The Independent Weekly’s view on the news
The eight elected members of the Chapel Hill Town Council used varying rationale Monday in ultimately tapping Donna Bell to join their ranks. Bell, an African American with experience on town boards, now is slated to complete the final two years of Bill Strom’s term. Here’s a breakdown of who said what in the order they said it and how they each arrived at their decisions:
CHAPEL HILL — As Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward discussed the particulars of the time limit —what the different colored lights meant, etc. — during Monday night’s special Chapel HIll Town Council meeting, Jason Baker, who moderated the Sierra Club’s municipal election forum, remarked, “This is quickly becoming as much fun as your forums.”
Though Baker was one of seven candidates vying for office, each having applied to fill the remaining two years of resigned Councilman Bill Strom’s seat, the meeting set for each of them to make their case took on a distinctly non-forum tone.
Two candidates, including Baker, advocated against themselves. One told his life story. Another said he was conflicted about leaving his name in the applicant pool.
Each of them — Baker, Donna Bell, Joe Capowski, H. Brock Page, Matt Pohlman, Will Raymond and Aaron Shah — had seven minutes to make their case. Some pointed to experience on boards and committees, some to November election totals, and others to racial diversity. The council plans to make its appointment Monday night. Continue reading »
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt says he sees a lot of Carlo Robustelli in Mark McCurry, the man he’s chosen to serve as his aide.
The two had the same double major, political science and philosophy, at UNC. McCurry is 27. Robustelli was 25 when he started as former Mayor Kevin Foy’s aide in July 2007.
“I want him to do what Carlo did, which is be the mayor’s assistant, but also be available to the to the council,” Kleinschmidt said. “I want to be reminded of Carlo through Mark in those other ways, too.”
McCurry is learning how to do that, shadowing Robustelli for a couple days a week until he takes the reins on New Year’s Day and puts his own stamp on the office.
“(Carlo) has been incredibly gracious and seems like a great asset,” said McCurry, who worked with Kleinschmidt as a legal assistant at the Center for Death Penalty litigation before running his election campaign.
Robustelli said he’s sharing mechanics, but not specifics.
“He’s going to have to manage his own path, create his own way,” he said. “He and Mark (Kleinschimdt) will come to figure out how you fit in with the style of boss.”
Chapel Hill made it official tonight, swearing in a new mayor and two new council members and adding another term for two more.
Mark Kleinschmidt, Gene Pease, Penny Rich, Laurin Easthom and Ed Harrison took their seats at Town Hall amid a room of community activists, allies, campaigners, funders, family, friends, neighboring politicians, the police chief, the fire chief and Mama Dip (Mildred Council).
The ceremony even had an intermission, with the first part of the meeting run by the 2007-09 council during which those leaving office offered a farewell. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward presided for that portion as now former Mayor Kevin Foy was ill at home.
“Mayor, I hope you’re doing well. We miss you,” he said.
Carlo Robustelli, the mayoral aide, read a speech in Foy’s stead.
“I am honored to have been given the chance to serve as Chapel Hill’s mayor,” the statement read. “Together with the fine elected people and staff and with the ideas of participation of citizen, we have achieved a lot.”
Councilman Jim Merritt, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the late Bill Thorpe and who did not win re-election, said he’d continue to serve as a advocate for the town.
After a few kind words were exchanged, the elected played musical chairs, Kleinschmidt moving to the center, Sally Greene and Ed Harrison moving two seats to the left (from the audience). New council members Gene Pease and Penny Rich slotted in on the far right. Merritt’s physical seat now is empty, though it soon will be filled by whomever is appointed to fulfill Bill Strom’s term.
Those elected put their hands on the Bible, flanked by spouses, children and parents, swore to uphold the laws of the nation and state and offered thanks to all. Continue reading »
*Reporter’s note: Scroll to the bottom if you want the quickie results from Election Day (no suprises in Carrboro or Hillsborough. CHCCS followed the Indy endorsement. Chapel Hill Town Council went to Penny Rich, Ed Harrison, Laurin Easthom and Gene Pease). If you’d like to read a scene-setting piece from Chapel Hill Mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt’s victory party, then read on.
Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt celebrates his mayoral victory as his twin sister clutches his shoulder and his mom bursts into tears.
Supporters erupted. His mother burst into tears. His sister shouted. Mark Kleinschmidt just smiled contently, arms crossed but giving the kind of ear-to-ear grin you could feel across the room, satisfaction and disbelief merging together on his face. The campaign had just received word that rival Matt Czajkowski had made his concession speech at the Franklin Hotel.
The progressive bloc had won. They’d just escaped a new, moderate business-centered group gaining traction and council seats. Not so fast.
Word came back that one precint, Patterson, was yet to report. Kleinschmidt was up a scant 168 votes. The jubiliation turned to shocked concern. It was too close to call.
