Sarah Larson: 2025 Holly Springs Town Council Candidate

Sarah Larson shares her vision for Holly Springs Town Council, focusing on bridging people, policy, and progress through better communication and creating "third gathering places" where community connections flourish.

• Long-time community volunteer serving on various boards including Parks and Rec Advisory Committee and the Downtown Village Plan Committee
• Emphasizes the need for better communication between town government and residents, potentially through direct engagement with HOAs
• Supports small businesses through dedicated town liaison position and streamlined processes
• Advocates for smart growth that maintains town character while addressing infrastructure and housing affordability
• Prioritizes connectivity through greenways, alternative transportation, and creating community gathering spaces
• Views infrastructure, development, public safety, and parks as interconnected priorities requiring balanced attention
• Supports proactive infrastructure investment rather than relying solely on developers
• Grassroots campaign focused on representing all residents regardless of political affiliation
• Endorsed by the Wake County Democratic Party 

Larson is one of six candidates running for Holly Springs Town Council, where voters may choose up to three. Early voting begins October 16th, and you'll need a valid ID to vote. Your vote on November 4th will help to shape Holly Springs for generations to come. Make sure you have a plan!

LarsonForGovernment.com

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Early Voting Locations
October 16-November 1

Wake County Board of Elections Office-1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh 27610

October 25-November 1

John M. Brown Community Center-53 Hunter Street, Apex, NC 27502

Avery Street Recreation Center-125 Avery Street, Garner, NC 27529

Herbert C. Young Community Center-101 Wilkinson Avenue, Cary, NC 27513

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 4 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

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Now, let's dive in!

Episode Transcript

Amanda Benbow Lunn (00:09):
Hello friends, welcome back to the NC
Deep Dive podcast.
I am your host, Amanda BenbowLunn, and today I am honored to
be speaking with Sarah Larson aspart of our 2025 Municipal
Election Candidate Conversations.
Sarah is running for thefour-year seat on the Holly
Springs Town Council.
For this race, Sarah will berunning against Joe Cuccurullo,

(00:32):
Kara Foster, Tim Forrest, AnnieDrees and Josh Prizer.
These races are non-partisan,so there will not be any party
affiliation like an R or a Dnext to their name on your
ballot.
You will be eligible to votefor up to three of these
candidates for this seat.
On your ballot.
In this election, the top threevote-getters will join Holly

(00:54):
Springs Town Council membersChris DeShazor and Danielle
Hewetson to make up itsfive-member body.
In these candidateconversations, each candidate
will be asked the same questionsformulated by our constituent
survey, observing communitymembers in person and online,
and fine-tuning with AI to keepthem as fair, unbiased and

(01:14):
open-ended as possible.
Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in.
Welcome, Sarah Larson.
You are running for HollySprings Town Council.
If you want to take a fewmoments and tell me a little bit
about yourself, how long you'velived in the area and what has
inspired you to run.

Sarah Larson (01:31):
Yes, well, thank you for having me.
Like you said, I'm Sarah Larsonand I am running for Holly
Springs Town Council.
I've been a resident in HollySprings since 2014.
Since then, we have just reallypoured ourselves into the
community and just gettinginvolved between like HOA and
volunteering at the foodcupboard and sitting on
different town appointed boardsthat we can go into later, but

(01:52):
just wanting to be where thepeople are and knowing what's
going on and helping shape thetown just really called to us.
So, yeah, we have our threekids here.
We bought our first house in2014.
We liked it so much we got oursecond house just a couple
blocks over, so we really haveenjoyed the area Perfect.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (02:10):
Have you been an active voter, including
in local elections?

Sarah Larson (02:13):
Yes, I've always been an active voter, since I
turned 18,.
Whether it was a municipal orgeneral or presidential primary
you name it I have voted.
I have even used mail-in andearly voting, and it's always
important to make a plan,because this is how our voices
get heard and how we shape ourcommunities.
Starts, local and reallyimportant to vote Excellent.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (02:34):
What do you feel is the role of a town
council member?

Sarah Larson (02:38):
The role of a town council member to me is to be
both a delegate and a trustee.
So someone who knows more ofthe information, is talking to
the professionals and the peoplewho are the experts in the
field, gathering thatinformation but also
representing to residents,because they're the number one
stakeholder in a community, andbalancing all that with the

(02:59):
ordinances and the needs of thecommunity.
And having that voice torepresent both sides and
hopefully balance and make gooddecisions.
And thankfully on town councilit wouldn't just be one person's
vote.
In Holly Springs there's acouncil of five people and a
mayor who votes when there'sneed for a tie and then we have
our town manager and his staffwho go forward and put those

(03:22):
policies into place.
So having that representationand making sure we're
representing the constituentsbut having the information that
we need and finding that balanceand being held accountable so
lots of things.
A good town council person isbusy and they're out in the
community and they're knowingwhat the town needs Perfect.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (03:39):
What is your involvement within the
community and town governmentand what qualifications make you
prepared for this role?

Sarah Larson (03:46):
Yes, I should have written everything down,
because every time I talk aboutall the things I'm involved in
sometimes I forget things Justbecause I love to be involved.
Like I said, I'm current HOAboard president.
I sat on the Parks and Recadvisory committee.
Through that I was on the treeadvisory committee and I sat on
the Downtown Village PlanCommittee.
I also have helped out withDowntown Alive.

(04:09):
That's kind of at a hiatus atthe moment.
I've worked with nonprofits,including the Holly Springs
Runners Project that overseesthe Holly Springs Half Marathon,
North Carolina Spring Classicand Springs Fest and the Race
Against the Sun event that givesmoney back to the town, and
through all of those differentorganizations I'm able to really
be like the feet on the groundand gathering all corners of the

(04:33):
community together and bridgingthat and that's kind of why my
campaign is, you know, bridgingpeople, policy and progress,
because I have all theseconnectors already from what I'm
already doing and I think thatreally helps, not only being
prepared to run for town councilbut being open and aware of
what's going on in the town,because technically anybody in

(04:53):
Holly Springs could run for towncouncil because you're
qualified, like if you want toserve, you can.
However, if you're already onthe ground doing the work, it's
going to be a lot easier to makethose good decisions because
you're already listening to whatthe people need.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (05:09):
What's your long-term vision for the future
of Holly Springs?

Sarah Larson (05:13):
I would say more connectivity, and that's not
just with greenways and roads,but with people.
I want to see more thirdgathering places, and so it was
like post pandemic I think thiswhen this third gathering place
kind of came out, where peoplehave work and then they have
home but we're missing like thatthird gathering place, and that

(05:34):
really went away during thepandemic, because it's like
where people can come togetheras a community, whether it's the
cultural arts center or if it's, you know, parks and Rec games,
or maybe it's your localbrewery where you're watching
the game on the TV, but it'slike the social aspect that
people need, and so I want tosee more connectivity in that
way.
We are growing, we're not just asmall town anymore.

