NC Deep Dive
Diving in to local issues within Holly Springs and Fuquay Varina, building community, sharing perspectives, and keeping you better informed!
NC Deep Dive
Kara Foster: 2025 Holly Springs Town Council Candidate
Kara Foster shares her unique vision for Holly Springs Town Council, blending her healthcare background with municipal policy to create a more walkable, connected, and health-focused community. She proposes innovative solutions like direct primary care and Blue Zones initiatives that could transform both the town's budget and residents' wellbeing.
• Small business owner and optometrist with deep community service background through VOSH (Volunteer Optometrist Serving Humanity)
• Advocates for a direct primary care pilot program for municipal employees that could save significant money while improving health outcomes
• Proposes implementing Blue Zones principles to make healthy living easier through walkability, greenways, and community connections
• Supports attainable housing to ensure teachers, first responders, and young families can afford to live in Holly Springs
• Emphasizes the importance of supporting small businesses and local farmers through streamlined permitting and expanded farmers markets
• Believes in a preventative approach to infrastructure and public safety that reduces long-term costs
• Committed to maintaining Holly Springs' character while accommodating growth through smart development policies
• Endorsed by Wake County Democratic Party, Wiley Nickel, and Sydney Batch
Foster 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!
KaraFoster@KaraForCouncil.com
Campaign Finance Reports for All Candidate Committees
Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)
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!
Hello friends, welcome back to the NC Deep Dive podcast. I am your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn, and today I am honored to be speaking with Kara Foster as part of our 2025 municipal election candidate conversations. Kara is running for the four year seat on the Holly Springs Town Council. For this race, Kara will be running against Tim Forrest, Annie Drees, Josh Prizer, Sarah Larson and Joe Cuccurullo. These races are nonpartisan, so there will not be any party affiliation like an R or a D next to their name on your ballot. You will be eligible to vote for up to three of these candidates for this seat on your ballot.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:In this election, the top three vote getters will join Holly Springs Town Council members Chris DeShazor and Danielle Hewetson to make up its five-member body. In these candidate conversations, each candidate will be asked the same questions formulated by our constituent survey, observing community members in person and online, and fine-tuning with AI to keep them as fair, unbiased and open-ended as possible. Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in. Welcome, Kara Foster. You're running for the Holly Springs Town Council. Why don't you take a few moments and tell me a little bit about yourself, how long you've lived in the area and what's inspired you to run?
Kara Foster:Absolutely Well. Thank you, Amanda. I appreciate you having me here. I'm very excited about running for town council. I have lived in this area since 2009.
Kara Foster:I lived in Holly Springs initially. I've been up in Apex and Fuquay for a couple years, but back in Holly Springs for about five years, and I grew up in Western Pennsylvania in a very working class family. I put myself through school, undergrad and then I went to optometry school in Boston and after I graduated from optometry school I moved back down here because it just is a great place to raise a family. That's why I initially moved to Holly Springs. I opened my practice in Apex because for the first six years after moving here I was an associate and I had a 15 mile non-compete clause, so I did have to be a little ways away from there. I worked in Anger at the time, but I eventually came back to Holly Springs and I love it here. I have three girls. They go to Holly Springs schools. I Springs and I love it here. I have three girls. They go to Holly Springs schools.
Kara Foster:I have worked hard to build up my career and my family here. I'm a small business owner. I'm also the president of VOSH North Carolina, which is Volunteer Optometrist Serving Humanity, so community service really is at my core. I've done a lot of eye exams at homeless shelters around here, giving eye exams and glasses to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to access care. I also do a lot with going overseas doing eye exams there as well, so it's just something I've always enjoyed serving the community and helping people be the best versions of themselves Awesome.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Have you been an active voter, including in local elections?
Kara Foster:You know I will say that's something that's come up a little bit. I have always been a very active voter. I haven't always voted in the municipal elections, just busy mom, I thought everybody had it under good control. But with the current political climate and everything that's going on and the direction that our town is heading I love Holly Springs, but I feel like now I have the opportunity to make a difference. So, even though I haven't always been the most active municipal voter, I'm very inspired now to be able to make a difference in our town.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:All right. What do you feel is the role as a town council member?
