Holly Springs (NC) Mayor, Sean Mayefskie, Reflects on Four Years of Service in Farewell Letter to Holly Springs
Personal message highlights the projects, reforms, and community partnerships that shaped his term as Mayor.
Publisher’s Note: As Holly Springs prepares to swear in its next mayor, outgoing Mayor Sean Mayefskie shared a personal farewell letter reflecting on his four years in office. His message highlights the projects, reforms, and community partnerships that shaped his term, and offers insight into the approach he brought to town leadership. We’re publishing his letter in full so residents can read his reflections directly, in his own words.
-December 1, 2025
For more than 25 years, Holly Springs has been my home. Patricia and I raised our family here when this town didn’t have much more than a few roads and a couple of traffic lights — but something about it felt right. I’ve watched Holly Springs grow, just like I’ve watched my own children grow.
Being mayor has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done together. My approach was simple: listen to people, focus on solutions, and make decisions like a business owner — not a politician. That’s how the Holly Springs Hopper came to life. It started with conversations about senior activities — but the real concern I kept hearing was transportation. So I met with Mayor Baldwin in Raleigh, learned how their system worked, and brought the idea back home. That conversation became a proposal, that proposal became a plan, and next year our seniors and neighbors will have a practical, affordable way to move around town.
That same mindset led to reform in how we bid town projects. I saw delays, inefficiencies, and misaligned incentives that were costing the town both money and time. I worked with our town manager, attorney, and local legislators to change state law. Municipalities like ours can now accept serious bids more quickly and save taxpayer dollars — a major step forward as we prepare for the Sanford water project. It wasn’t flashy work, but it was common-sense reform rooted in business experience, and it will benefit Holly Springs for years to come.
Transparency mattered to me. That’s why we created Mayor’s Chats — open meetings where residents could speak directly with department directors and hear what was happening in town. NCDOT officials even joined us to discuss traffic and road improvements. Government should never feel distant, and I hope these conversations continue long after my term.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the Entrepreneurs Club at Holly Springs High School. We launched it in 2022 with six students — today, there are more than 40. We connected them with local and regional business leaders, from biotech companies to financial professionals, and watched their ideas take shape. That club will carry on, and I believe some of Holly Springs’ future businesses — maybe even future leaders — will come from it.
With affordability on the minds of many, I am proud that we kept taxes low while maintaining quality services. That took discipline, hard work, and a business-minded approach. Holly Springs now holds the second-lowest tax rate in Wake County — and is on track to have the lowest by 2026. Our town staff deserve great credit. They care deeply about this community and work hard every day, and I’ve been proud to serve alongside them.
Over the last four years, Holly Springs has earned meaningful recognition: top 10% nationwide for service and resident satisfaction, the safest town in North Carolina, best small-town rankings, top farmers market in the region, and awards for financial management and planning. These aren’t just plaques — they are proof of what steady leadership and community pride can accomplish.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served, and I’ll remain involved in the town I love. Titles come and go — but commitment doesn’t. Holly Springs has given a lot to my family, and I will always work to give back.
Thank you for trusting me with this responsibility. I will always be proud of what we built together — and I will always believe in the future of Holly Springs.
—Sean
Thank you for your leadership these past four years. You had a tough act to follow with Mayor Sears at the helm - you did a fine job, Mayor Mayefskie.