Spotlight On: Bill Summers, Town Manager, Knightdale

Key points:

• • Knightdale is balancing rapid growth with investments in infrastructure, public safety, and transportation.
• • The town prioritizes entrepreneurship, small business support, and downtown revitalization.
• • Long-term success is centered on responsible growth, resident satisfaction, and preserving community character.

July 2026 — Invest: spoke with Bill Summers, town manager of the town of Knightdale, about managing rapid growth, infrastructure planning, and community priorities. “The focus of our economic development program is entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses,” Summers said.

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What changes or developments over the last year have had the most impact on Knightdale’s trajectory?

Over the last year, we have seen many of the developments previously approved and entitled begin moving into active construction. There is significant residential construction occurring across all areas of the town, and that activity is catalyzing commercial investment projects that had already been approved and are now advancing toward construction as well. Overall, growth in Knightdale remains strong, but it is becoming more geographically balanced across the community than it has been historically. 

How is the town thinking about infrastructure demands like roads, utilities, and public safety, while preserving its small-town character?

Maintaining that balance is one of the defining challenges of a high-growth community. We want Knightdale to remain an inclusive and forward-thinking community that welcomes opportunity and prosperity, while also preserving the character, heritage, and small-town identity that residents value.

From an infrastructure perspective, the Town has taken a deliberate and strategic approach. I have served as the manager for approximately nine years, and throughout that time, one of the consistent strategic priorities of our elected officials has been investment in public safety. We have made significant commitments to both fire and police services to ensure we can meet current and future demand. That has included the merger of our fire department, the opening of three fire stations, and expanded staffing levels to ensure we are adequately positioned to serve our growing population.

For law enforcement, we have made similar investments, including a new law enforcement center that is currently under construction, while also proactively planning for long-term staffing and operational needs. Public safety is foundational to quality of life, and it remains a core expectation for our residents.

Utilities infrastructure is equally critical. Water supply and wastewater treatment capacity are significant regional issues, and we maintain a strong partnership with the city of Raleigh, which owns and operates our water and sewer system. That partnership has been essential in supporting the level of growth and economic interest we are experiencing today and anticipate in the future.

Transportation continues to be one of the greatest pressure points in a high-growth environment. We work closely with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and we are now a North Carolina Vision Zero community, prioritizing both vehicular and pedestrian safety. We have also updated our comprehensive transportation plan to ensure the development community is contributing its fair share toward future mobility and infrastructure improvements.

What are some of the things that make Knightdale a great place to live, work, and play?

Knightdale, like much of the Triangle, is in a season of significant prosperity and growth. While the community has evolved beyond its rural origins, it has maintained many of the qualities that continue to attract families and businesses. One of Knightdale’s biggest advantages is our proximity to Raleigh. From parts of Knightdale, you can see the Raleigh skyline while still enjoying the accessibility, affordability, and sense of community that Knightdale offers. We have convenient access to downtown Raleigh, major employment centers, and regional transportation infrastructure, allowing residents to experience what many describe as the best of both worlds: connectivity to a major metropolitan area while maintaining a strong sense of local identity and community.

How are you engaging with the community to ensure residents have a voice in decision-making?

Community engagement should be at the forefront of local government decision-making, and we take it seriously. Two years ago, we created a dedicated Community Relations Department to proactively engage with stakeholders across the community. We conduct an annual survey that asks residents to rate government services, quality-of-life issues, and to share the priorities they would like to see addressed moving forward.

The results consistently demonstrate strong levels of satisfaction. Knightdale exceeds both Mid-Atlantic and national benchmarks for overall quality of life and citizen satisfaction, while the biggest challenges residents identify are the pace of development and transportation-related pressures. That feedback helps validate that our investments align with community values, and it keeps us grounded in the realities and challenges associated with rapid growth. There is no single formula for managing transformational change in a high-growth environment, but meaningful engagement must remain central to how local government responds to community expectations and priorities.

What is the town’s approach to supporting small businesses and local entrepreneurship?

Economic development can mean different things in different communities. While we certainly want to attract larger employers and industry when appropriate, that is no longer the sole focus of our economic development strategy. The focus of our economic development program is entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses.

Over the past five years, the Town Council has made significant investments to keep small business support at the forefront. Local entrepreneurs play an important role in preserving community identity, creating a sense of place, and strengthening local pride. Through our community relations department, we launched a dedicated small business support division to help business owners navigate regulations, understand approval processes, and move through development requirements more efficiently.

In the last 12 months, we launched the Knightdale Commerce Alliance to give the small business community a place to network, elevate concerns and ambitions, and participate in ongoing professional development through workshops and related programming. Small businesses are the nucleus you nurture over time, and it is consistently a top priority for our elected officials. Additionally, we operate Launch Knightdale in partnership with Wake Technical Community College to help aspiring entrepreneurs better understand the process of developing and sustaining a successful business. Our goal is to create a community where residents have the opportunity to live, work, and play locally, while preserving the unique sense of place that small businesses help create.

What is the current vision for downtown revitalization, and how is the town attracting private investment?

Downtown revitalization has been a long-standing ambition for our community. Knightdale’s downtown suffered a catastrophic fire in 1943, and the loss of buildings and commercial infrastructure has shaped the physical character and economic activity of the area for decades.

Today, one of the benefits of operating in a high-growth environment is the renewed interest in reinvesting and redevelopment. Establishing a vibrant and successful central business district remains a priority for the Town. A major initiative is Downtown North, a large mixed-use development we are pursuing through a partnership with a developer.

It will add residential units to support activity downtown, and it will help restore the commercial infrastructure that has been absent from the area. We are in the site development phase now, and over the next couple of years, it is expected to bring new residents, businesses, and economic activity to downtown while helping to reestablish the kind of commerce and amenities our community has wanted to rebuild for a long time.

Looking ahead, what outcomes will define success for Knightdale over the next three to five years?

We generally measure success in three ways. First is citizen satisfaction: whether residents believe Town services meet expectations in both quality and depth. Second is the execution of the strategic priorities established by our elected officials: Are we effectively implementing policy direction and delivering on commitments made to the public? Third is performance management: tracking measurable outcomes across core areas of service. That includes public safety response times, operational turnaround times, and other key performance indicators tied directly to the services we provide.

From my professional perspective, Knightdale is an exceptional community, and I am proud to be associated with it. We are located in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, yet we continue to provide opportunities for people to purchase a first home, raise a family, and enjoy a strong quality of life. We are also one of the most diverse communities in the Triangle, and we strive to remain welcoming, inclusive, and community-oriented.

No municipality is perfect or without challenges, particularly during periods of sustained growth, but I believe there is a genuine commitment from both elected officials and professional staff to guide Knightdale thoughtfully and responsibly. Those efforts are reflected in resident satisfaction, continued investment, and the positive evolution of the community as a whole.

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