{"id":11610,"date":"2024-02-27T15:36:59","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T15:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=11610"},"modified":"2024-03-01T16:59:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T16:59:49","slug":"meet-the-candidate-nimasheena-burns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/02\/27\/meet-the-candidate-nimasheena-burns\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the candidate: Nimasheena Burns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editors\u2019 Note: Eleven candidates \u2014 all Democrats \u2014 are vying for five seats on the Durham County Board of Commissioners in the March 5 election. No Republicans or Libertarians have entered the contest, so the March 5 results will determine who sits on the commission. The 9th Street Journal is speaking with each candidate in the race.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When Durham County Commissioner Nimasheena Burns was growing up in rural Tar Heel, North Carolina, her dad served as chief of the volunteer fire department. Her family had a routine when a fire broke out in a neighbor\u2019s house.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cAt a really young age, my dad would get a white envelope, and him and my mom would figure out in their budget what they could give,\u201d Burns said. \u201cBut then dad would come into me and my sister and brother\u2019s room and ask, \u2018What do you want to give out of your piggy bank?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Burns grew up, her perception of politics came from television shows like \u201cThe West Wing,\u201d watching characters like C.J. Cregg and Maxine Shaw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo here were these two smart, sexy women that communicated\u201d and were in government, Burns said.<\/span><\/p>\n

These contrasting models of public service shaped Burns\u2019 approach to government. In 2020, was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners. She currently serves as vice chair and this year, she\u2019s running again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burns, who earned her bachelor\u2019s in communications from UNC-Chapel Hill and her master\u2019s in public affairs from North Carolina Central University, began her time in local government as a communications specialist for the Governor\u2019s Highway Safety Program. A former consultant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Burns now works as an external affairs liaison for the N.C. Department of Public Safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a commissioner, Burns is perhaps most proud of a disparity study to address inequality in Durham. She\u2019s currently working to implement the study recommendations, which focus on women and minority businesses and workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want you to bring a company here that is not paying above a living wage,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t want you to come here unless you can commit to working with women and minority businesses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Burns is also watching the payroll crisis that has enveloped Durham Public Schools. After DPS classified staff were given raises in October, the school board learned that the raises would cost $9 million over budget. With workers\u2019 pay rates in dispute, the district has been rocked with protests and school closures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many Durhamites are looking to the county commissioners for clarity. Burns disagrees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are like, \u2018Oh, y’all been quiet.\u2019 It is on them,\u201d Burns said of the school board.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Burns says she thought threatening to revoke the raises was a big mistake, and she was \u201churt\u201d when Superintendent Pascal Mubenga stepped down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She also says she recognizes that mistakes happen in local government, and she believes that the school board is taking necessary action to investigate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo it does seem like there have been some steps that were taken. Found this out, told a chair, got a consultant coming, review this, find out what happened\u2026\u201d Burns said of the school board\u2019s reaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burns is pushing for more staff in the Durham Public Schools central office and better mechanisms to track district funding streams.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burns\u2019 energy and attention to detail started early, according to Larry Hall. Burns worked with Hall when he was secretary of the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. While there, Burns helped to create a new program called the N.C. Defense Industry Diversification Initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cObviously the department got a lot of credit for what she did, and I got credit for it, too,\u201d Hall said. \u201cBut by no means was I the driving engine on that. All I did was be smart enough to hire her and get out of her way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Burns hopes to continue to work on affordable housing initiatives and on expanding Durham\u2019s public transportation, including continuing to electrify the bus system and adding more stops.<\/span><\/p>\n

At night, Burns comes home to a room overflowing with books \u2014 including her favorite, \u201cTheir Eyes Were Watching God\u201d by Zora Neale Hurston \u2014 and an impressive rock and mineral collection. Burns tumbles the rocks with her own machine.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a county commissioner, Burns doesn\u2019t have as much time for those hobbies. But that doesn\u2019t stop her from seeking out another term.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not time to be a spectator. It\u2019s time to be a gladiator,\u201d Burns said. \u201cSo I\u2019m jumping in!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Early voting continues through March 2 ahead of the election on March 5.<\/p>\n

Above: Photo of Nimasheena Burns by Esme Fox \u2014 The 9th Street Journal\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editors\u2019 Note: Eleven candidates \u2014 all Democrats \u2014 are vying for five seats on the Durham County Board of Commissioners in the March 5 election.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":11614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[392,12],"tags":[269],"class_list":["post-11610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elections-2024","category-local-government","tag-the-9th-street-journal","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the candidate: Nimasheena Burns - 9th Street Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/02\/27\/meet-the-candidate-nimasheena-burns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the candidate: Nimasheena Burns - 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