(05:55):
I joke that Holly Springs isthe size that my hometown, rapid
City, south Dakota, was growingup and we were the second
largest city in the state ofSouth Dakota at the time, and
Holly Springs is that size now.
So it's all about perspective.
Like we have this small townconnectivity but we're a big
player in the world with allthese big companies coming and

(06:15):
searching out Holly Springs andfinding that niche.
So it's like building thatconnectivity so we don't lose
our humanity in any of this.
I want to see more connectedthings for Holly Springs, if
that makes sense.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (06:29):
What are your top three priorities for
our community if elected?

Sarah Larson (06:33):
So, as I said, I want to be the bridge between
people, policy and progress andpeople with communication.
So I was in the CitizensAcademy and through that we got
to go to different towndepartments and ask questions
and really get a hands-on feelof what.
The Citizens Academy andthrough that we got to go to
different town departments andask questions and really get a
hands-on feel of what the towndoes.
And that was everything fromthe fire to police, to parks and
rec, to economic development,to the water treatment plant.

(06:54):
And one question that I alwaysasked was how does a resident
know that this is available?
Or how are they gettinginvolved, or how are we bridging
that gap as a town into ourresidents?
And, you know, programs likethe Citizens Academy really help
with that.
We do have an award-winningmarketing team and they do a
great job.
I think that staffing andbudget-wise, that's their job.

(07:18):
Town Council, asrepresentatives, we need to be
out in the community making sureresidents know you know what's
going on.
Yes, we go door-to-doorcanvassing during campaign
season, but why aren't we, youknow, going to where the people
are once elected as well andsitting on the HOA board?
I would like to see more directcommunication from the town to

(07:39):
HOAs and kind of have atrickle-down effect with
information so we can help reachmore people because people are
going to be connected to wherethey are.
So I've talked to the townmanager about that before to see
if any other municipalitieshave held like biannual, like
HOA meetings and he said it hasbeen done and I would really
like to see that.
I think people who sit on theirHOAs are already trying to

(08:01):
serve their immediateneighborhoods and they're going
to know more about what theneeds are.
Like someone from Wood Creek,their needs are going to be
something different than someonedown Avon Ferry or someone down
in Twelve Oaks or even here inOak Hall.
And because town council is anat-large voter base, council
members can live wherever in thetown so we're not divvied up by

(08:21):
precincts but the HOAs arealmost like small precincts so
we really should be engagingwhere the people are already.
So those are just a coupleinitiatives that I've already
been working on.
I've already been contactingother HOAs and sending
information as much as I can,but I want to see that program
blossom.
I just think a lot of issuescome from people just not
knowing what's going on.
So just because you say it onetime doesn't mean they're going

(08:43):
to get it right.
We know that we're parents orjust marketing in general.
Somebody has to see it at leastlike three times for it to
stick.
So I think just having moreconversations which having that
third gathering place, thoseplaces will help with some of
that communication gap.
Another thing is working withsmall businesses.
I was a program manager rightout of college that's what I did

(09:03):
my internship for.
So I was that liaison andrepresentative for all the small
town businesses to the town andits residents and helped
oversee a huge streetscapeproject where they ripped out
the sidewalk to sidewalk and didinfrastructure all needs a
multimillion dollar project andmy job was to make sure the
businesses' voices were heardand that residents knew that

(09:24):
they were open and I was goingto town council meetings to make
sure their needs were being metduring this project.
So I've always had a specialheart for small businesses and
I've worked for small businesses.
I've worked for a bombshellbeer company here in town and I
do social media for EnduranceFence Solutions and I can see
where their needs are.
And having that liaison or staffmember with the economic

(09:45):
development team for the town,work with the small businesses,
not just the downtown businesses, because those are important
too, they're kind of a core.
But because Holly Springs isbuilding out and having these
little mixed use pods everywhere, there's almost like little
mini downtowns, right Likelittle pockets of entertainment,
and we need a representative towork with the small businesses
to help with the waivers andsome of the infrastructure needs

(10:08):
.
For example, as I'm a volunteerfor the food cupboard, they
want to expand but if theyexpand right now, that triggers
the infrastructure needs andthey would have to pay for the
road widening on Holly SpringsRoad, even though that's planned
out already by the town.
So it's being connected so muchinto the town to know, like,
what can we do to help the foodcupboard with their expansion

(10:28):
and not having to pay for roadwidening?
That's already coming down theline and things like that.
So, going to small businessesbeing involved, but having that
staff member on the town wouldreally help too, because I know
the larger businesses havesomeone.
So we need to balance that withthe small businesses.
Also.
Another focus would be theprogress, which is affordable

(10:50):
and smart growth, and what thatlooks like is just continuing
our partnerships with WakeCounty and other municipalities
when it comes to affordablehousing, which there is
affordable housing developmentthat is approved to go across
from Ting, but that project's ona hold because the side parcel
needs to find a better layout.
It didn't work with the currentUDO so the town council is

(11:12):
going to be looking at itshortly but finding more of
those spaces and relationshipswhere we can help offset the
cost, because land is soexpensive and developers are
coming in and they're trying tobuild as many units as they can
because they're trying to makemoney.
So how are we offsetting someof those costs?
Apex has set aside a budgetaryline item to help with
affordable housing.
So I think as our tax baseflips in the next five to eight

(11:35):
years, it's going to be a whilewith the big you know Amgens and
Fujifilms and everything butthere's going to be more taxes
available not coming from theresidents that we could put
towards smart infrastructure.
So we're not waiting on DOT forbig projects or offsetting some
affordable housing.
So when developers come in,they're setting aside certain

(11:56):
units that are affordable.
And when I say affordable, it'speople who are our service
industry workers, our teachers,our fire, our first responders.
Those are people who are makinga living.
It's just really expensive tolive here.
What are we doing so people whowork and play can live in Holly
Springs as well and with thesmart growth that goes with,

(12:17):
like I said, the connectivitynot only greenways or
alternative transportation, likethe microtransit that's coming
in January, or if we can tag inwith Go Raleigh, go Cary, go
Apex, things like that as wecontinue to grow?
Those conversations need to behad now, because growth is fast
but it's also slow, if thatmakes sense.
The road widening on HollySprings Road that was from a

(12:37):
2018 bond and that took a lot oftime to get here and we're in
2025.
So those conversations arehappening.
Years ago and we're finally tothe place now.
So, as far as development goes,20% of developments get passed.
So a lot of the developmentwe're seeing right away happened
years ago and we're here now.
So what conversations are wehaving as a town and as a board

(12:58):
to making sure we're not onlyprepped but we're developing the
right areas where there arehigh density areas near the
center of town and they're morespread out the further we go out
.
Another thing that people kindof just need to realize is like,
legally, we can't tell someonethat they can't sell their
property.
What we can do is haveordinances and guidelines about,
like, how that property couldbe sold and stick to that the

(13:19):
best we can, which that's whatthe people want.
You know, if there's the publicopinion, we have our UDO and
that's what was people want youknow, if there's the public
opinion, we have our UDO andthat's what was agreed upon and
voted on.
Then that's something we needto stick to.
So all those things, they allbuild together right and it's
like there's priorities, butit's all in the same line
because you can talk aboutgrowth at the same time, you
talk about small businesses atthe same time you talk about

(13:41):
communication, because we needto communicate our growth with
the small businesses all at theone time.
So being around and, like Isaid, having the feelers out
already with what's going on inthe town, really helps town
council people.
So, as a candidate, I feel likeI am qualified and have a pulse
on the town's needs and I wouldcontinue to operate in that
manner.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (14:01):
Okay, what is working well in the town
today and where do you see roomfor improvement?

