Day 8: Your Questions, Their Answers: Holly Springs (NC) Mayoral and Town Council Candidate Q&A Series
Regional Planning & Collaboration: How will you coordinate with Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake County on shared infrastructure, schools, and utilities?
Holly Springs, NC, Oct. 1, 2025 — As Holly Springs prepares for the upcoming municipal elections, Holly Springs Update (HSU) and What’s Happening Holly Springs (WHHS) are working to give residents a clear view of where the candidates stand on key issues.
Earlier this month, all candidates were provided with a questionnaire developed from community-driven submissions and refined by Christian Hendricks, publisher of HSU, and Aaron Wenzel, moderator of WHHS. Candidate response documents were first published together in a story on September 22nd.
Earlier story: All Candidate Submissions Now Published in Holly Springs (NC) Mayoral & Town Council Questionnaire (9/22/25).
To facilitate easier comparison and contrast of answers, responses are being shared on an individual basis. Beginning September 24 and continuing through October 4, one question will be featured each day.
Today’s installment marks Day 8 of the series. For readers who missed prior days’ coverage, stories can be found by clicking on the links below:
Day 1: How will you ensure that growth does not outpace the town’s capacity for infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, safety, technology, utilities)?
Day 2: What specific steps would you take to address congestion on NC 55, Avent Ferry, Sunset Lake, and other deficient roads and connectivity and walkability of greenways and sidewalks?
Day 3: What steps would you take to improve school safety and better protect students?
Day 4: How would you address school overcrowding and frequent student reassignments?
Note: All candidate responses are published exactly as submitted, without editing, and are presented in alphabetical order by last name. Links are also provided below to all answers from each candidate and their respective campaign websites.
Question 8: Regional Planning & Collaboration
How will you coordinate with Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake County on shared infrastructure, schools, and utilities?
Mayoral Candidate Answers
Mike Kondratick
The organizations and processes through which we can collaborate with our neighbors on these issues already exist. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization coordinates regional, state, and federal transportation resources. Wake Transit is guiding investment in public transportation projects. Apex and Holly Springs partner with the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) to analyze the potential impact of new developments on schools and the siting of new facilities.
We do have opportunities to coordinate more effectively:
• We can work to create a common vision for regional public transit. The three towns could collaborate on a regional transit plan, potentially including bus routes that connect employment centers and downtowns. A unified transit system could further reduce traffic and make the area more accessible to both residents and businesses.
• Though Apex and Holly Springs already share new development information with WCPSS, we can encourage Fuquay-Varina to join the process so we can engage in more proactive, coordinated communication to help ensure new schools are built where they are most needed and that minimize student reassignments.
I would also include collaboration with Duke Energy as an important issue for Holly Springs. I’d like the town to participate in Duke’s Integrated Resource Planning process so we can have a say in how it produces, transmits, and delivers power and help ensure it’s done sustainably.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sean Mayefskie
I currently serve as President of the Wake County Mayors Association, where I work with elected officials from both parties to advocate for our region. I’ve traveled to Washington, DC to push for Holly Springs priorities — from water filtration funding to modernizing our local post office. I believe in collaboration, not partisanship, and I’ll keep working across the aisle to get things done. We also coordinate with Wake County Public Schools to ensure they’re informed of growth, helping them plan new facilities where needed.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Town Council Candidate Answers
Joe Cuccurullo
The key is consistent coordination with our neighboring councils, mayors, and the Wake County Board of Commissioners. That means not only keeping open lines of communication but also building real collaboration and advocacy on behalf of Holly Springs residents. We need to share our own growth and development plans and, just as importantly, understand what Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake County have in their pipelines.
By exchanging information and aligning our priorities, we can better anticipate challenges, solve problems, and plan in ways that benefit the entire region. When it comes to major projects like road improvements, school sites, or utility expansions, we are stronger when we work together. Multi-municipality projects often gain more support from NCDOT and other state or regional agencies because they serve a wider population and deliver broader impact.
My approach will be to keep Holly Springs actively engaged in these regional conversations so that we not only protect our community’s interests but also maximize the benefits that come from working in partnership with our neighbors.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Annie Drees
Coordination is pivotal to reduce costs and align strategies. I have built relationships with local legislators and continue to look for opportunities to work together. Not only is Holly Springs is working with Sanford, Pittsboro and Fuquay on water treatment, we are also looking at waste water treatment collaboration with Cary and Apex for future waste water treatment opportunities. These partnerships accelerate the delivery of projects and reduce the cost to taxpayers.
