Longtime Carrboro Town Council member Sammy Slade shared Friday he will not be seeking re-election this year.
As the filing period for 2023 municipal elections opened up, Slade shared a statement on social media detailing his decision to step back from elected office in the town. A fervent advocate for climate action, sustainability, and environmentally-conscious policy since he joined the elected body in 2009, he listed ongoing “existential threat” of global warming as a driving need for personal change.
Sammy Slade (Photo via the Town of Carrboro.)
“I started with a deep belief that local action, where decisions are closest to the people who are most affected and where money does not affect elections as it does at higher scales of governance, is the place where representation can happen most authentically,” wrote Slade. “Despite many struggles, it has always been worthwhile, as long as action on climate was a possibility. We have run out of time though and this has brought a new perspective to me.”
In the message, Slade said he believes local government is no longer the best place for him to help mitigate climate change — citing limitations caused by it operating “within the same system and culture which is killing us.” He said while action at the local level to combat effects of global warming will be important, the council member said he hopes to seek more “authentic connection” with others and be “the most human possible without the distractions that keep us separate.”
“There are physical and chemical realities that we may now likely be living in that render no amount of human action sufficient to mitigate runaway climate change,” wrote Slade. “In that world, all that is left is for us to salvage what we can; meaning that at least we can harmonize with what is left of an authentic humanity within. At a minimum this presents an opportunity to learn about how to relate to death with dignity, a dignity found by reconnecting to ourselves and with one another and the natural world.”
The Carrboro Town Council is set for significant change this fall, especially with Slade’s departure as one of its longest-tenured members. Sitting council member Susan Romaine will not be running for re-election after one term and council member Barbara Foushee is running for Carrboro Mayor — meaning a third new elected official could be chosen in a special election if Foushee wins in November.
As of Friday, two newcomers already filed to run for the town council: Catherine Fray and Jason Merrill. Eliazar Posada, who was elected during the 2022 primary cycle to join on a short term, is running for re-election as the lone incumbent candidate.
Full coverage of the 2023 local election filing period can be found here.
Photo via the Town of Carrboro.
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