UNC doctoral student Theodore Nollert became the latest candidate to verbally enter the race for Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday.
Nollert announced his campaign on 97.9 The Hill as a guest on “This Morning with Aaron Keck,” saying he plans to formally file for the fall election shortly.
“I’m running for Chapel Hill Town Council because I believe we have a huge opportunity here,” Nollert said. “I think the people who are elected in November are going to make decisions that shape Chapel Hill for the next generation. I want to be sure those decisions make sure we have a town that’s a great place to live not just today, but tomorrow too.”
Click here to listen to Nollert’s conversation with Aaron Keck.
Nollert is coming off a term as the president of the UNC Graduate and Professional Student Government, having been elected in 2022. While he earns his Ph.D. in English and comparative literature, he also has been serving on Chapel Hill’s Planning Commission.
In the interview, Nollert said his blend of personal experience living as a post-grad adult in Chapel Hill and passion for major topics that arise in the planning board greatly influenced his choice to run. He said he supports the town’s recent land use policies and strategic plan that encourage gentle housing density — which means improving housing density through mixed-use development and allowing more detached homes or duplexes in neighborhoods. Nollert said he believes the town ought to continue to “pull ever lever they can” to continue improving housing options and encourage better affordability.
“Something I’ve learned on the planning commission is if we don’t do something about housing,” he said, “then a lot of people who make Chapel Hill the great place it is are not going to be able to live here in the future. I’m thinking about our young folks, low- and middle-income earners, our historic Black community, growing Latino and Asian populations, our LGBTQ folks — there are people in all of these groups who are going to find it really hard to live in Chapel Hill if we just accept things the way that they are. And I don’t think we have to accept them: there are things we can do to bring the cost of housing down.”
The doctoral student also listed investing in parks and greenways, improving transit infrastructure, and attracting diverse businesses to bring more jobs as policy goals he believes would ultimately help with Chapel Hill’s environmental and economic sustainability.
Nollert said he believes his experience leading the graduate student body will carry over to the town council, citing a recent listening tour of 30 departments at UNC to learn about student needs as an example. The result of the tour, as he described it: the biggest pay raise ever for UNC graduate workers and a better understanding by university decision-makers of those needs.
“I think that sort of community-driven, listening approach where we then turn to data and say, ‘Folks are all coming from their own [perspectives], but here is something we can all agree on,’ [is beneficial],” said Nollert. “‘It’s objective, it’s in the numbers — and here are our values, here’s how we can align our values with our actions.’ I think that’s what’s prepared me to take on this role.”
Nollert is not the only member of the UNC community to have announced intentions to run for Chapel Hill Town Council, as graduate student Michael Beauregard launched his own campaign in June. The pair join a crowded field vying for the four seats on the ballot — at least two of which are open. Meslissa McCullough, Elizabeth Sharp, Breckany Eckhardt, and Jeffrey Hoagland have all either filed to run or announced plans to file in this election cycle.
More candidates may soon join the race, as the official filing period for 2023 municipal elections runs through Friday, July 21. To see who has filed so far, click here.
Photo via Theodore Nollert.
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