Sarah Larson (14:06):
There's just baby steps.
I think in government and inplanning, a lot of people moved
here pretty quickly and I thinkwe've kind of been playing the
catch-up game and overall Ithink Holly Springs has done a
decent job because people stillwant to move here.
Like I've mentioned, I can justsee little bits of improvement
because why wouldn't we want tojust take the steps all the time

(14:27):
to just be better?
I'm not saying we're bad, buteven personally, there should
always be steps that you'retrying to learn and to grow and
to not even be a better person,just be a more inclusive town,
more affordable or more walkable, communicate more.
So there's different steps andthat's why having these
conversations are so important.
So we know what's going on andwe know that we're not going to

(14:48):
be just stale.
We're not just going to be justeven keel and just coast.
I don't think that's the waythat the town should go.
I don't think we're ever justgoing to coast.
I think there's always roomwhere we can just have the
conversations to just be whatpeople want when they move here.
I mean there's a reason peopleare moving here, there's a
reason why these businesses arechoosing Holly Springs.
So I think collectively, we'rein a pretty good spot, okay.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (15:07):
Do you support the current town budget?
Where would you advocate forchanges, including any
adjustments to taxes or spendingpriorities, if needed for
fiscal responsibility?

Sarah Larson (15:17):
Yes, I know this.
Last year the budget, therewasn't a lot of raises as far as
tax goes property tax wise,because there was water increase
and utilities and some otherthings where people saw and
obviously, like Wake Countytaxes, they went up anyways.
So, because of the cost of justliving and tariffs and
everything like that, I thinkit's just always important to

(15:39):
keep an eye on that.
We don't want to raise taxes,but we have to also pay for
things and, like I just said, ifwe're going to continue to grow
smartly and take these littlebaby steps like those, things
just cost money.
Being an HOA board presidentyes, we balance our budget and
we have a reserve account, butbecause of, let's say, for
example, the cost of the pooland then we had to lose our

(16:00):
lifeguards, but then we added acleaning service but we were
able to keep the amenity butjust shift it slightly.
So how are we saving money withrowing?
So, overall, I think they do agood job with public safety.
I did my ride along with thepolice department last week and
the fire department today and wehave really good departments.
They work really well together.

(16:21):
We're in a relatively safe area.
The response time of both unitsare really good, but there's
always little things that wecould do better for just quality
of life.
For our first responders, I wastalking to somebody and it was
like it'd be really nice if wehad our own little notepads, you
know, just like little thingslike that.
Not that it's a big budgetaryline item.
I'm just saying because thetown is growing, there's going

(16:41):
to be things we're going to beneeding and the taxes from the
bigger corporations they'recoming, but it's going to be a
while before that impacts ourbudget, and so I really do think
that town council needs to lookat that and know that we need
to take some responsibility whenit comes to infrastructure
needs that we're not relying ondevelopers to do all that,
because that's how we're in thisdeveloper, almost like cat and

(17:02):
mouse game, where we need themto pay for things, Otherwise we
don't get a road.
But now we have a newdevelopment.
So it's not perfect but, like Isaid, I wouldn't be the only
one on there looking at it, butit's something that I'm aware of
.
It takes money to pay forthings.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (17:14):
Oftentimes it feels like government waits
until a specific need iscritical before taking action.
Do you support being moreproactive?
and if so, how and in what waysspecifically?

Sarah Larson (17:32):
Yes, I think proactive is always the way to
go.
We can take the roads, forexample.
A lot of the roads in HollySprings are DOT owned and
operated and so a lot of thatcomes from their budget.
So some things are highpriority and some things are
lower priority.
And with everything that'shappening in our state,
especially in Western NorthCarolina with the hurricane,
like a lot of funds I feel aregoing to be kind of pushed
towards opening the Blue Ridgethat a portion just opened today

(17:54):
, I got a notification or youknow, part of the highway, and
so some of our priorities,whether it's a light or a road
widening, might be continuallypushed down.
And because people are sensitive, I would say, to just like
overdevelopment, which I agreewith we have to look at how is
the town being proactive?
We have a capital reserve so wecan take some of that money and

(18:16):
we can put it towards a roadwidening or a new light and
partner with DOT to get thathigher on the priority list, and
so we're not waiting tillthere's five more developments
down the road and everybody'sstill stuck in traffic.
I think traffic is hard and I doacknowledge that, but that
means we're a lively town, right, things are happening.

(18:37):
I think if you didn't havetraffic issues and you didn't
have development worries, yourtown might be dying and might
not be as thriving.
So we're getting there.
I feel Holly Springs is almostin its like awkward teenage
phase where we're trying we'realmost there sort of to like our
twenties, where we know who weare and we have some things kind
of figured out, because it justgrew so fast we had like our
growth spurt, right.

(18:57):
So being proactive now, knowingwhere the needs are, but making
the decision that we have toown up to that and we need to
pay and figure out a way topartner with our partners on how
to get those done.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (19:10):
Perfect.
How do those partnerships withDOT work?
If we help to contribute fundsto raise the priority list, do
we get reimbursed that backlater, or how does that work?

Sarah Larson (19:21):
I don't know about the reimbursement part, it
might just be more of apartnership, and I know that
Councilwoman Annie Drees hasbrought that up for a light
that's on sunset.
I think that the neighborhoodneeded it and to have it higher
on DOT's list.
Like what if we came and said,like we will pay for $200,000 of
this if it gets bumped up?
So I think that it's not quitea reimbursement, but there could

(19:43):
be grants and there could beoptions.
I think that's something that'sworth looking into, but
thinking outside of the box andbeing proactive in those
situations.
We're not waiting last minute,because once we wait and it gets
approved, it's still years downthe line before it gets
installed, right.
So now you're looking at justcontinually pushing out the
project that was neededyesterday.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (20:02):
What new initiatives or attractions would
you champion to boost revenueand community pride?

Sarah Larson (20:08):
So I know that the town has approved the Festival
Street in downtown Holly Springs.
I think that is exciting andbrings up that third gathering
space.
I would continually to look atthe budget to see if, like I
said, if we could take some ofthat money to help boost other
infrastructure needs.
So we're higher on the list,you know, as far as road
widenings and lights andeverything like that, but people

(20:30):
want to be where the people are.
I think the sip and stroll isreally nice.
I just think there's not enoughplaces to stroll to yet and I
know that's coming with FestivalStreet and hopefully a
permanent farmer's market.
I know that the town is talkingabout developing part of Mimms
Park and I will go on the recordsaying that makes me sad

(20:50):
Because I do love the naturaltrails and I've said this on
Parks and Rec, I've said this onthe board and I've brought it
up before.
I do see where that is anattraction and people would
enjoy it if it was not as big asHarry's downtown park.
But people like to be wherepeople are generally.
So balancing the trees andhaving that kind of be a focus

(21:12):
plus Eagle's Landing Park, Ithink that's going to be really
really big.
So between those two parks andthen the Ting Entertainment
District that the town iscurrently talking about, I think
that's a good space.
That corridor being so close to540 and the new children's
hospital that's going in in Apexand all the development out
there, I think entertainment onthat corner is going to be smart

(21:33):
.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (21:34):
Have you ever disagreed publicly with a
current town decision or policyand if so, what was it and how
would you handle a similarsituation in office?

