Mike Lee’s Values
A high-quality public education system is the foundation for Durham County’s success. As the former chair and vice chair of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education, I’ll bring my experience advocating for our schools to the County Commission. We must fund Durham Pre-K, DPS, and Durham Tech fully and invest in programs that support students, staff, faculty, and administrators. These programs should include mental health support, food resources, and workforce housing for DPS and County staff.
If you’re a Durham County resident, I believe you belong here, no matter where you moved from, who you love, your socioeconomic status, your race, gender, or your background. As county commissioner, I’ll prioritize policies and programs that increase security and belonging for all residents. This means ensuring everyone can live well, work, and raise a family if desired. I’ll support innovative programs like DCo Thrives, our new guaranteed income program, and champion affordable and permanent supportive housing expansion. I’ll also partner with and fund the nonprofits and County programs already working to effectively expand inclusion in Durham for minority, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities.
I’ll bring my 27 years of experience in finance and customer success to our county government, ensuring we’re spending money wisely and that programs work well for residents. I aim to create a framework to evaluate the millions of dollars the County spends on project-based and discretionary programs. Hence, we know we are good stewards of taxpayer money. We should have clear metrics and outcomes for these programs and fund what works. If the outcomes are not present or measurable, the County should invest in other programs for our community.
As a county commissioner, I will use my customer success background to ensure resident services are user-friendly. I’m interested in innovating with county staff so that our property tax relief programs, social service programs, and other direct services are as easy to navigate as possible.