Kara Foster:I think it's very important to collaborate, even though during the political season, everybody makes these big. You know, this is what I'm going to do. This is what I want to accomplish. It's really not about us. It's about making a better town for our people and our families. Moving forward, so working with other counselors, the town employees, to be able to make the town the best version. You know, I know there's been a lot talking about how it doesn't include healthcare, but as a healthcare provider, there's a a whole other side of that that I believe we can incorporate, along with greenways and more walkability, reducing traffic, to make our town just setting an example for the state. But it's just about finding out what's best for the people.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, what is your involvement within the community and town government and what qualifications make you prepared for this role?
Kara Foster:I have always been involved in volunteering throughout the community and town government, and what qualifications make you prepared for this role? I have always been involved in volunteering throughout the community. I am a doctor. I've always been active in policy reform. That's why my practice is different. I have a different kind of practice. I don't take insurance at my office. I want to create a better system in healthcare. Also, as a nonprofit leader, I think I've always been deeply involved in community and I'm a small business owner, so I understand the struggles of going through building something from the ground up. I've always considered myself a big picture thinker and a problem solver. I like to design solutions and I'm also very resilient. I don't let things get me down, you know. When there's a problem, I don't get bogged down by that. I look for the solution.
Kara Foster:And I've always been deeply invested in Holly Springs. You know I have three girls that go to schools here. We're starting at the new Holly Springs, Salton Grove, and I've just been serving in this community, going to meetings. I've really done a lot of research trying to understand how to get the nitty gritty of how we can improve our town.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What's your long-term vision for the future of Holly Springs?
Kara Foster:My long-term vision of the future of Holly Springs is to have a more walkable, more connected, better greenways, attainable housing so that our kids, when they grow up and go to college, that they can move back here and we can have our grandkids be around. I want to be able to have an overall healthier society culture and I think we can start that right here in Holly Springs.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, what are your top three priorities for our community if elected?
Kara Foster:I would say greenways and walkability, traffic, but I think that all ties together. I feel like we'll reduce traffic with better walkability and microtransit I believe also kind of falls into that as well. Attainable housing, I think is very important. We want to be able to make sure our teachers, our kids and our first responders can live here and supporting small business. I hear stories all the time about small businesses that can't afford to move, afford to pay the rent here, and really it's hard. If I wanted to open my business in Holly Springs I'm an Apex it would be really challenging to do so. I think keeping the local economy strong and vibrant is critical.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What is working well in the town today and where do you see room for improvement?
Kara Foster:Well, I know that the people who are on council now they love Holly Springs. They're doing the best they can, but there's a lot of ways that we can work together better. I think they're doing a fantastic job with the greenways and microtransit already. I think that we can improve that by requiring developers to connect sidewalks, connect greenways and just incorporating a little bit more of central community centers within developments places where people can come together, build a stronger community. It would be great to be able to have people or communities being able to come together a little bit more, and I think that we can work with developers to be able to incorporate that as well.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Do you support the current town budget and where would you advocate for changes, including any adjustments to taxes or spending priorities, if needed for fiscal responsibility?
Kara Foster:You know, I think that's a really important question. The plan that I want to work on for improving greenways and improving health care does not include raising taxes, so I think that we could work within the existing budget to be able to do a lot of these initiatives without having to raise taxes for people.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, what does
Amanda Benbow Lunn:that look like for you?
Kara Foster:A big thing for me, which I feel like people don't really understand, is that we can have affordable preventative health care. I'd like to be able to have a direct primary care pilot program that we started for municipal employees and then eventually expand to the town. I'll rewind a little bit.
Kara Foster:What direct primary care is is having access to your primary care doctor, and I know it doesn't necessarily sound like something that the town would do, but actually Union County, north Carolina, did this a couple years ago.
Kara Foster:They implemented it for the municipal employees and within the first year of them starting this program it saved the town $1.2 million and 79% of people using the program had better health results. They were happier, in better shape, lower blood pressure, better diabetes scores. So direct care there's a lot of statistics out there, but it shows that when families have a primary care doctor who is looking at the big picture for them, instead of this kind of piecemeal like going to a bunch of different specialists without having someone who's really spending time and looking at what your whole big health picture is. You know our culture is getting less healthy. People are on more medications, not living as long. I mean really, our children are the first generation that are predicted to not live as long as their parents, and I think that it might not seem like it, but we have an opportunity here to be able to start with this direct primary care program, make people healthier within our town government and then expand that to the whole town.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Could you help me put this together? So in a lot of ways at the municipal level we don't deal with health care normally. So when you are suggesting this? Is this the town that is opening up a clinic and hiring doctors? Is this like a private public partnership where we're partnering? With doctors for that to be their business and we just have some sort of contract through them for our town employees Like what does that piece look like?
