Dianne Berry (Kannapolis City Council, North Carolina, candidate 2025)
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Dianne Berry is running for election to the Kannapolis City Council in North Carolina. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Berry completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Dianne Berry provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 3, 2025:
- Birth place: Mooreville, North Carolina
- High school: A. L. Brown High School
- Associate: King's College - Charlotte, 1974
- Gender: Female
- Religion: Baptist
- Profession: Insurance Agent
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign slogan: Kannapolis is Full!
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Kannapolis City Council (3 seats)
The following candidates are running in the general election for Kannapolis City Council on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Dianne Berry (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Harrison James Davis (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Jeanne A. Dixon (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Zach Erwin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tom Kincaid (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Isaiah Payne (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Jamie Richardson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Milton Smith (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Jayne Williams (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Dianne Berry completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Berry's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Life-long resident of Kannapolis, NC. Work experience in local public school system and in Cabarrus Co Public Health. My quest to become a Certified Municipal Clerk at UNC School of Government spurred my interest in running for local office. I had learned a lot and wanted to put my knowledge to good use to help our city and our citizens.
- Kannapolis is Full! has been my stance for the 2025 Kannapolis Municipal Election. That doesn't mean I wish to stop all progress, all housing growth. But I do believe we need to slow down and look at where we are. Consider infrastructure shortfalls. And what our recent rapid growth has done to generate other demands, like road improvements, increased traffic, sewer allocations shortages, and increased crime. Rapid growth has also caused the need for more city staffing to meet these needs. It's a revolving wheel that won't stop turning, and costing the taxpayers!
- Creating a tighter city budget and eliminating wasteful/unnecessary spending. Large, headline concerts at Village Park are great. For 2-3 hours. But to how many better, more effective and efficient uses, could those funds be spent annually for performers and staffing for these big events? Jiggy with the Piggy had to go because of the costs. Are the large concerts costs not just as concerns? Especially when only about 25% of Kannapolis citizens attend. Why should we be entertaining people from other citizens? Because it's not so they can shop downtown. It's not generating interest or commerce in Kannapolis. It's just COSTING!
- Public Transit - looking at a new/different plan that will cost less and still meet the needs of those who utilize public transit. Many say our current big bus transit plan is all wrong for Kannapolis-Concord. The costs for each city on an annual basis are alarming, and they keep rising. The $30 vehicle tag tax (for Kannapolis) covers most of our costs for Public Transit. But should it? When a portion of these funds could be used to repair roads? I have served on the Public Transit Commission for many years. But I still don't believe we have the right plan for our community. But few are willing to do anything about it. It's time.
Equity and Fairness for all citizens. Adherence to Ethical standards in all situations. Ensuring that every citizen's needs are valued, no matter who they are or where they come from. Addressing local needs, not just talking about them. Doing something! More support for Public Safety. Ensuring Fire & Police get the tools they need to protect our citizens. Greater attention to municipal public policies after we have a new City Council on November 4th, and finding ways to establish clarity, transparency and accountability.
Solutions and/or problems start at the ground level - Municipal Government. A more cohesive City Council can
The former Public Health Director of Cabarrus County, Dr. William F. Pilkington. I worked for Cabarrus Health Alliance for 23 years. Dr. Pilkington served more than 30 years in his role. He taught me a lot about service to others that never resonated until he and I retired. Now, his words, his guidance, come back to me quite often. He only said what he knew was right and just. And I realize now that he was right on every count. He was a great public health leader. He was a great Public Health mentor. My favorite quote from Dr. Pilkington as I oversaw CHA's Customer Service Program: "Never say no. Be educated on all resources out there to help our public. Find a way to help if just through referrals or compassionate listening. Follow-up with them. Just never close that door."
Honestly. Compassion. Careful listening to citizen's needs. But not just listening, doing something about it. Researching what you don't know on your own, not asking someone else's opinion. Always circling back to the citizen who asked for help to make sure they got it. Not just making promises and never finding closure. Every citizen's needs are important. Every citizen has a voice.
Representation - serving as an advocate for the needs and view of constituents and the boarder interests of the public.
Ensuring that the laws for Municipal and State Government are administered as intended. Speaking up when you as an elected official, have concerns.
Ethical conduct - upholding a high standard of ethics and conduct in both public and private life.
This includes avoiding conflicts of interest and refraining from using a public office for private (or personal) gain.
Being transparent about decisions made.