Sarah Larson (21:43):
Sitting on the Parks and Rec Advisory Board we
get to see a lot of the parksand the greenways and things
that are coming in, and the parkoff of Cass Holt Road, which is
covered by the $100 millionbond, ended up being named
Eagles Landing, and I know thatnaming a park is not top
priority of the issues of thetown.
But how it was handled I diddisagree with and I did bring

(22:05):
that up at the board, because Ifelt that our town council
representative misrepresented usat the retreat, saying that the
board approved the naming ofEagle's Landing, which we had
not.
I just felt that staff reallyspent a long time researching
and doing a lot of work tryingto name it, and so did the board
, and then when we couldn't comeinto agreement, then town

(22:27):
council light I suggested thatwe open it up to a survey for
the town, as this is a hundredmillion dollar bond that the
taxpayers will have to pay for.
So why not get the residentsmore involved?
And that comes back to thatcommunication piece of my
platform.
It's just, the residents arethe number one stakeholder, so I
don't understand why we didn'tget them more involved with

(22:48):
something as big as this and itjust didn't work.
So there was one town councilmember and he had spoken about
it and he saw an eagle landingthere and he wanted to call it
eagles landing.
It is what it is now and we'llsupport the town.
I think that it just wasmishandled and I brought that up
in committee.
And I think that it just wasmishandled and I brought that up
in committee and I think thatwas the right spot to do it.
Obviously, we're now on thepodcast and people can hear

(23:09):
about it.
But I never put anybody onblast.
I think it's always the bestcase to be professional in those
situations, to have the toughconversations and you can
disagree without being mean,right, so I handled it the best
I thought I could.
But, yeah, I wish the townwould have involved the
community more and the staff andthe board and their volunteers

(23:29):
who spent a lot of time on thatproject.
So that was a fun big one.
Another thing right now andwe'll see what town council does
, I think next month withaffordable housing parcel that's
going on across from Ting andthey're partnering with a
development.
At first, I think part of theUDO or part of the wants for

(23:50):
that area was entertainment,like a performance art center or
like a restaurant or anythinglike that.
And you know, the developerscame back and said, like the
land is how it fit, wasn'tworking price-wise and so they
wanted to put a medical buildingthere.
And that was turned down bycouncil and I was very thankful
that one council member was like, well, let's not scrap the

(24:12):
whole project, so then we losethe affordable housing piece.
Let's see if they can go backand try to meet us in the middle
to what we told residents thatwe would do and what is feasible
.
It'll be interesting knowingwhat town staff looks at too
when they're giving theirapproval or not, because
sometimes I see the drawing andI agree if there's a water
source or if there's a powerline and the cost to develop

(24:34):
that is a lot, and then theparcel of land is somehow shrunk
.
You know you have all thisspace, but really usable space
is this big, and so those arereally hard decisions that I
would definitely just continueto look at all pieces before,
just like making a quickknee-jerk decision on that.
But I am hopeful that thatproject will be approved soon

(24:55):
because that's something that wesaid we're going to build and I
would like to see that tocontinue Okay.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (25:01):
When you hear smart growth, what does
that mean for our town inpractical terms?

Sarah Larson (25:06):
I think it's like what I just said.
I think there's so manydifferent aspects to making
these decisions.
Yes, we have our UDO, but ourUDO gets updated every so often
because something that wasapproved 10 years ago, the town
looks a lot different.
And making sure we're havingpublic opinion and doing our
research and talking to theexperts, because unless you're a

(25:28):
developer which might be alittle weird on town council it
could be a conflict.
You might not know all theinformation that they have
because we're not experts inthose fields.
It's our jobs to take all thesepieces of information and make
the best decision for the townas a whole.
So that's part of the smartgrowth.
It's just doing your homeworkand asking the questions and
being proactive and an activecouncil member, which goes back

(25:51):
to having feelers around townand being out where the
community is, so you're knowingwhat's going on.
And it also means alternativetransportation too, because I
think a lot of people yes, weall have issues with traffic and
we need that connectivity withconnecting sidewalks.
So we're in this situationwhere this developer paid for
his sidewalk and this developerpaid for his sidewalk, but now

(26:12):
there's a gap with no sidewalkright, because their contract
only went so far, or maybe thetown owns that part of land or
maybe that part hasn't beendeveloped yet and so we're
piecemealed a little bit hereand there.
So how do we partner with thosedevelopers at that time if
they're going to have theirequipment out there and it would
cost us less if the town couldpay to connect the sidewalk at
the same time, or having e-bikeregulations so they can utilize

(26:36):
the greenway safely, so they canget from holly springs a
tobacco trail to carry and towork and things like that.
So it's also continuing to havepositive partners and
relationships with othermunicipalities and working with
them, because holly springs isnot a silo.
We're in wake county and we'revery connected.
But I think we do need to workwith our neighboring towns and

(26:59):
our legislative representativesand just have a good pulse of
the county as a whole and howthat impacts us, but how our
decisions also impact ourneighbors.
And I just think having thoseconversations and I know there's
some committees that they domeet, but that comes back to
communication and just seeinglike okay, well, if you met with
Apex, let us know.
If you met with Apex, maybethere's a blog or maybe the town

(27:20):
council could have more townhalls so people could just know
what's going on a little bitmore, because by the time you
get to town council, a lot ofdecisions have already been made
.
Public opinion is at the end ofa meeting, and so someone has
to wait two and a half threehours before they're heard.
And I just think that smartgrowth is also listening to the
people and being out wherethey're at, which seems to be a
good thing for me.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (27:42):
How would you ensure new development
maintains our town's characterwhile remaining affordable for
residents?

Sarah Larson (27:49):
I think that's yeah.
That's just continually havingthose conversations and staying
on top of the UDO on what itcurrently states for that area
and if the developer hassomething that might contradict
that, have the conversationright away so they're not
getting to the point where theyhad all these drawings and all
this time and effort and moneybecause that costs a lot of
money coming just to get itdenied.

(28:11):
I think that's the frustratingpart too.
It's like I get that every stepfor the developers is also very
expensive and I want to savetheir time and money just as I
want to save the town's time andmoney and constantly having a
pulse on that.
I think we just had another UDOtype of update and they had a
public opinion at the farmer'smarket and just encouraging

(28:31):
people to get out and toparticipate in those things.
But I also that goes back tocontacting the HOAs and making
sure there's a survey that cango out to the neighbors because
maybe someone might feel moreconfident filling it out when
it's neighborly based and nothometown based to get their
voices heard.
So, circling back, it's keepingup with the UDO and making sure
that's updated to where we needit to be and partnering with

(28:54):
the smart growth with thedevelopers.
Because, yes, they do pay for alot of things.
I mean, I know they pay forroad widenings and water
connectors and sewer connectorsand sidewalks and that in a
sense saves the taxpayers money,but then we have more
development.
So just knowing where highdensity development should be
these mixed use parcels andwhere single homes would make

(29:17):
more sense and entertainmentdistricts would make more sense,
that would help ease someburden from the taxpayers but
also just ease stress fromtraffic and development.
And all the things we've talkedabout.
Everything's connected, see.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (29:36):
Everything is.
Our town is growing rapidly,putting pressure on
infrastructure like water androads, public safety, parks and
recreation and housingaffordability.
If you had to prioritize onlyone of these areas this year,
due to limited funding, whichwould you choose and how would
you communicate that decision toresidents?