Kara Foster:Well, right now the town offers health insurance. So what that would be is it would be reducing those health care costs and then paying a private, kind of private public system where the town paid instead of the full spectrum of health insurance, like they pay right now to a doctor and we have direct primary care doctors in Holly Springs and in a doctor and we have direct primary care doctors in Holly Springs and in the area and it's more of like a monthly membership fee where the person is able to access their doctor. It would be a part of the municipal employee's health care plan. Then expanding where the town is able to use some of those savings to subsidize. It's fairly inexpensive For my husband, my daughter and I three of us, it's $150 a month and we have unlimited access to our doctor. Medications are less expensive and if we partner with hospitals and employers, we can save up to 30% in healthcare costs for the town, which will add back to some of that budget deficit.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:So your idea is more like the benefits that we're offering town employees. Is this completely in lieu of the normal insurance and that's where you're saying that we're saving the money from or is this in addition to their normal health insurance? What does that look like?
Kara Foster:That would be an addition but it would change the normal health insurance to not be as an expensive plan. It would be more of a catastrophic plan which is maybe hard to really understand how that would benefit. But I'd be happy to go over, like some of the statistics about how it improves health care overall. But people are much healthier. Like the statistics are there better mental health, better physical health and it's just a better step forward. Where we it's really direct care is about kind of like old school care. Back years ago people used to be able to go to their doctor and they would know who they were and they would be able to give them advice based off of a lot more detail than what our doctors are presented with now in our seven minute appointments.
Kara Foster:So it's really just about a better doctor-patient relationship which promotes better health outcomes.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay. So it's kind of a both-and offering the insurance but switching up what the benefits of that insurance look like, but keeping the catastrophic. So if something does happen, you're still covered and might have a higher deductible, but in lieu of that you can go to particular physicians and then have more of a one-on-one relationship and those appointments would be kind of covered under the monthly fees that the government would be paying in lieu of the better insurance coverage.
Kara Foster:Yeah, Yep, that's a good way to explain it. It's just affordable preventative health care and when we prevent it it's going to just make a big difference overall. So yeah, in the direct primary care pilot programs that have been offered in municipal employees have over a 90% satisfaction rate. People have been very happy with it. I think we'll be able to partner with employers in local hospitals to be able to have that savings as well. And in my mind it kind of ties together with the greenways and walkability as well, because we are healthier when we get out there and we're moving and connecting with neighbors as well.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay. Oftentimes it feels like government waits until a specific need is critical before taking action. Do you support being more proactive, and how, and in what ways specifically?
Kara Foster:Yes, I absolutely think that we need to be proactive. I have always considered myself a big picture thinker. I like to look at the whole issue and see where we can take steps to prevent there from being problems. I really think now one of the big things we need to look at is attainable housing. I mean it's terrible that our children can't move back here, and it's not just the kind of housing that people think of when they think of affordable, attainable housing, but it's making smaller houses, starter homes. You know, it doesn't have to be on these huge pieces of property, just easier for our children to be able to come back and our kids' teachers to be able to live here and earn our first responders. So that's a big thing, I think. Looking at the big picture as far as traffic and development and I know the town council is doing a great job, they're working really hard, the town employees, they do a wonderful job but I think somebody who can really look at what our future might look like, I think I could be a good addition to that.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, you've already spoken to this a bit, but what new initiatives or attractions would you champion to boost revenue and community pride?
Kara Foster:I think we have a wonderful community already and I know that the town council has been working, really looking at the big picture. They're doing a fantastic job and I love it here. But I think that there's ways that we can work with developers to be able to make things a little bit better. And one of the things I really want to work on in addition to the preventative health care, because with this health care background I really feel like we can be a bright spot for the community. But I also would like to introduce the concept of the Blue Zones, which I think is a little bit hard to understand initially.
Kara Foster:But this National Geographic researcher his name is Dan Buechner. He studied the people in the Blue Zones and found that they lived 7 to 14 years longer than the average American. They have the highest concentration of people living past 100, up to 10 times more centenarians than in the US, and their rates of chronic disease like heart disease, diabetes and cancer are 70 to 80% lower than the US average. So what he did was he put together a program where towns can follow. The Blue Zones are basically about making healthy living easier. So you're not having to think about these things, you're not having to go out of your way to do these extra exercises or drive to the gym. That's not what these people do.
