Wake County Board of County Commissioners, At-Large: Christine Kushner

Name: Christine Kushner

Age: 62

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: christineforwake.com

Occupation and employer: Policy Analyst/Writer, Self-employed

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 three most pressing issues facing Wake County are 1) the unfunded mandates and lack of investments in local services by state and federal governments that put an undue burden on local property taxes; 2) the underfunding of our public schools, and 3) the increasing numbers of unhoused people. Federal and state leaders are making harmful and unsustainable policy choices that threaten the quality of life in Wake County. I will be an advocate for government services that help people thrive in our community. Using my experience as the former Chair of the School Board, I will be an advocate for our public schools, educators, and students – particularly focusing on the behavioral and mental health needs of our students as well as health and human services that help us take care of each other. I also will work to form coalitions with municipal and nonprofit leaders to address the increase in homelessness. The County can serve as a quarterback to lead local efforts to increase affordable housing and find solutions to help families and residents have stable housing. Finally, I want to explore expanding property tax relief for residents on fixed incomes facing rising housing costs.

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

I have 15 years of experience on Wake County boards–11 years on the Wake County Board of Education and four on the Wake County Health and Human Services Board, giving me extensive experience overseeing $2+ billion public budgets and priorities. I have spent these years making complicated decisions that use tax dollars effectively, in ways that support people and expand their opportunities to receive education, supportive services, and needed local services. I have a broad understanding of the complexity of balancing competing priorities and working toward equitable decisions.

My professional experience working in health care policy and administration will help inform decisions regarding the public health department and County social services. My work in politics has given me valuable perspective collaborating with local and state leaders, as well as leveraging community resources and good will. During my years representing Wake County as a public servant, I have sought and benefitted from community feedback, meeting with residents and attending diverse events in my community. This approach helps me understand people’s concerns and find better solutions for our community. I also know how to make difficult decisions, by working with colleagues on Boards to reach the best possible outcomes, while recognizing limited resources and diverse opinions. 

All these experiences set me apart in this crowded race–in these difficult and strained budgetary times, experience and collaborative skills are important for having effective solutions in Wake County going into the future

3. If you are a candidate for a district seat, please identify your priorities for your district. If you are an at-large candidate, please explain how you would approach decision-making with the entire county in mind.

As an At-Large candidate, I am eager to bring my extensive experience balancing fairness across Wake County, especially given the many challenges we face in a complex County that is growing by 66 people every day. I have been successful in community engagement and outreach, and I have a track record serving the entire County. The critical decisions made by Commissioners affect all who live in Wake County, including: setting, collecting, and distributing tax dollars; supporting public schools across the county; managing water supplies and protecting watershed areas; delivering health care and social services; managing public safety; and making zoning decisions for unincorporated areas. I will use my at-large responsibilities to seek improved partnerships with the 12 municipalities. I am especially interested in seeking ways to collaborate with municipalities and adjacent counties to find strategies that recognize our interdependence, save tax dollars, improve the delivery of public services, and involve more residents in decision-making. 

4. With Wake County’s rapid growth come 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?

Growth and development have strained Wake County for decades, and residents have experienced both the benefits and harmful effects of growth. I have witnessed both during my 37 years living in Wake County. Municipal and County leaders can claim many successes, including: attracting global businesses and sustaining our quality of life; supporting outstanding educational opportunities, from Pre-K to K-12 to universities and colleges; supporting a vibrant arts culture; establishing county parks and greenways and protecting green spaces; and approving a dedicated funding source to increase public transportation. But those successes have also been strained and harmed by growth–the cost of housing has spiked in recent years, roads are crowded, schools in high-growth areas are crowded, and too many people have been left out of the economic success story of Wake County.

There is plenty of room for improvement. The County, as a creature of the State, has limited tools to address the many problems that affect us all. I will propose that County leaders work cooperatively with leaders in the 12 municipalities as well as regionally to leverage resources and garner diverse ideas. Wake County Commissioners also must work collaboratively with State leaders to address traffic congestion and the underfunding of public education. Furthermore, environmental health issues and public health measures that prevent illness and disease should be expanded so that we stay healthy and are able to take advantage of the opportunities our vibrant County and its economy offer. I also will push for more county services to be offered in its five Regional Centers, so that residents can access needed services–from getting marriage licenses to getting medical care–closer to their homes or worksites.

5. What should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality, such as gentrification, affordable housing, and homelessness? 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? 