Sarah Larson (29:50):
So, like we talked about, everything is so
connected and I thinkprioritizing one thing means
that somehow it's more importantthan another, and I do believe
that the tide rises all boatsright.
So I think there's things thatwe're doing really well in the
town, and Parks and Rec is greatand that's part of smart growth
, with quality of life andgrowing that connectivity

(30:12):
portion for people to get outand find those third spaces.
And I think our public safetyis really good.
Like I said, I've talked to ourpolice department and our fire
and we're on par for the town,our size and everything.
I do think that theinfrastructure and the
development portion, like we'vetalked about, really go hand in
hand, and if we could be moreresponsible with some of our own

(30:36):
infrastructure needs, I don'tthink we would have to rely on
developers all the time and thenkind of trickles down to
traffic and other issues thatpeople have, because when the
land gets used, we have lessland and land gets expensive and
so developers are coming in andthey don't have any offerings
for affordable housing and sothe town needs to take

(30:58):
responsibility to add that as aline item in the budget and what
does that look like it could be.
I think we did like a half centincrease recently and that would
have helped cover otherinfrastructure needs as far as a
light if we partnered with DOT,and so I sound like I'm talking
in a circle, but that's becauseI feel like it's not a line,
it's a circle and I feel likeeverything is so connected that

(31:21):
that is the priority.
It's just knowing how oneimpacts the other, and I think
that's important.
Like I said, I thinkdevelopment impacts
infrastructure, which impactspeople coming here.
It impacts parks and rec, butthen impacts public safety, but
then impacts the infrastructureagain.
So I can't say it's allimportant, but it is, and I
guess I would start withinfrastructure, because you want

(31:43):
to have a solid base and fromthere you can grow.
So that's the roundabout.
Get what I said there way ofdoing things.
I can't get off the roundabout.
It's fine.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (32:11):
Do you feel we already adequately meet the
needs of any of these?
The infrastructure, publicsafety, parks and recreation, or
housing affordability

Sarah Larson (32:13):
always needs work.
We don't have a lot of optionshere, so that would be something
and, like I said earlier, Ithink we're doing a good job
with what we have.
But more people are coming andthe needs are always going to be
growing.
So taking baby steps in each ofthose areas is important.
Like we can't choose one yearto not fund public safety and
parks and rec and only focus oninfrastructure, because then
everything gets left behind andthen we're behind on everything
the next year because none ofthese things are going to stop,

(32:35):
because we're just growing andso everything needs little steps
, like Tetris, and we're allgoing to grow.
It all kind of stacks on top ofeach other.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (32:43):
Holly Springs has focused on bringing
in biomedical and science-basedbusinesses.
How would you balancesupporting these businesses and
garnering more with some publicsentiment that may be skeptical
of science and vaccines?

Sarah Larson (32:57):
I would say that research has shown that this is
currently safe for the peoplewho want to partake in that and
that having that industry hereis really big for not only Holly
Springs but for Wake County andwe do have a good partnership
as a county as a whole as wehave our universities, we have a

(33:19):
good airport, we have theentertainment aspect and
connectivity wise throughout thecounty that is attractive to
these larger businesses forcoming out.
I do understand that having oneindustry in one area could be
problematic if, for whateverreason, that would crash right.
I've seen that online somethinghappened, scientific wise, and

(33:41):
all of those shut down.
Where would Holly Springs be?
That's something I would talkto the economic development team
about, from not only the citybut the state, to see how are we
protecting our own assets?
Because, yes, we give thesegrants, the bigs, to these big
corporations to come in, and sowe need to make sure that we get
our investment back and thatthey're successful.

(34:02):
So, from a worldview, I don'tknow all of that because I'm not
in the science industry.
I would want to talk to theprofessionals and have those
conversations and maybe we havea town hall with those players
and so the community can askthose questions, you know,
directly.
I think that's really important.
I feel like town council people, like I said, are the delegate

(34:22):
and the trustee, like we havethe information and we're
representing the residents butat the same time we're the
bridge and we can get you infront of the experts.
If there was an issue in myneighborhood with Urban Creek
behind flooding and he said hecalled the town, he was getting
the runaround and I was likewell, I'm going to call the guy
in charge and have him come toour neighborhood park and

(34:44):
everybody can just ask himquestions because you could just
ask him directly.
And that really helped a lot ofpeople because they were
getting it right from the source.
So for people who havequestions or concerns, I would
help bridge that gap.
I hate when people say likewell, that's not my job, I'm not
going to help you with you know, wake County schools or
anything like that.
It's like no, but I can get youin touch with that person or I

(35:04):
can help facilitate theconversation, and if a lot of
people have the same questions,then maybe we should have a
space where people can get faceto face and solve those issues.
It all circles back tocommunication.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (35:18):
As our town grows, farmland faces pressure
from development and someresidents struggle to access
fresh food.
How would you support localfarmers, protect farmland and
help ensure everyone has accessto healthy, affordable food?

Sarah Larson (35:31):
Again, it's all about those partnerships and
getting in front of the expertsthat know those areas.
I know we're really lucky tohave a town-supported farmer's
market and that's been really,really successful.
So going to where the peopleare and finding what their needs
are and balancing that farmlandit is hard.
This is a really hard area withthe growth and maintaining

(35:52):
space and farm and trees and Ithink that's where our UDO comes
from and having that balanceand protecting those areas, but
like following through andhaving that accountability.
So I think when some of thesethings get voted on or passed,
there should be almost likeresolution packet that goes out.
Yes, the minutes are online, butyou have to like go and sort it

(36:13):
, or maybe not everybody watchesthe YouTube video and they just
need like a condensed versionand I think there needs to be a
statement from the desks of youknow, the town council people
that this is why they voted andthis is what this means and this
is what the next step is andjust continually having those
conversations and knowing whoour partners are for grants and

(36:36):
SNAP benefits and those things.
That we can get that in front ofthe farmers, that we can
partner with them between thefood cupboard and the schools
and the farmers.
There's people doing the thingsand we need a central hub so we
can know where to help makethose decisions, which, again,
is helpful for a town councilperson to be in the community
already hearing it firsthand.

(36:57):
What's needed and where we canhelp and who to talk to I think
that's the most important thingis like trying to figure out who
you're supposed to talk to.
So, as a town council person,that would be my job.
If I don't know something is togo figure it out and get you in
front of the right person soyou can talk to them.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (37:12):
Our police sometimes receive requests from
outside agencies while alsoaddressing local needs?
How would you set prioritiesfor public safety with limited
resources?

