THE ISSUES
Safe Communities
North Carolina, and especially House District 21, has been on the receiving end of explosive growth. Growth leads to more crime, right? Look at America’s largest cities and it is easy to see why people might think that way. In reality, large cities like New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, D. C. suffer from devastating crime because their public leaders tolerate it. Communities that value law enforcement tend to be safer. All North Carolinians deserve to live and work in safe communities but to achieve that leaders must enforce the law and value public safety officials. Mary supports law enforcement and vows to work with local communities to ensure that they have the resources necessary to provide the safest environment possible for residents and businesses alike.
Strong Economy
We know North Carolina’s strong business climate and relative affordability are drawing thousands of Americans to the state every day. Mary has built three homes in Apex and has seen first-hand how dramatically housing costs have spiked, especially over the past four years. Demand coupled with recent federal policies that caused inflation to spike are driving up costs for just about everything including energy, housing, and insurance. To ensure our children can afford to live in North Carolina, Mary will work to streamline government, keep taxes low, and develop policies that spark innovation and create good paying jobs.
Infrastructure
As a long-time Apex resident, Mary has seen the downside of exploding growth and understands the pressure insufficient roadways, for example, can put on a community. Frustrated drivers often lead to more accidents and that equates to higher insurance bills for everyone. Mary believes it is critical the state works with communities to ensure that transportation needs are met in a timely manner.
High density growth is also adversely impacting the natural beauty of the state in some regions. As chair of the Town of Apex Tree Citizens Advisory Panel, Mary has collaborated with residents and developers alike to push policy that will preserve and restore the district’s tree canopy amidst recent record growth. Mary understands the long-term benefits of preserving North Carolina’s natural beauty.
Energy
North Carolina is a state built on innovation and Mary supports an “all of the above” approach to energy. Mary believes it is critical that the state delivers reliable and affordable energy to all North Carolinians. Rather than picking winners or losers, North Carolina should let consumers drive the market. After all, they are the ones paying for it.