Kara Foster:The Blue Zone changes are low cost, high impact, walkability, greenway, community gardens and healthy food access that don't require raising taxes but can reduce long term health care costs. So that's really where it all ties in together. Right now, the US spends nearly $4.5 trillion a year on health care and 80% of chronic diseases are preventable through lifestyle, and that's what the Blue Zones focus is on. So there was actually several communities throughout the United States, but in Albert Lee, minnesota, it was the first Blue Zones pilot city. The residents collectively lost 12,000 pounds in one year. Healthcare claims for city workers dropped 49% in two years and the life expectancy increased three years over the course of five years. If that makes sense. It's just impressive with how the whole idea of it is just making healthy living easier, and I think that if we did something like that in Holly Springs and we combine that with a direct primary care program, I think that we could be a fantastic bright spot for Wake County and we can just make a difference in the future of our state.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, what does that look like at the level of being a town council member? On like, what does the policy change look like? Or what does the priority change look like? Because I do know in holly springs they are being very active about getting some of the greenways. They are working with developers, I know, in certain zoning instances to change the zoning. They're offering up like and you do and Z. But I do know that we're also limited by our state government in like asking for impact fees. So the state does not allow us as a town to ask for those types of fees for developers. So how does your plan kind of play into what you can do as a town council and how that's different than maybe what they're doing now?
Kara Foster:It's called Complete Streets, requiring new development to include sidewalks and bike lanes and crosswalks to make it easier for families to be able to walk and bike safely. Having more green space requirements to ensure that new neighborhoods include parks and trails, community gardens, and then just working on zoning for mixed use where we encourage developments where people can live near shops and services and schools, because all of that will reduce traffic and build community. So I feel like those are a lot of things that we're able to do at the town council level without having to raise taxes or ask for different state or federal financial support. I also believe that one of the policies we can do at the town council level is reduce fees and make it easier to have more farmers market locations and make it a little bit easier so people could walk. Things like that and just having healthy food in public spaces, like prioritizing healthy vendors at town events and recreation centers, will support our local farmers but also make it easier for us to access fresh local food.
Kara Foster:And just in general, just sourcing locally as much as possible, supporting that small business and just having an active design and town planning where we add benches and shade, trees and safe crossings just things at the town level that we can do to encourage healthy living. They actually have Blue Zones Project, community Partnerships, where state and federal grants fund wellness initiatives and it's no extra cost to residents. So that's something we could always look into at that level. It's really all about long-term preventative planning. We can show that every dollar that we invest in prevention can reduce future traffic costs, healthcare and social services. So I really do feel like at the town council level, these kind of changes look like safer streets, walkable neighborhoods, community gardens, stronger family connections and local business and support for our farmers markets. So I think they're practical policies that don't raise taxes but can add up to a more connected town.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:All right. Have you ever disagreed publicly with a current town decision or policy and if so, what was it and how would you handle a similar situation if you are elected?
Kara Foster:You know, the big one that I can think of recently was when they were putting the senior development in off of Avent Ferry Road. It was heartbreaking for me to watch the townspeople come and stand up and beg for safer crosswalks and streets and to just have the town councilors apart from Annie vote to let more development go in there, when they were originally told that they would have in that area more mixed use and I think that's kind of what my plan goes along with anyway, having more community centers and mixed use areas. But yes, I would have voted the other way for that. I wish that we could have not gone in the developer's direction in that scenario.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, how would you handle that if you were in office?
Kara Foster:In general, I always will stand with the people. I think that the people who have been here were the ones who love our town and I think we need to show our community that we're standing up for them. As town councillors, that's our role. We need to be the voice of the people. We need to put people first in our decision-making process, and I have a heart in service and I know that when you give people the opportunities and help them, people thrive. And I'll always be the voice of the people.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:When you hear smart growth, what does that mean for our town in practical terms?
Kara Foster:For me, smart growth means growing in a way that preserves the Holly Springs that we love, Keeping the small town feel, but expanding so that we can include people who want to join our town, but also not just with more developments without including green spaces and walkability Keeping our town the connected feel that we want. I know traffic is a big issue and I think that doing all of those things will make a huge difference in the traffic as well, because we'll be walking more.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:How would you ensure new development maintains our town's character while remaining affordable for residents?