Sarah Larson (37:23):
I think continually having the
conversations and having a pulseon the community's needs is a
huge thing.
When I did the ride along withthe police last week and I think
this has been brought up tocouncil before but the police
department's going to startgoing into like a zone, kind of
like a beat district, and sothere'll be officers assigned to
a certain area of town and theywould always be assigned to

(37:43):
that area of town and so reallyworking on that community
involvement and support and soresidents and the businesses in
that area know who the officersare and they help those
relationships, which I reallythink helps with public safety
and the persona of you know thatthe officers are there to help
us out and things like that.

(38:04):
So community outreach is bigand I know that both chiefs have
done a really, really good job,since they've been in their
respected positions, with beingactive in the community and
going to events and, you know,going to the schools and having
those relationships built earlyand kind of going from there.
So a lot of it it's reallycommunication and being where

(38:25):
the people are in those areasand that helps with a lot of
that public safety.
I know that comes with a budgetline item and, like I said, we
do really do a good job withthat and everything kind of
builds on top of it.
But the fire ride along today,firefighters, they're starting
to look at station four and five.
They just finally openedstation three earlier this year

(38:46):
and they're looking at growing.
And how do we balance that andbudget for it?
Because you know response timesare important.
I went on a ride along todayand you know they want to be in
an area where it's six minutesand most of the time fire is
first on scene so they can do anassessment and EMS might be
later.
We have two ambulances in HollySprings and if they're on a call

(39:07):
then another one from adifferent town might have to
come in, but they might be on acall, so they do a really good
job making sure they're in theradius that they need to be in.
But I know that as we continueto grow and our residential
areas and our commercial basegets further and further out,
we're going to need otherstations.
So those are being talked aboutright now and that is important

(39:28):
.
But I think a lot of thathopefully will come budget-wise
from the tax slip from the bigeconomic powerhouses and so
that'll help fund some things,but we will have to look at that
as a budget item.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (39:41):
Okay.
How can the town better supportsmall businesses and connect
with their needs?

Sarah Larson (39:47):
So, yeah, we kind of talked about this and having
a town liaison or a town staffmember for small businesses I
think is really important Noteverybody well, and offer them
their resources and if that'ssomething they need to look at,

(40:12):
if that's something that helpstheir business, then we would
give them those resources.
But incentives would besomething that we could look at.
That's been talked about.
There's downtown incentivesbecause they wanted the downtown
area to grow.
But because Holly Springs hasall these different pockets of
mixed-use development, what arewe doing to help the businesses
that can't afford downtown orthat feel they get to go out

(40:36):
Avent Ferry Road or cross from12 Oaks and those other
development areas?
Just because they can't bedowntown doesn't mean there's
not a need for the residentsover on that side of town to
have a business or a grocerystore or a gas station.
And looking at how can weincentivize that as well,
because that's something I wouldwant to look at, if there's any
grants or programs that we canoffer our small businesses,

(40:56):
because they are the backboneand that's what people are
moving here for too, becausethey want to eat here and play
here and live here.
And I would also help out ontraffic because you're not
driving out of town, you're intown, you're in your
neighborhood enjoying your life.
I think at the baseline,everybody wants happy, healthy
lives and for their neighborsand their friends.
And how can we convenientlygrow and do all that?

(41:17):
It takes planning and it takeshaving these conversations.
Again, that's my roundabout.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (41:24):
What approaches would you take to
foster understanding andcollaboration amongst residents
with differing perspectives?

Sarah Larson (41:37):
Having maybe more roundtables.
And I think the CitizensAcademy was very successful.
I was in the inaugural class.
They just had another classthis last year and residents
apply and they take residentsfrom all ages, all backgrounds,
different parts of town and sothey do have a balance and we
were all able to ask questionstogether but to talk to each
other like what's impacting you?
Oh, I didn't think about thatand it's maybe trying to have a
little bit more of those.
I know that takes a lot from thetown.

(41:58):
It's a lot of work for thestaff.
The communications departmentdoes a great job putting that on
.
But how can we fill in the gapwhere more people can get
involved from that?
And are those people now kindof town ambassadors and are they
able to, you know, go to theirHOAs and maybe present or have
more of that trickle down, likeI said, information of

(42:18):
connectivity?
So they know they're like oh, Iremember you went through
Census Academy.
You learned about the policedepartment.
I have a question about this.
You'd be like yes, I knowexactly who you call because I
met him.
You know it really, reallyhelps and it empowers people to
want to help because knowledgeis power.
So they have access to learningthese things and being a part
of the town, and then they wantto share that with other people.

(42:39):
So that's what I want to do.
That's why I'm running for towncouncil, because I've been so
involved with the town that Iwant to share more information
and I want to bring more peopletogether.
I think everybody should wantto do that.
I just I love it wheneverybody's on the same page or
I get to learn from other people, or a different perspective is
something I didn't know, or Ican connect you to something
that you needed.
Like that's what I'm gettingfrom this.

(43:00):
I don't own a business.
I work for small businesses.
I don't own property.
I'm an active community memberwho wants to generally help
everybody.
You know, if I can help oneperson, then everybody helps
each other and we all lift eachother up.
I just think it all comes downto communication and wanting to
listen and to help out.
But that's just me.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (43:20):
How will you ensure diverse voices and those
most impacted are not onlyincluded, but truly embraced in
decision making?

Sarah Larson (43:28):
Yes, I think going where the people are Holly
Springs has a historicallyAfrican-American background and
how are we connecting withdifferent socionopic groups?
And you know, we have justpeople from all walks of life.
I think someone asked me one ofmy favorite things about Holly
Springs and it's like I loveasking people where they're from
, because you're going to get adifferent answer every single

(43:49):
time.
You're like, oh, when did youmove here?
Oh, you've lived here forever.
That's amazing.
Like, how are we going to getinvolved?
Like I just think asking thequestions is number one
important.
What do you need?
Do you need more researchers?
Do you want to be a part ofthis?
Like we can't assume things andthen going where the people are
, because, yes, I believe thatresidents need to take
accountability and being active,but sometimes you don't know

(44:11):
what you don't know, and sogoing to these spaces and
building those, and not even forthe history, which is important
I was the stage manager forFinding Patients, which was the
history written about HollySprings, and so we really,

(44:33):
really learned a lot.
But Angie went through andinterviewed people who lived
here and I think they have areally good perspective of how
things were and respecting thehistory and the culture of the
area, while welcoming everybodywho wants to live here.
So I think encouraging peopleto join boards is really big.

(44:54):
So going to where they're atand not just saying like, yes,
you just moved here, you canjoin a board, but you've lived
here for 50 years, you shouldjoin a tree advisory board, or
how does that look like for you,you know, and helping encourage
people to have a voice incertain spaces, I think is
really important.
I love it when people apply forthe boards and want to be

(45:14):
involved, and I think that yourvote goes further than you think
.
You're not only voting for towncouncil members, you're voting
for who is on these boards theplanning board, the parks and
rec board, the tree advisorycommittee, any subcommittee.
That happens because towncouncil ultimately decides who
gets to be on these boards.
And do we want boards who arediverse?