Growth pressures have pushed up costs for all residents, and in particular, gentrification in older neighborhoods is pushing people out of places where they have lived for generations. Addressing such market forces will be important work for County government. I applaud the County Housing Department’s focus on homelessness and helping people in crisis, as well as its work collaborating with non-profits to expand housing opportunities. I think the County leaders should lead efforts with municipalities to preserve existing housing–the fastest choice for sustaining affordable housing–as well as innovative solutions to increase housing supply. I also support working across the County on effective transit solutions so that more residents can access stable jobs with thriving wages, helping residents achieve the economic stability they seek for themselves and their families. 

Housing stability is key for our residents. Housing stability supports public safety. Housing stability creates opportunities for educational and employment success. In many of its community surveys, housing and development are key concerns of Wake residents, and it will remain a focus of my work as a Commissioner.

6. Property valuations have risen significantly in recent years and many Wake County residents are worried about their ability to continue to afford to pay taxes on their homes. What do you believe the county commission should do to make living here more affordable? Should the county consider lowering taxes or creating new tax assistance programs? If you support cutting taxes, where would you reduce government spending?

I support creating new tax assistance programs that are means-tested–targeting vulnerable households with fixed or limited incomes–that help people maintain the generational wealth that is in their homes. Such programs currently exist in Wake County but are limited, and I believe they should be expanded. Wake County has an extraordinary real estate market, and residential homes have provided many in our community with an important asset for their financial security. But, too often, people are priced out or pushed out of those opportunities. Wake County leadership can find win-win solutions that help residents stay in their homes while also sustaining our vibrant housing and real estate market. With property valuations rising, there should be enough capital and wealth for all of us. The old adage was that “growth pays for itself.” While that does not truly hold, growth can bring value and wealth, and the County can find ways to balance needs and opportunities. I intend to work toward solutions that benefit the most people, in sustainable and equitable ways, and that do not concentrate wealth any further.

7. The county board of commissioners voted this year to increase the Wake County Public School System budget by $40 million, which fell short of the school system’s stated need by about $20 million. Was this the right move? What is the county’s responsibility to public schools in an increasingly tight budget environment? 

The Commission’s June 2025 budget vote on WCPSS funding was a difficult decision during a strained budget year. The State’s underfunding of K-12 public education and its unsustainable wasteful spending on private school vouchers are at fault for increased pressures on the County budget. The State is not doing its constitutional duty to fund public schools. The Wake County Board of Education was forced to cut vital services to staff and students in its current 2025-26 budget; after those cuts, the County was able to fund part of the gap left by the underfunding from State leaders. (The temporary pause on additional EMS positions has already been restored, being voted back into this year’s budget in October 2025.) Given that the State has not approved a 2025-26 budget to fund their portion of public school funding, the June 2025 decision by the County Commission to support Wake County schools looms even larger as a life-line to the 160,000 students and 20,000 employees of WCPSS. The failure is entirely on the State; and now with the US Department of Education in shambles, County funds for our public schools, including special education and services for our most vulnerable students, are even more important. While Wake County has used local revenues to supplement school operating expenses and teacher salaries, it clearly places pressure on the County’s ability to fund all county services. 

Wake County residents should be proud of their support over the decades of our excellent public school system–they have supported bond referenda as well as increased operational funding that gives our educators and school staff higher wages. Wake County public schools have been foundational to our economic and social success, and they are one of the main reasons 66 people move to Wake County every day. Our thriving and successful public schools, their educators and students, deserve the County’s continued support.

8. At 41¢ per capita arts funding, Wake County spends much less than peer counties in North Carolina and regionally. A new arts spending plan lays out some ways to bridge those funding gaps, but many arts leaders believe the county should spend more. Do you agree Wake County should spend more on the arts? If so, what are some ways you think the county could finance that spending?

As a School Board member, my colleagues and I championed arts funding, including expanding arts offerings in our schools, creating new pathways for the arts in magnet schools, and supporting existing arts programs to get even better. The arts are essential to public education and to our community. The arts are how we discover our common humanity. I find all that supported in the United Arts Wake County plan for Cultivating Creativity. 

Creativity is a vital skill for youth and adults, and the arts are essential to our economy and quality of life, generating more than $540 million in annual economic impact locally. In their community survey, Wake County residents overwhelmingly support the arts as a pillar of our community. I will support increased spending on the arts and will explore private-public partnerships, sales tax revenues, as well as other financing sources. United Arts has proposed a sound plan, and I will work to find funding, incrementally and over time, to implement their plan. 

I also believe that the arts help us combat bigotry and bias in our community. The murals, music concerts, festivals, and other diverse arts events in our County display the mosaic of our population, and that highlights our shared humanity. The arts will help us overcome the current cruelty that is on display by politicians who are denying the humanity of too many of our neighbors.