Kara Foster:So to remain affordable and ensure our town's character, I would really like to work with the town councilors to have more diverse housing options. We can have a mix of housing types and new developments townhomes, duplexes, cottages and apartments alongside single-family homes. It will keep housing attainable for teachers and first responders, young families and seniors without changing the feel of the community, and I think if we set architectural and landscaping guidelines along with the development, we'll be able to uphold the design standards that keep the look and feel of Pauley Springs with our tree-lined streets, green spaces and walkability. It's really important to me to protect our town character, but allowing more density where appropriate.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, Our town is growing rapidly, putting pressure on infrastructure like water and roads, public safety, parks and recreation, and housing affordability. Public safety, parks and recreation, and housing affordability. If you had to prioritize only one of these areas this year due to limited funding, which would you choose and how would you communicate that to residents?
Kara Foster:You know. I think that's really important. I think it's important to balance growth and infrastructure. I think if we have that smart, balanced growth, we can tie new developments to roads and schools and utilities so that our town grows responsibly without overwhelming families or budgets. I also think that that will tie into the reducing traffic and protecting our green space and walkability. So I would say, balance with our growth, but also, as we grow, protecting our green space and increasing walkability will reduce our traffic as well. In my mind it all goes together.
Kara Foster:As far as communication, I think it's important to have residents understand the thought process. So I would explain, both on my town council accounts and through the town's current messaging on their Facebook pages, through emails, through mailers that we get, I think, to explain not only what our thought process is but our priorities and where get. I think, to explain not only what our thought process is but our priorities and where we're looking forward to that, because I think the people of our town want to understand why we're making the decisions and, as a doctor and a business owner, in my mind the explanation makes a difference. People can get behind what we're doing if they understand why. So I think that's kind of critical to be able to communicate and explain effectively, and I would work with the town to make sure that they really understood why we were doing what we were doing.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, Do you feel we already adequately meet the needs of any of these infrastructure public safety, parks and recreation or housing affordability?
Kara Foster:safety, parks and recreation, or housing affordability. I feel like, no matter what, there's always room for improvement. I don't feel like they're not trying. I feel like everyone's trying. They're doing the best job that they can, but sometimes I feel like the thought process with developers feels a little piecemeal and I think that we might be able to look at the bigger picture and plan our vision for Holly Springs down the road.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, as the population grows, what strategies would you prioritize to address roads, utilities and other infrastructure challenges?
Kara Foster:You know, I think, just working together, no matter what. We have to balance smart growth with responsible development and infrastructure. Community health ties in with our walkability, green space and food access and fiscal responsibility supporting our small businesses without increasing taxes. As a small business owner, I think that we cannot afford to be able to raise any more taxes on business owners, and I think combining some of these reduced traffic and having more mixed density housing and also with the direct care pilot program will save the town a lot of money overall and would be something that we could prioritize as a way to save taxes and scale growth Okay.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Holly Springs is focused on bringing in biomedical and science-based businesses. How would you balance supporting these businesses and garnering more of the same with some of the public sentiment that may now be skeptical of science and vaccines?
Kara Foster:Well, as a healthcare provider, I believe in the long-term research. We have to look at evidence-based research, and I do think that these companies are looking out for jobs. I think it is great to have these jobs. I also believe in preventative healthcare as well. In my mind, if you believe in taking diabetes medication, the research behind that how do you not believe in the same research behind the vaccines? I mean, it's all looking out for people's health, but there's a lot of diseases that are preventable. We don't always have to go straight to medication, but I also believe in promoting that. As far as job growth, I think it's great to be able to be a leader. I think that the development for some of these facilities could have been planned a little bit better, but I do appreciate that we'll be able to bring healthcare and technology to our area and hopefully provide jobs for our children and job growth in this area.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay, as our town grows, farmland faces pressure from development and some residents struggle to access fresh food. How would you support local farmers, protect farmland and help ensure everyone has access to healthy, affordable food?
Kara Foster:I believe that if we are able to increase our farmers markets, we have a fantastic farmers market in Holly Springs right now, but it's not walkable and easy for everyone to get to.
Kara Foster:I think that local farming really matters for Holly Springs because not only do we come from an area of local farming being so important for our community, but local farms also give families access to fresh, healthy food.
