?

As an elected advocate, I will create effective and sustainable relationships with my constituents to develop a governmental system that will be complementary to each other. It is a must that we design a bridge that leads to the success on all governmental levels to to uphold NC’s Constitution which states, “All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.”

8. Is the county doing enough to protect, preserve, and maintain its natural resources, including parks, waterways, and green spaces?

The County has done a good job in maintaining its natural resources, including parks, waterways, and green spaces.

9.  Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some points with voters.

Accountability, I will allow accountability to take its rightful place from the Board to The People. Accountability is not the easiest pill to swallow but it is a pill we need to thrive. We must be willing to evaluate how and what things happen in life and while doing so, we must take accountability for the things that were in our ability to change.

10. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.

There’s so many titles and accolades that I answer to in the many various roles I play, but what those names show is my ability to lead in diverse spaces with diverse requirements. I am not just a candidate for commissioner, I serve my community as though I am their commissioner. I will lead with respect, love, understanding, strength, boldness, knowledge, and honesty. Oftentimes we hear how Wake County is the best County in the state, that’s not true yet. Our communities are still reeking with social disparities, economic inequalities, housing crisis, food insecurities, technological deserts, high fetal, infant, and maternal death rates, lack of accessible transportation, low academic performing schools, and systemic racism. Poverty doesn’t have the same face as it once had so we shouldn’t govern in the ways we once did. The average working class person who once was considered the middle class is the new working poor population and we must stabilize our economy to accommodate those that earn enough to keep our county funded but don’t earn enough to thrive in the same county. We need a diverse mindset that can uphold the guidance of the board while still standing on the business and needs of our residents. Good people with good intentions but the wrong perspective will still create detrimental outcomes. I will be the voice of change with your support and your vote, Elect DaQuanta Copeland for Wake County Commissioner D5.

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