“I don’t want a Dewey defeats Truman headline,” Kleinschmidt warned reporters at his R&R Grill party. The pack of local politicos returned to the laptop, clicking refresh again and again.
Moments later, the candidate’s ever-buzzing cell phone went off once more. It was Mayor Kevin Foy calling to congratulate him.
Kleinschmidt cautioned him, but thanked him for his support. Then the results flashed on the TV screens. It was final — Kleinschmidt had won.
Former Chapel Hill Councilman Cam Hill, who lost his seat by 63 votes to Matt Czajkowski in 2007, is taking credit today for controversial anti-Czajkowski mailers sent out days before the election.
On Monday, the Orange County Democratic and Republican parties issued a joint press release denouncing the material, which was sent by “CHC PAC.” Today, Hill told WCHL 1360 that he is the sole member of the group, which stands for Chapel Hill Caucus.
Both Czajkowski and challenger Mark Kleinschmidt have said they are disappointed in the tone of the fliers, which questioned Czajkowski’s concern for the environment and employees among other things.
Hill has until Wednesday to officially register as a political action committee, according to state election law.
The race for Chapel Hill mayor is too close to call between Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt, according to a poll released today by Public Policy Polling. The councilmen have 45 and 44 percent, respectively, with a 4 percent margin of error. Competitors Augustus Cho and Kevin Wolff each have 3 percent.
The survey found incumbent Ed Harrison (12 percent), Gene Pease (11 percent) and first-term Councilwoman Laurin Easthom (10 percent) leading the race for four seats on the Chapel Hill Town Council with Jon DeHart (9 percent) and Matt Pohlman (9 percent) battling Penny Rich (8 percent) and appointed Councilman Jim Merritt (7 percent) for fourth place. Will Raymond came in last at 3 percent.
The poll was conducted Saturday and Sunday with 30 percent of the 614 voters contacted responding as still undecided. Election Day is tomorrow.
Mayoral hopeful Mark Kleinschmidt has touted himself as the best candidate to continue the work of Mayor Kevin Foy. Today, Foy made public his agreement with that statement, issuing an endorsement for Kleinschmidt’s candidacy.
Kleinschmidt said he is “humbled” and “very appreciative.”
“I’m very excited that Kevin shared his endorsement with the people of Chapel Hill,” he said. “He’s been very supportive.”
Foy’s full endorsement is below:
I hope the voters in Chapel Hill will join me in voting for Mark Kleinschmidt for Mayor. I’ve served as mayor for the past eight years, and I’m proud of our town – we’ve adhered to our values as a place that protects the natural environment, works closely with our university, and respects all our neighbors without regard for their economic status. Over the past eight years, with Mark Kleinschmidt helping to lead the way, Chapel Hill has invested in a safe, vibrant downtown, new greenways, the arts, a major new park, a transit center, a new public works facility, and an aquatics center. We’ve done all this with an eye to prudent money management (we have the highest bond rating) and diversifying our tax base.
And it has paid off – just this year Chapel Hill was named both America’s Most Livable City and Best Place in the Country to Start a Business. We’re doing a lot of things right!
We have a bright future. A vote for Mark for Mayor will keep Chapel Hill on the right track.
Kevin Foy
Chapel Hill leaders will wait until after the next Town Council is sworn in to appoint a person to fill Bill Strom’s vacant seat. After being prodded by a petition, six members of the current council, four of whom are up for election, stated their support for waiting until after Dec. 7, when the new group takes office. Councilwoman Sally Greene was the only one not to weigh in, though she has stated her support on the local blog, Orangepolitics.org.
Mayor Kevin Foy was the only one adamant in targeting Nov. 9 at the date to make an appointment, though realizing he was in the minority, he encouraged the group to cancel the applicant’s presentations for that date.
Under town ordinance, the vacancy must be considered at every meeting until an appointment is made, but there is not a deadline. The group of six, Matt Czajkowski, Laurin Easthom, Ed Harrison, Mark Kleinschmidt, Jim Merritt (who voiced his support later in the meeting, during the consent agenda section) and Jim Ward, intends to delay the appointment each time until December.
Fliers paid for by the Kevin Wolff for Mayor Campaign popped up at Chapel Hill and Carrboro early voting sites this weekend, leading some to question if Wolff is still actively seeking office despite saying he’s dropping out and others denouncing the material’s anti-gay content.
On Monday, the fliers, which give a checklist comparing Wolff and competitors Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt, were gone at the Morehead Planetarium site, but a few soggy ones remained in a plastic bag attached to a Wolff campaign sign at Carrboro Town Hall. Among the differences, Wolff notes that unlike Kleinschmidt, one of five openly gay elected politicians in the state, he is not a “gay-rights activist” and “has children.”
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