CHAPEL HILL – Carrboro Alderwoman Lydia Lavelle is running unopposed for mayor this election season. Presuming she’s elected, a seat on the Board will then be open.  It will likely be filled through an appointment process; however, the Board could instead pass a resolution calling for a special election.

At WCHL’s Carrboro Board of Aldermen Candidate Forum Monday, hopefuls were asked if they weren’t elected, would they consider putting their name forward to replace Lavelle.

***Listen to WCHL’s 2013 Carrboro Board of Aldermen Candidates Forum***

 

 

They were also asked what characteristics they would look for in finding a new Board member.

The five candidates competing for three open seats on the Board include incumbents Sammy Slade, Jacquelyn Gist and Randee Haven-O’Donnell. The challengers are Kurt Stolka, Vice-Chair of Carrboro’s Transportation Advisory Board, and Al Vickers, a former member of the Solid Waste Advisory Board with a Ph. D. in environmental science. Vickers was absent from the Forum Monday due to a prior engagement out of the country.

Haven-O’Donnell said she would want a possible appointee to have served on a Town advisory board. She added that she hadn’t considered the “what if?” of not being re-elected.

“If I’m not elected, would I put my name in? Well, you know, if I’m not elected, it really makes a statement. I hadn’t been thinking about it. I’m a competitor,” Haven-O’Donnell said.

Gist said she wanted a person who would bring a fresh perspective to the Board. She said a person with a different background and a diverse skill set would be beneficial.

“Somebody who really loves and gets Carrboro, I guess for me that is the bottom line,” Gist said. “If I didn’t win, would I put my name in? I don’t know.”

Slade said he wanted someone with a passion for Carrboro, with a history of involvement in Town issues. As to throwing his name in for appointment if he weren’t re-elected, Slade said he would likely not out of respect the voter’s decision.

“I agree with Randee, I probably would take this to be a sign that if I lost, maybe I’m not the right person,” Slade said.

Stolka suggested that Board members would consider appointing the candidate that was in fourth place with vote totals to replace Lavelle’s empty seat. He was the only candidate to firmly state that he would seek to be appointment if he were not elected.

“If there’s a chance that I am not in then yeah I probably will throw my hat in the ring because I really want to help change this Town and make a positive impact,” Stolka said.

In the case of an appointment process or a special election, theoretically a new batch of hopefuls seeking a seat on the Board could put their names forward.

 

Related Stories
‹
Should Carrboro Charge For Parking Downtown?
"..businesses would be devastated if we started charging for parking.”
Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill Honor 50 Years of Cat's Cradle
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen’s chambers were crowded with local musicians and members of the local music community to see the board pass a joint resolution with the Town of Chapel Hill to honor and celebrate the music venue Cat’s Cradle last week. The resolution declared 2019 the ‘Year of the Cradle,’ an idea brought […]
Carrboro Board of Aldermen Changes Title to Town Council
Carrboro’s Board of Aldermen passed a resolution to change its title to Town Council at its meeting on Tuesday November 19.*** After being known as the Board of Aldermen for 50 years, the elected officials for Carrboro’s governing board are slated to change its name at their Tuesday meeting to a more inclusive title. […]
The ArtsCenter Holding Carrboro Community Meetings About Potential Move
The ArtsCenter has been in the heart of Carrboro since its founding in 1974. It was housed in the same building as Armadillo Grill and then Carr Mill Mall before settling in the 300 building on East Main Street, where it’s been since the mid-1980s. As the art education and entertainment non-profit prepares to move […]
Carrboro Board of Aldermen Vote to Move Ahead Lloyd Farm Development
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen recently heard updates on the development planned for the Lloyd Farm property and approved a conditional use permit for the initial phase of construction. The developers are preparing to begin work on Phase 1 of transforming the 35-acre plot into the Shops at Lloyds Farm, located off Fayettville Road and […]
NC 54 Corridor Study Presented to Carrboro's Board of Aldermen
Carrboro’s Board of Aldermen recently heard a presentation about a study done on the NC 54 West Corridor between Carrboro and Graham. The study, which was funded by the local Metropolitan Planning Organization, focused on the stretch of NC 54 starting in Graham and moving east to Carrboro’s West Main Street. It stemmed from a […]
INDY Week Releases Endorsements for Local Elections
The alternative weekly newspaper INDY Week released their endorsements for the Orange County municipal elections on Tuesday evening. In the Chapel Hill mayoral race, the paper endorsed mayoral candidate and incumbent Pam Hemminger, citing her work securing the affordable housing bond in 2018 and her prioritization of combating climate change as main reasons it is […]
Endorsements Continue as Local Elections Approach in Chapel Hill, Carrboro
Candidates in the upcoming Chapel Hill and Carrboro municipal elections received endorsements from the NEXT Chapel Hill & Carrboro advocacy group. NEXT, which describes itself as a group that supports progressive values in the two towns, shared the candidates the group supports in the 2019 election races on Monday. It said it evaluated candidates based […]
Construction on New Carrboro Roundabout To Begin in August
A major road project thought to be delayed is set to begin construction in Carrboro, just weeks before students are moving back to the area for the fall semester. The town announced Tuesday that the construction on the Estes Drive/North Greensboro Street roundabout would begin on August 5. Construction of a roundabout on South Greensboro […]
Halfway Through 2019 Election Filing Period, Orange County Races Taking Shape
There's still one week left to go in the filing period for this year's municipal elections, but there's already a crowded field of candidates.
›