(45:37):
I do.
Yes, I want boards that havepeople, like I said, who've
lived here for 20 plus years topeople who lived here for five
or less, and different ages andpolitical backgrounds.
I do think we really cometogether when that is a focus,
and I think sometimes there'sbeen instances where you know

(45:58):
town council might vote down aparty line when it comes to
filling some of these boardpositions and if we are really
trying to listen to the peopleand what they're bringing to the
table and not just who theyvote for, but like how they work
together, I think we would be alittle bit further than where
we're at.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (46:16):
Do you support a non-discrimination
ordinance or policy?
Why or why not?

Sarah Larson (46:21):
I do and I think, like I said, just encouraging
people to want to have asking,like I said, if they want to
have a voice and if they want toparticipate, comes from showing
that the town has anon-discrimination ordinance,
that we support all walks oflife, all voices.
But there is something abouthaving it tangible and
referenced and joining themajority of Wake County as we

(46:49):
continue to grow and bring inworldwide economic powerhouses
and these small businesses andthis diversity.
That's a common sense policyfor me and the people who might
have some hesitations if itwould harm their business.
Like I said, I don't knoweverything and I would set up a
meeting or hopefully ask to setup a meeting with other Wake

(47:09):
County municipalities who haveestablished the NDO and see how
it's worked for them, if they'vehad any issues, and we can get
tangible answers for thosepeople who might have some
questions or concerns about it.
It's not a knee-jerk reaction.
It's part of those things whereyou're getting all the
information all at once beforeyou would vote yes.
So I would want to make sure wehad those conversations and had

(47:31):
the data to show why this wouldbe beneficial for the town.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (47:34):
Okay, have you gained any endorsements thus
far and if you gain more, wheremight voters find that
information?

Sarah Larson (47:42):
I have not seeked out any endorsements I could.
I think you know there's otherlegislative representatives
who've reached out and they saidthey would be more than happy
to endorse me.
As far as receiving specialsuper PAC money or development
money or anything like that, Iam not going to accept any of
those funds because I don'tbelieve that elections should be

(48:02):
bought and I'm really running agrassroots campaign for the
people, by the people and youknow, if people had a question,
if that's something that'simportant to them, maybe that's
big and I can add those to mywebsite.
If I get personal endorsements.
I've had great friends andpeople who have spoken out and I
believe my actions speak louderthan words and I really just

(48:24):
want to represent everybody andnot push anybody aside because
you know someone said something.
Town council it's a local,nonpartisan seat.
Yes, we live in an age wherethere's a two party system and
those parties do have theircandidates.
So, currently correct, thereare three Republican endorsed
candidates and there's threeDemocrat endorsed candidates.

(48:46):
I am endorsed by the WakeCounty Democratic Party.
That is something that they'regoing to push out.
That's currently not on mywebsite, not that I just haven't
added it, honestly, because Ididn't know if people were
looking for it or if it matteredon the local election, because
I would represent and serveeverybody, no matter if you have
an R D U I wait, that soundedweird, but, like any voter

(49:11):
acronym behind how you'reregistered, I have my own
convictions and I get that, andeverybody does too, but when
you're serving the public, youneed to balance all of that and
represent everybody for thebetter of the community.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (49:24):
Where can listeners connect with you and
learn more about your platform,upcoming events and ways to get
involved?

Sarah Larson (49:30):
They can go to LarsonForGovernmentcom.
That is my website.
I am also on Facebook for SarahLarson, for Holly Springs Town
Council.
I am also on InstagramLarsonForGovernment, and I have
a TikTok LarsonForGovernment.
They can find me on socialmedia.
Like I said, on my websitethere is a pledge button.
If you wanted to pledge yoursupport and sign up for a yard

(49:52):
sign, you can do that and withyour pledge I would remove you
from a canvassing and youwouldn't get a door knocked,
which is very exciting for somepeople.
And then on there is my emailand phone number.
I just listed a million thingsthat I'm a part of and I know
you can't see me listeners,because you're listening, but if

(50:13):
you know what I look like, youcan come up and talk to me when
you see me out and about.
So if I haven't knocked on yourdoor yet, I'm sure I'll get you
.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (50:21):
And just for clarity Larson for government,
is it F-O-R or is it the numberfour?

Sarah Larson (50:27):
It's F-O-R, so Larson, f-o-r government, so
like L-F-G Larson for government.
That's the only acronym thatthat stands for.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (50:39):
Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to
share with those voting in theupcoming election?

Sarah Larson (50:44):
Voting is important, Elections are
important and no matter if youdon't live in the area, local
government has an impact on you.
If you drive anywhere, if youthey always say to eat, work,
play, If you do that anywhere inany municipality, local
government has an impact and Ido believe that we can have a
trickle up effect where weimpact our local government and

(51:07):
then we work together with thestate representatives and the
county and then the nationallevel.
So voting is important and thisis again a big grassroots
effort.
The only thing on the ballot isthe three council seats which
you can vote for any top threeand, like I said, there's not
going to have an R or a D inanybody's name it is nonpartisan
and in the mayor's seat.

(51:28):
So that's it.
That's all you have to do.
It's super easy.
Make a plan.
Early voting starts technicallyOctober 16th, but the Wake
County Board of Elections is theonly thing open that time.
The closest early voting sitefor Holly Springs residents will
be in Apex and that will startOctober 25th.
So make your plans to vote.
If you have any questions, likeI said, visit my website or

(51:48):
social media or see me out inpublic and I'll have a booth at
Holly Fest, which I'm reallyexcited about.
We go to the Farmer's Marketweekly.
We'll have some other eventscoming up, but thank you again,
Amanda, for hosting and forinterviewing all the candidates.
It's been a pleasure and I'mexcited.
It's been fun, Excellent.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (52:05):
Well, now you get to do our fun lightning
round I thought that was my signoff, come on.
These are non-politicalquestions, just kind of bringing
some of the humanity and thefun and to get to know you a
little bit better.
Okay, what's something you dothat helps you to recharge?

Sarah Larson (52:26):
I like to read.
I like to read fantasy books,and I drink hot water with lemon
and I eat popcorn and I like it.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (52:37):
What's a hobby, talent or fun fact about
you that most people don't know?

Sarah Larson (52:41):
Most people probably just know that I
officially went to all 50 states, so I just turned 40 and I
crossed off the 50th state bygoing to Alaska, which has been
very exciting.
I make my own popcorn.
It's my favorite food.
I add a little bit of hot saucein the grapeseed oil as I pop
it on the stove and I make itevery day and I love it.
And my dad was in the GuinnessBook of World Records for the

(53:05):
fastest clapping in a minuteback in the early 2000s.
So my favorite thing to say wasthat my dad can clap faster
than your dad.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (53:15):
What's something that is difficult for
you?

Sarah Larson (53:18):
Saying no to things.
I know that sounds cliche, butI never want to miss out on
anything and I love being askedto do things and I love helping
and that's just who I am.
And sometimes I know I need tobalance that a little bit and I
don't have to say yes toeverything.
But generally I enjoy that,even though I need to do it more

(53:39):
.
Does that make sense?