Kara Foster:It reduces food insecurity. It'll lower healthcare costs over time. Our farms are also small businesses too, and strengthening them will help keep the money in the community and support local jobs, and partnering with local farms will help in protecting our farmland, helps preserve our charm and prevents overdevelopment. So really I think that if we can expand some of the policy level actions that Town Council could do is expand farmers markets, make it easier for vendors to get permits, increase more days and locations of the farmers market. We can do farm to school programs. We can work with land use planning, protecting farmland by zoning and encouraging development that coexists with the green kind of agricultural spaces, and also just encourage community gardens and urban farming and also at town events. If we can encourage local food and farmers at the events that we're already doing, I believe it will increase awareness about our local farmers instead of just kind of the bigger corporations.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Our police sometimes receive requests from outside agencies while also addressing local needs. How would you set priorities for public safety with limited resources?
Kara Foster:So I believe really that prevention overreaction will help prioritize the limited resources that we already have. If we have even safer roads and sidewalks, it will reduce accidents and free up first responders. Also, community programs can help prevent issues before they require even police and fire intervention. Help prevent issues before they require even police and fire intervention.
Kara Foster:But just focusing on data-driven policy and also a smarter use of resources. Focusing on data-driven policies where we put officers where they're needed most instead of spreading so thin, and also investing in technology like traffic sensors, smart lighting, crosswalk alerts, which we've done some of already. But there's some room for improvement and if we're going to be improving walkability in the town, like I'd love to, we would really have to focus on some of that as well. But if we do that, it will free up a lot of the resources for our first responders. But I think supporting our police and fire and EMS by prioritizing staffing training and just looking for grants and state and federal funding to expand resources without having to add to the tax burden would be fantastic for our town.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:How can the town better support small businesses and connect with their needs?
Kara Foster:As a small business owner, I really understand why small business matters. I think keeping money local because just every dollar that we spend at local businesses will circulate around more time in Holly Springs than money that goes to a big chain. You know, and I think that kind of goes back to with some of the big development as well. You know, if we keep putting a lot of our tax dollars into these big developments then it doesn't stay in the community. Everybody loves downtown Holly Springs. It's adorable. We want to protect our town character character. But being able to expand that where small businesses can not just be right there but also expand throughout other places in the city gives us better access, walkability and community centers and it also creates job creation. As a small business owner I have created jobs and it just keeps our dollars at home in our community instead of going off to these big corporations.
Kara Foster:So at the town council level, I think some of the policy level actions we can do are streamlining, permitting to make it easier for small businesses to open and expand. Also helping small businesses with grants and partnerships, which I know we're already doing some of. But we can use state and federal small business support programs and connect local business owners with resources and also just help improve the downtown development even more than we already have, strengthening the heart of Pauley Springs with walkability and parking solutions too. If we are able to increase some of our walkability, parking won't be quite as an issue as it is right now, along with maybe even increasing the microtransit which I know that they're going to be releasing here in January, which is exciting and then just partnering on community events like fairs and farmers markets festivals. The chamber has been fantastic about doing that, but I think we can work even more closely with the chamber and the town to be able to support our small businesses and just keep our money local.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Okay. What approaches would you take to foster understanding and collaboration among residents with differing perspectives?
Kara Foster:No matter what, I believe that I'm here for the people. As a doctor, I have listened to patients with all different types of backgrounds and I've been a lot of time thinking through how I can make a plan that will work for people of different backgrounds, and I think that that experience has given me a lot of understanding about how to help people who come from different backgrounds. And you know, I also personally come from a different background. I come from a very working class family. I grew up often on welfare in the basement of my grandma's house with my brother and my mom and you know, I've put myself through school and now I am a doctor and a business owner and just living a different life and I feel like, because I understand all of that, coming from that as a background, I'm able to figure out a way to solve problems from people of all different types of backgrounds.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:How will you ensure diverse voices and those most impacted are not only included, but truly embraced in decision making?
Kara Foster:You know, I think, making sure that we're able to hear everybody's voices, because right now we don't always know where to look for, I think, to be able to hear people's voices.
Kara Foster:So holding listening sessions in neighborhoods, maybe not just at Town Hall If we go to the places where people are, they might not have easy access to get to Town Hall to be able to voice their concern, but if we can have community events in different neighborhoods where we spend time listening to people, we could also use surveys, online tools to be able to make sure we're hearing residents' opinions and then just making sure that, within committees, we're representing different backgrounds, ages and experiences to the advisory committees, because we want to make sure that we're not just hearing from a certain demographic. There's a lot of different voices out there and we want to make sure that we're making these meetings easy to attend, making sure that we have everybody's voices. Also, we can offer translation or interpretation services when needed, so all voices are included, and I feel like every decision should start with asking how does this impact our families, seniors and our vulnerable neighbors? Like, what can we do to make sure that we're hearing everybody's voices?