9. 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?

I am honored to have many state, local, and community leaders endorse me in this campaign–the trust they have in me will be foundational to working with our Wake delegation in the NC General Assembly to find fair solutions to many of our funding and programmatic challenges. I have already given examples where working with municipal and local leaders will be essential–in education, housing, transportation, development, and the arts. I have the experience and trust to do this important work, which is more crucial than ever before. Our communities are interconnected and interdependent–collaborative leadership will be necessary. 

I support more local control for counties to allow for greater innovation and allow County leadership to respond to their local residents more effectively. I also believe that innovation is needed for counties to work together regionally to solve our interconnected problems and acknowledge our shared goals. This is where State leadership and better state tax policies are especially needed, to solve regional and statewide issues with fairness and efficiencies. Rural and urban communities are connected, and the State’s divestments in local and statewide public services are hurting all of our communities.

More important than the Dillon Rule structure, if the State is able to achieve fair election maps, our State legislature would be more likely to fund policies and programs that lead to equity across the state for rural and urban communities. The current funding structure actually makes it even more imperative that we all work to have fair election maps in North Carolina and fight against gerrymandering. While the County Commission does not have jurisdiction over state maps, all public officials should abandon gerrymandering in any form and fight for fair and free elections for our voters.

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

Wake County government has long focused on the natural beauty of our landscapes, and there are many successes to applaud and support. The County staff and leadership have expanded parks and outdoor spaces, protected and preserved farmland, developed an extensive study of water resources in the County, and developed a strategic plan that incentivizes density and pushes development to municipalities and neighborhoods with existing infrastructure. This work has preserved vital open and green spaces and combats sprawl, which is unsustainable and damaging to our environment. 

The preservation of our environment–of open space, clean water, and a balanced ecosystem–is essential to protect public health and our community’s future. Air, water, and land resources are interconnected, and every decision should recognize the needs for safeguarding our natural resources. One need is to focus on extending the lifespan of the Wake County landfill, which is set to be full in 15 to 20 years. Municipal collaboration and innovation are needed to extend the life of the landfill, so that we can minimize outsourcing solid waste services. This is an important issue that I will focus on as Commissioner. 

11. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.

As a School Board member for 11 years, I worked with colleagues on several student enrollment plans. These plans were needed to address overcrowded classrooms in overcrowded schools by constructing new schools. Population growth and development strain school enrollments, especially in fast growing parts of Wake County. When I was on the Board, opening new schools and reassigning students to different schools was an emotional experience–I deeply believe in the power of school communities, and reassignment plans essentially fracture school communities, in order to form new ones that were not overcrowded and were more sustainable. These were always difficult decisions. During my time on the Board, we developed more interactive ways of getting feedback from families and taxpayers. We held forums and sessions, and we took the feedback seriously. Staff would make initial recommendations, and there were several public sessions and input opportunities. My colleagues and I frequently changed the plan based on community feedback. We were not always able to–many times overcrowding conditions forced us to make changes that those impacted opposed. But often, the Board did make changes that worked out to be acceptable and sustainable. Receiving community feedback is key; clearly explaining why decisions are made is difficult but necessary public work. Public decision-making is more successful when it is transparent, forthright, and honest. I bring deep experience and skills in interactive public decision-making, and it will continue to be my leadership style if elected.

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

Like many, I have been appalled by the recent actions of both our state and federal government. County government is where we have the leverage to get things done, and I know my experience successfully fighting for our values on the County level can make a difference now and in the years ahead. That’s why I am running for Commissioner. 

Since last spring, I have talked with voters, participated in community forums and events, talked with nonprofit leaders, and learned more about the operations of our county government. I have met with staff and elected officials at all levels of government in order to become a well-informed candidate and, hopefully, a better elected official. I have reached out to nonprofit partners of the county to learn more about their work and how they contribute to the county’s priorities. I have made myself available in countless community events and neighborhood gatherings in my work to listen and learn from our residents. My goal in all of this work has been to be better informed and prepared to serve if voters give me this opportunity. 

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and political science, as a Morehead Scholar, from UNC-Chapel Hill; and a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University. I am a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations, part of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative. In 2023, I was appointed by then Governor Roy Cooper to represent North Carolina on the Southern Regional Education Board.

As the daughter of immigrants and a native of North Carolina, I learned at an early age the value of family and community and the value of caring about the welfare of others. I have spent decades working for nonprofits–both as staff and on boards–and I have been an advocate for human services and policies that help us care for one another. Serving as an at-large commissioner will allow me to continue this public service in Wake County–a great place to live, work, play, raise a family, and find community.

Website: christineforwake.com