To help inform voters in the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name : Kate Compton Barr
Birth date (month, day and year) : 04/19/1982
Campaign website or social media page : www.katebarrcantwin.com
Occupation : Behavioral scientist
Education : BA in Biology & Spanish, MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought or held) :
No
Please list your highlights of civic involvement:
2023-24 Davidson K-8 PTO President. 2018-2023 Town of Davidson Planning Board Member. 2019-2023 Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center Board Member, President 2020-2021. 2018-2023 Town of Davidson Mobility Committee Member. 2019-2022 Town of Davidson Sustainability Committee Member. 2021-present Davidson Housing Coalition block captain
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and most of the county’s towns are on board with draft legislation to get permission from the legislature for a sales tax referendum to pay for public transit and other transportation. If elected, would you support a bill that allows the sales tax increase to appear on the ballot? Why or why not?
Yes. Transportation is critical to both managing our county’s growth and building for the future. However, I would also want to look at the various corporate, franchise, and income tax cuts the supermajority has passed. Right now our county’s citizens are paying for those tax cuts with increased property taxes. That’s wrong. Our communities are raising property taxes to pay for basic services (fire, water, police, infrastructure) because Raleigh is choosing to cut big company taxes instead.
In North Carolina, abortion is banned after 12 weeks. State politicians, including gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, have said they want to restrict abortion even further. Do you support the state’s current abortion restrictions, and what is your approach to legislating issues related to reproductive health?
No, I do not support the abortion ban.People have a right to make their own health decisions, particularly when it comes to reproductive freedom. The government should stay out of our bedrooms and doctor offices.
What would you say is the biggest issue facing your constituents, and what would you do to address it if elected?
Unfair maps.In our state, representative choose their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. That’s wrong.Competitive voting districts force our elected leaders to earn their jobs by speaking to their constituents’ needs. But we don’t have that. Instead our elected leaders earn their jobs by doing what the party bosses tell them to do.This was wrong in the past when Democrats did it and it’s wrong now when Republicans are doing it.
While violent crime rates are decreasing nationwide they are growing in large North Carolina cities like Charlotte and Raleigh. How would you tackle the issue of rising violent crime rates and what do you believe is the legislature’s role when it comes to public safety?
Gun violence prevention is critical to keeping our communities safe. There are number of different factors that contribute to gun violence including poverty, housing instability, overly permissive gun laws, exposure to domestic violence, and on.Every one of these factors deserve attention. We need to fully fund services like the Umbrella Justice Center and Pat’s Place to break the cycles of violence. We need safe storage and red-flag laws. We need a plan to make housing affordable, and so on.
While inflation has slowed, rising prices continue to concern North Carolina residents. How will you ensure your constituents are able to afford basic necessities like health care, food and housing?
1- raise minimum wage. It’s been stuck at $7.25 for the past 16 years. People should be able to support their families.
2 - hold developers accountable for including affordable housing in their development plans.
3 - ensure people have the support they need to apply for Medicaid and/or ACA subsidies.
4 - invest in home rehab grants to help people fix their homes and stay in place.5 - stop cutting corporate taxes and forcing communities to raise property taxes
Is there any policy by your party that you disagree with?
I disagree with the Democratic Party’s past use of gerrymandering.
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