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Do you support a non-discrimination ordinance or policy? Why or why not?
Kara Foster:As a business owner in Apex, a non-discrimination ordinance went into town as a business owner and I can assure the small business owners of Holly Springs that it did not cause one single bit of difference in my business at all. I had no effect from it at all. So there's absolutely no reason, as business owners, that we should be allowed to discriminate against people.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Have you gained any endorsements thus far and if you gain more, where might voters find that information?
Kara Foster:I have recently been endorsed by the Wake County Democratic Party, which I'm very fortunate to have gotten that. I've also had personal endorsements from Wiley Nickel and Sydney Batch. I'm very fortunate to be able to learn from a lot of what they've done already and just have some counsel through them as well, and I'm still working on getting that up on my website. But anybody who wants to learn more about my policies and my thought process and I'm always open for suggestion I wanna hear the talented voices. I think I have some good ideas, but I don't think I have the only ideas, and you can learn more on my website at karaforcouncil. com. I do have a detailed plan there that I really feel like would make a huge difference in the future of Holly Springs, but I'd also love to hear residents' voices as well.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:All right, perfect. Where can listeners connect with you and learn more about your platform, upcoming events and ways to get involved, and any final thoughts you'd like to share with those voting in the upcoming election?
Kara Foster:Yes, checking out my website at KaraForCouncil. com, and that's just to be clear, it's K-A-R-A. Yes, it's K-A-R-A-F-O-R-H-S is my Facebook, and also KaraWithAKForCouncilcom for my website.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:And KaraForCouncil. Is that spelled out for or is that the number four in your website?
Kara Foster:It is spelled out for. For both of them it's spelled out for but I love Holly Springs. It's where I'm raising my family. You know I run a small business so close by and I love serving my neighbors and I believe that our town can grow without losing character that makes it special. So I would love for people to put comments. Yeah, I would love to grow Holly Springs without losing the character that makes it special, and I don't think that I'm the only person doing this.
Kara Foster:I would love to hear people's feedback. You can submit comments on my website, on my Facebook page, message me on Facebook. My email address is there too. But I just would really love to be able to hear people's comments, but also I would love to get people's feedback on the thoughts that I feel like would make a better Holly Springs for us. I have a lot of events posted wherever I'm going to be out on Facebook and, yeah, just keeping up with the stuff that I have on mycareforcouncilcom, I would love to hear people's feedback.
Kara Foster:My plan is simple smart growth, support for small businesses and protecting green space, all while keeping our budget strong without raising taxes. Holly Springs is such a wonderful place to live. I believe we can make it stronger by building a town that works for families, and I'd be honored to earn your vote. In local elections, not a lot of people vote, so it's really important to get out there and we can truly make a difference moving forward in this election. Thank you for listening to me today and for talking to me today, amanda. I appreciate it.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Yeah, absolutely. Now, before I let you go, I go into a little lightning round. Lighter questions, not politics related, not related to the town, I don't think. So you can feel free to answer whatever comes to mind but, it's a nice little way to build humanity. Gotcha, what's something you do that helps you recharge?
Kara Foster:I run it doesn't sound like a recharge, but when I'm running I can clear my mind and I think I have some of my greatest ideas when I'm out running. So a lot of times I don't even listen to music, I just think, and that's where my best ideas come from.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Awesome. What's a hobby, talent or fun fact about you that most people don't know.
Kara Foster:Fun fact is I like to crochet little vegetables with cute faces on them. So that's another thing I like to do, to kind of take away from looking at the phone, looking at devices. I think having that time away from social media is really good for just in general people's health and mental health.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What's something that is difficult for you.
Kara Foster:I do things a little bit differently. I have had a little bit of challenges with people coming after my ideas. You know, normally when people come to my office they already know me, they've done a lot of research on me and they appreciate the way I do things differently in my office. They already know me, they've done a lot of research on me and they appreciate the way I do things differently in my office. So it has been a little bit of a unique experience with people not knowing me and not taking the time to learn about me but expressing their opinions anyway. So that's something that I'm just trying to make sure that I stay positive and not let it affect my decision making.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What book, podcast or TV show are you enjoying right now?