Amanda Benbow Lunn (53:42):
What book, podcast or TV show are you
enjoying right now?

Sarah Larson (53:46):
well, I'm currently reading sparks of the
everflame and which is, like Isaid, a fantasy you know, I
don't know game of thrones typeof book.
We're not watching a lot of tvright now.
When I come home I just kind oflike to veg and maybe scroll
tiktok and read my book.
So but for the kids, if it'slate at night we need to watch
something quick.
Bluey is a big win in ourfamily.

(54:08):
That's only like five to eightminute episodes and I love Bluey
as an adult.
I have cried.
I think it's very creative.
So those are fun.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (54:17):
Perfect.
Who is your favorite superhero?

Sarah Larson (54:20):
Thor! Especially dad bod Thor, just no
, just Thor.
I like Thor

Amanda Benbow Lunn (54:30):
What's the best piece of advice you've ever
received?

Sarah Larson (54:34):
I don't know if it's advice as much as a saying
where it's.
If not me, then who?
And I think that's why I have atough time saying no to things,
because if I see a need, Iwouldn't ever ask somebody else
to do something I wasn't willingto do myself.
And that's how I live my lifeand, yes, I can balance that.
But what do I want to be when Igrow up?
I just want to continue livingthat motto and continue growing

(54:57):
and continue learning andcontinue doing.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (54:59):
Awesome, what's one guilty pleasure you
secretly enjoy?

Sarah Larson (55:04):
I don't know if it's a secret.
I mean, like I like my hotlemon water.
I wake up and I drink hot lemonwater.
I'll probably drink like twomugs and I'll come home, no
matter how hot it is, I'll havehot water, lemon.
And then when we're traveling,I buy lemon juice.
I can drink it in my hot waterand I don't drink a lot of
coffee Like I'll drink espresso,maybe like, and I don't drink a

(55:26):
lot of coffee Like I'll drinkespresso, maybe like, because I
just maybe need that in theafternoon.
But hot water lemon is like mygo-to.
In fact, I'm empty on this callbecause I drink it all during
this interview.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (55:36):
What's a simple thing that always makes
you laugh or smile?

Sarah Larson (55:39):
I mean my kids.
I know that sounds cliche, butI love them and just where
they're at and growing, andespecially when they find
something new or, you know, justexploring and loving nature and
being outside, I love it.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (55:53):
Coffee or tea?

Sarah Larson (55:54):
Hot water with lemon juice.
I'm just kidding.
After I have my hot water andlemon juice, I will have tea in
the morning and then I reallyonly do coffee if it's like
after lunch and I need like aquick pick me up.
Otherwise coffee in the morning, just I get tired and I'll fall
back asleep.
It's annoying.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (56:14):
Morning person or night owl?

Sarah Larson (56:16):
I am a night owl.
That's probably why the coffeedoesn't work for me in the
morning.
No girl.
Yes, no matter how tired I am,it's when the kids go to bed I
just, like you know, snuggle inmy little couch and I get to
read, and I just stay up toolate and then I start the cycle
all over again.
But I am a night owl.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (56:36):
Mountains or beach?

Sarah Larson (56:37):
Mountains.
We ask this to the kids all thetime too, and we've all decided
we're definitely mountainpeople, we like to visit the
beach, but we like to be in themountains and outdoors and
active, because we're not beachsitters, we're definitely hikers
and nature people and out andabout and stuff like that.
So, yeah, mountains.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (56:55):
Book or podcast?

Sarah Larson (56:57):
Books.
So I think I probably could getin podcast if I had a commute.
But if I'm doing somethingaround the house and I'm trying
to listen to anything, I wouldjust stop and listen.
So unfortunately I haven't beenable to get into podcasts at
home.
But when I'm driving then I'mactively doing something and my

(57:18):
brain can focus on the podcast.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (57:20):
Dogs or cats ?

Sarah Larson (57:22):
We have dogs.
So I will say dogs, I love them, I do.
I don't like being licked and Ithink when I go to my friends'
house that have cats, they knowlike that and they'll go to me
and like get a ball on my legand everything and I'll pet cats
, it's great.
But I like dogs because we'relike I said, we're active.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (57:48):
I like to take my dogs for walks and hikes
and stuff like that so well.
Thank you so much, sarah, forparticipating in the NC Deep
Dive podcast and for being partof the candidate conversations.
I really appreciate you beingon and trusting me to do this
and just taking the time out ofyour very busy schedule, so I
wish you the best of luck inyour election.

Sarah Larson (57:58):
Thank you.
I really appreciate this.
This has been fun and, like Isaid, thank you again for making
this available to all thecandidates and putting this
together.
I know it's a lot of hard work,but I appreciate it.

Amanda Benbow Lunn (58:07):
You're very welcome, thank you.
Local elections are wheredemocracy lives closest to home.
The decisions and actions ofour mayors, the Holly Springs
Town Council and theFuquay-Varina Board of
Commissioners influence theservices we rely on each day,
the safety of our streets, thecharacter of our neighborhoods
and even the future direction ofour communities.

(58:29):
Democracy is at the heart ofall we hold dear.
Our local governments setpriorities that touch everyday
life.
They pass ordinances, fund ourfire and police departments, set
property tax structures andshape the look and feel of our
towns.
Because turnout is often lowerin municipal elections, every
ballot cast carries even greaterweight.

(58:50):
Here's what you need to knowfor 2025.
The voter registration deadlineis October 10th, unless you
register at an early voting site.
Early voting begins October16th at the Wake County Board of
Elections office in Raleigh.
Additional sites open onOctober 25th, including the John
M Brown Community Center inApex and the Avery Street

(59:11):
Recreation Center in Garner.
Those two will be the closestto us in Holly Springs and
Fuquay Varina.
Early voting concludes onSaturday, november 1st.
Please note that this year onlyincludes two Saturdays, October
25th and November 1st, and one,Sunday, October 26th.
The last day to request amail-in absentee ballot is
October 21st, and election dayitself is Tuesday, November 4th,

(59:34):
where you'll need to cast yourvote at your assigned precinct.
Please remember you will need avalid ID to vote.
That wraps up another NC DeepDive candidate conversation.
You can find all of our 2025municipal election interviews at
www.
ncdeepdive.
com, as well as on Spotify,apple Podcasts, audible or

(01:00:02):
election information.
If you find these conversationshelpful, please subscribe,
share them with friends orfamily and consider leaving a
rating or review.
Spreading the word in yourlocal spaces helps strengthen
informed participation acrossour communities.
If you have thoughts or topicsyou'd like us to explore, reach
out on social media or email usanytime at ncdeepdive@ gmail.

(01:00:25):
com.
I'm grateful you spent thistime with me today.
Staying informed is how weshape communities worth calling
home.
Your choices matter, yourperspective matters and you
matter.
Your ballot is your voice, andboth carry more power than you
might imagine.
Democracy isn't passive.
It only works when we each showup.
Thank you for helping me tomake it thrive.

(01:00:46):
May we continue to worktogether to build stronger, more
vibrant communities to live,work and play in, ones we can
all be proud to call home.
Until next time, my friendsnamaste the love and light in me
sees and honors the love andlight in you.