Listen to ‘News on The Hill each week to hear the latest Conversations with the Mayors! The elected leaders of the Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Orange County governments join 97.9 The Hill to discuss the latest stories from around town and our community. Listen to each episode below, or on your favorite podcasting service!
Conversations with the Mayors is presented by The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro.
To listen to interviews with the Pittsboro mayor, and leaders from Chatham County Government, visit the Chatham County Roundup page of Chapelboro.com.
Chapel Hill: Budget Update, Timeline, Library Funding, and More
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, May 14, discussing town news and events. She discussed the recent public hearing on the town’s proposed budget, which saw many community members speak on library funding and more. She also discussed upcoming events in the community and more.
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Orange County: Budget Decisions, State Impacts, Upcoming Events
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, May 14, discussing county news and events. She discussed Tuesday’s public hearing on the budget and the feedback the board received from the community. She also looked ahead to Thursday’s work session on public education, and more.
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Hillsborough: Budget Updates, Data Center Moratorium, Longtime Employee Retires
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, May 13, discussing town news and events. He discussed the town budget proposal, which includes no tax increase, but does have a water and sewer rate increase. He also talked about the town board’s decision to impose a 60-day moratorium on the construction of data-mining facilities as town staff looks at updating land use ordinances. He also congratulated longtime wastewater plant operator Shawn Maines who is set to retire after 28 years with the town, and more.
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Chapel Hill: Budget Priorities, Timelines, and Feedback
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, May 7, discussing town news and events. She talked about the recent budget presentation from town manager Ted Voorhees. She talked about there being no tax increase, and highlighted some key areas where there may be funding increases. She also previewed that the town would be providing more feedback opportunities, and more. She also discussed commencement weekend in Chapel Hill.
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Orange County: Details of the Budget Presentation and Tough Decisions to Make — (May 6, 2026)
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton speaks with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, May 6.
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Hillsborough: Budget Preview, Data Centers, July 4 Celebration
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, May 5, discussing town news and events. He previewed the town’s budget, which will have its initial presentation later in May. He discussed the recent trends of data center moratoriums in the area and Hillsborough’s roll in that. He also talked about upcoming summer activities, including a July 4th celebration for the town, and more.
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Carrboro: Mental Health Fair, Budget Preview, Upcoming Events
Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Friday, May 1, discussing town news and events. She discussed a mental health fair happening in Carrboro Friday afternoon. She also previewed the upcoming budget process for the town, which will pick up later in May. She outlined some sidewalk work downtown from earlier in the week, and more.
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Chapel Hill: No Change to Town Charter, Southern Area Planning, Upcoming Events
Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, April 30, discussing town news and events. She outlined the public hearing on possibly reducing the size of the council and expanding the mayor’s term. After much pushback from the public, the town council voted to close the issue. She discussed an update on the Southern Area Plan, mentioned a few proclamations, previewed some upcoming events, and more.
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Hillsborough: UDO Rewrite, Corner Stores, Annexation Request
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 28, discussing town news and events. He recapped the most recent meeting of the town board of commissioners, which included a lengthy update of the town’s Unified Development Ordinance. One provision in that rewrite would allow for more small scale corner stores in residential neighborhoods. He also talked about an annexation request, a Zwanze Day recap, and more.
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Carrboro: Safe Routes To School, Arbor Day, Freight Train Blues
Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Friday, April 24, discussing town news and events. She talked about the most recent meeting of the town council, which saw a presentation on the Safe Routes to School program, and the town purchasing a parking lot on West Weaver Street. She also previewed some upcoming town events, including Arbor Day festivities, the Freight Train Blues Series, and more.
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Click here for the full Conversations with the Mayors archive.