Kara Foster:I listen to a lot of audiobooks. I like reading. I have been reading fiction books. The newer Hunger Games books have been fun that I've been reading. But I also like to listen to a lot of informational audiobooks as well. I've been listening to a book called Switch how to Change when Change is Hard. It's pretty great. It's about creating habits and understanding how we can make a difference in both our actions but also societal actions, to be able to create lasting change.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Cool, I'll have to look into that one. Who is your favorite superhero?
Kara Foster:My guess has got to be Wonder Woman. I am very girl power. I've got three girls in my house, I'm a female business owner and I was raised by a single mom, so we got to do this, ladies.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Kara Foster:Oh piece of advice I've ever received. You know what you pause and think about, really ponder on my answers. I tend to be a little bit of a rambler and the thoughts are in my head but putting together in a way that I think people can understand. I need to do that without just talking, before thinking it through.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:What's one guilty pleasure you secretly enjoy?
Kara Foster:Eating too much sugar. I need to not do that. I know it's bad for me. I feel like I can't stop, but I like baking and I like eating the cookie dough before it's even baked.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:So fair. No lies detected there. What's a simple thing that always makes you laugh or smile.
Kara Foster:Oh, just hanging out with my girls. They are so funny and you know, I've got two in middle school and one in high school and you'd think this would be a challenging age for girls and it can be, but they're just awesome. They're good sports, sports. They always think of some funny ideas and you just never know what's going to come out of kids mouths. So, coffee or tea? I drink coffee out of necessity, but really I love tea morning person or night owl night owl.
Kara Foster:I want to be a morning person so badly, but I, I'm just not.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Mountains or beach?
Kara Foster:Mountains
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Book or podcast?
Kara Foster:Book, but audio book.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Dogs or cats?
Kara Foster:Oh, that's a tough one. I've always been a dog person my whole life and I have gotten a cat now and I love him. He's a super cute little total lunatic, but he's like a dog. He runs to the door when people come in.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:All right. Well, that brings this candidate conversation to a close. Thank you so much, Kara, for trusting me and for being here and taking the time out of your busy schedule. I truly appreciate it. I wish you the best of luck on your upcoming election.
Kara Foster:Thank you. Thank you so much for having me, Amanda. This has been wonderful and I, you know I just want to leave people with. If you have any feedback for me, I would love it, so just please feel free to reach out to me. So thank you so much for doing this, yeah absolutely.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:Local elections are where democracy lives closest to home. The decisions and actions of our mayors, the Holly Springs Town Council and the Fuquay-Varina Board of Commissioners influence the services we rely on each day, the safety of our streets, the character of our neighborhoods and even the future direction of our communities. Democracy is at the heart of all we hold dear. Our local governments set priorities that touch everyday life. They pass ordinances, fund our fire and police departments, set property tax structures and shape the look and feel of our towns. Because turnout is often lower in municipal elections, every ballot cast carries even greater weight. Here's what you need to know for 2025. The voter registration deadline is October 10th, unless you register at an early voting site. Early voting begins October 16th at the Wake County Board of Elections office in Raleigh. Additional sites open on October 25th, including the John M Brown Community Center in Apex and the Avery Street Recreation Center in Garner. Those two will be the closest to us in Holly Springs and Fuquay Varina. Early voting concludes on Saturday, November 1st. Please note that this year only includes two Saturdays, October 25th and November 1st, and one Sunday, October 1st. Please note that this year only includes two Saturdays, October 25th and November 1st, and one Sunday, October 26th. The last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot is October 21st and election day itself is Tuesday, November 4th, where you'll need to cast your vote at your assigned precinct. Please remember you will need a valid ID to vote. That wraps up another NC Deep Dive candidate conversation. You can find all of our 2025 municipal election interviews at www. ncdeepdive. com, as well as on Spotify, apple Podcasts, audible or wherever you currently listen to podcasts. Show notes will include links to candidates, voter resources and election information. If you find these conversations helpful, please subscribe, share them with friends or family and consider leaving a rating or review. Spreading the word in your local spaces helps strengthen informed participation across our communities. If you have thoughts or topics you'd like us to explore, reach out on social media or email us anytime at ncdeepdive@ gmail. com.
Amanda Benbow Lunn:I'm grateful you spent this time with me today. Staying informed is how we shape communities worth calling home. Your choices matter, your perspective matters and you matter. Your ballot is your voice, and both carry more power than you might imagine. Democracy isn't passive. It only works when we each show up. Thank you for helping me to make it thrive. May we continue to work together 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 friends namaste. The love and light in me sees and honors the love and light in you.
