Apex is a great place to live. The people that live and want to live here talk about our great downtown, our festivals, and our parks and greenways to name a few things. It takes a lot of effort from our town staff, council, and mayor to provide what our community needs to be healthy.
I’m happy to have worked over the last 4 years to make sure Apex stays an amazing place to live. At the county level, I worked on the community health needs assessment team to determine what Apex can provide to have a healthy, happy community. At the town level, I worked to implement policy to address some of those same needs. I voted on and approved of our Affordable Housing Plan based on our housing assessment, adding parks, greenways, sidewalks, safe routes to schools, a community senior center, and funding for our historic Tunstall house. I worked with our council to approve festivals, cultural celebrations, public art, and updated activities encouraging people to get out and enjoy Apex even through the COVID-19 pandemic.
I have worked with our council and our mayor to address concerns related to our police department. Our police officers are “Protectors of the Peak” and their mission of “Through our every action, we enhance the quality of life by providing exceptional public service while respecting the rights and dignity of all people” is a mission they strive for every single day. Through our budget, we have made sure they have the equipment they need, a competitive salary, benefits that outpace nearby municipalities, and the staff that support them daily. Our funding for them has not decreased. My goals are to have staff that are supported, to have the tools they need, to be able to build a relationship with every portion of our community, and to have the will to bring forth the mission and vision stated daily by the APD. We have added more staff to support those goals. To have a healthy community means unity, understanding, truth, and support from everyone involved.
During the shutdown and subsequent restrictions, I worked with our council and mayor to provide emergency loans to businesses, prevent utility shutoffs, provide grants to local nonprofits, provide expanded areas outside for restaurants, educate people through mailers, provide more support to our first responders, expand ability of the public to provide input while staying safe at home, and provide free masks to community members.
I have also looked for opportunities for the residents of Apex to be more involved in the decisions made by the town. Our town is a better place when more people are involved, when more people are unified and celebrated, and when more people are acting for the good of all.
Our town is a safe place. Our town is healthy place. Our town is a great place to live. Our town is the Peak of Good Living!
Audra Killingsworth