I don't care about leaving a legacy. I have served 12 years as a Kannapolis City Council member. My wish is to be able to serve another term. I believe with Doug Wilson as Mayor, we can do great things. I ran for another term because we have been a 4:3 Council for 12 years. In 2025, it's all or nothing. We are at a crossroads, and voters can either choose the 'business as usual' path or the 'changes are coming' path. It all depends on what each individual voter feels is important to them. I want to leave my position knowing that our citizens are in a better place. That the budget was examined closely and unnecessary cuts were made. Wasteful spending must stop. Multi-family housing projects must slow down until we can get a handle on what's needed and how infrastructure can sustain it. How sewer allocations can sustain it. If I can just leave our citizens in a better place. A place where they ALL feel valued and confidence that we have their best interests at heart and want them here in Kannapolis, I will be happy.
Assassination of President John F Kennedy. Third Grade, age 8. It was like nothing any of us had ever experienced. We were confused and we were scared.
Trull Clinic of Chiropractic, at age 16. I worked there for 21 years in various roles. During that same time, I also was Office Manager for the NC Board of Chiropractic Examiners. We moved their office from Raleigh to Kannapolis so I could oversee it.
The Bible. But otherwise, I have never been much a book reader. I read a lot, online. I do a lot of research. I do countless hours of training on Medicare, Medicare rules and changes, Medicare plans (as I am a NC Licensed Medicare Agent) and of course State General Statues and rules for elected officials and Municipalities. I am always reading and learning. I just don't sit down and read a book.
We all have personal struggles. I have made mistakes as all of us have at some point in our lives, but it's part of growing and learning as adults. What I have learned is that everybody is not going to like you and you are never going to make everyone happy. And I have learned in politics that you have to have a thick skin to deal with some of the comments and criticisms. But I make decisions based on what's legal and what's ethical. And then I rely on my gut feelings to make decisions. I was raised in a Christian home with loving parents. They taught me well. I will never change in my thoughts that every decision should be what's best for our city and our citizens.
It's called Closed Session. In Closed Session, lots of tax-payer spending can be planned without the taxpayer ever knowing about it. Yes, the votes must be made in Open Session. But in between, where is the communication? The outreach? How and when are citizens told about some transactions that City Council enters into? It is the City's responsibility to be more transparent. Give the citizens a voice before millions of dollars are committed out. Ask them what they want us to do. It's their taxpayer dollars!
It helps a lot, but it's not essential to have some level or prior local government or political experience. It's more about who's willing to come into this position with an open mind, listen carefully and act accordingly. It's more about who can be a team-player and involve and engage every Council Member on the same level. It's more about being willing and able to admit you don't know everything. but you are willing to negotiate for better solutions. Those qualities are what makes a great City Council.
Multi-tasker. Ability to work as a team and be open to opposing views and problem-solving. Knowing your city. It's past and where it's going. It's strengths and it's weaknesses/challenges. Most importantly, effective listening and effective follow-up. Closing the gap.
It all starts at the Municipal Government level. If we allow issues/problems to escalate, it elevates up a higher level. If we make unethical decisions, the entire state knows about it. City Council must always put the City and it's reputation at the forefront. Because controversy and bad decisions affect us all, long-term. And all the townhomes and new businesses or parks in our city can't fix that.
Cabarrus County GOP
NC Police Benevolent Association
NC Police Benevolent Association
I hard our citizen's personal stories very often. In my Medicare sales position, I speak almost daily to our 65+ population. They are struggling the most. But you'll rarely hear them complain about it. Property tax hikes are killing us all, but especially the elderly when there's just no more opportunity to bring additional income in. Medicare is going to cost them more in 2026. Kannapolis fees just increased. Food and energy costs continue to rise. There is no happy ending yet regarding these challenges. But I hope City Council will look closer at our senior population in the coming years. We need to discover their needs and find resources to help them. We need to figure out downtown parking so they can have a place to park in the handicapped parking spaces. Our seniors seem to be one of our 'forgotten' populations. That needs to change.
Retiring from both Kannapolis City Schools and Cabarrus Health Alliance and becoming a NC Licensed Insurance Agent selling Medicare Plans. At CHA, I served as HR Benefits Manager. My role in Medicare helps me to continue what brought me joy - helping people with their insurance benefits. It's allowed me to connect with many of my former co-workers. And it's helped me as a City Council member by keeping me up to date on their many challenges. It was a long road. But I'm glad I stuck it out.
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See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