There is also opportunity to learn from one another, like with the Sip and Stroll District. At the time, Holly Springs was considering a social district, I reached out to other municipal councils to understand if they had any new or di erent experiences or points of view. I heard from one source that there was a lack of local business support for a social district, which led to me to investigate this question more deeply in Holly Springs prior to voting in favor. Sharing information and collaborating helps the Council make more robust and thoughtful decisions.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Tim Forrest
Holly Springs isn’t growing in isolation—traffic, schools, and utilities are regional challenges that demand regional solutions.
• Roads & Traffic (CAMPO/NCDOT): We’ve worked through CAMPO and with NCDOT to secure $236M in state funding for widenings, intersection upgrades, and signal modernization that benefit southern Wake County. I’ll keep coordinating with Apex and Fuquay-Varina to keep NC-55, Holly Springs Rd, and Avent Ferry projects on track.
• Water & Sewer (Regional Partnerships): Our Sanford–Fuquay–Holly Springs water partnership secures long-term supply and shares treatment costs, protecting ratepayers and resiliency.
• Wastewater with Cary: We recently met with the Cary Town Council to explore shared wastewater plant capacity and future cooperation. By aligning planning and potential interlocal agreements with Cary, we can create redundancy, accelerate capacity when needed, and lower per-unit costs compared to going it alone.
• Schools (WCPSS/Wake County): I’ll continue pressing for timely school construction in Holly Springs and support joint-use facilities—fields, greenways, and community spaces—to stretch taxpayer dollars and reduce overcrowding.
• Data & Phasing: Tie development approvals to documented regional capacity (roads, schools, water/sewer) and phase projects so infrastructure comes first or concurrent.
• Funding & Grants: Pursue state/federal grants jointly with neighboring towns to leverage scale and improve competitiveness.
• Regular Coordination: Maintain standing leadership check-ins with Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Cary, and Wake County so timelines, detours, and capital plans are synchronized and communicated to residents.
Bottom line: Regional problems require regional partnerships. By coordinating on roads, schools, water, and wastewater—including new collaboration with Cary—we can deliver infrastructure that keeps pace with growth while protecting taxpayers.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Kara Foster
Holly Springs is not an island. Traffic, school crowding, and utility pressures cross town borders every day. The Triangle region has grown 5.6 percent since 2020, now home to 2.4 million residents, and projections show another 1 million people by 2050. Without strong collaboration, no single town can keep up.
I believe Holly Springs must strengthen partnerships with Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Cary, and Wake County to align infrastructure priorities. For example, coordinated advocacy with NCDOT for NC 55 improvements carries far more weight when towns speak with one voice. Similarly, shared water and sewer investments ensure costs are spread equitably.
We should also collaborate on school advocacy. Families across southern Wake face the same reassignment frustrations, and a united front can push WCPSS toward better long-term planning.
By working regionally, we ensure Holly Springs does not carry the burden alone and that our growth fits within a bigger, smarter plan for the future of Wake County.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Sarah Larson
Holly Springs does not grow in isolation. Traffic, schools, utilities, and infrastructure challenges are shared with neighboring towns and Wake County, which means collaboration is essential for real solutions.
If elected, I will continue to advocate for strong partnerships with our neighboring towns and Wake County to address shared challenges. This includes planning for regional road improvements, transit options, as well as coordinating water and sewer infrastructure. By working together, we can identify solutions that are cost-effective, equitable, and efficient for all residents.
I will advocate for regular updates, public forums, and other communication tools that allow residents to provide input on regional initiatives that impact Holly Springs.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)
Josh Prizer
I recently shared my views on this at the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum. It’s my opinion that relationships are 90% of this job. Whether it be with fellow board members and town staff, or those with the same positions in other municipalities, it’s imperative that we work together for the best of our residents. Relationships are hard and they take work. However, we need to take the time to understand one another and work together to bring the greatest benefits for our communities. This takes communication, patience and leadership and sometimes it requires strong negotiation skills.
Links: (candidate submittals, website)