Chapel Hill Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos has announced his pending retirement.
Karpinos was appointed Chapel Hill Town Attorney in the fall of 1985. Currently, he is the longest serving full-time in house municipal attorney in North Carolina. Before serving the Chapel Hill community, Karpinos was an assistant city attorney for the City of Winston-Salem from 1978 to 1985.
Mayor Pam Hemminger reported the news to the Council at its February 19 business meeting. The Town Attorney and the Town Manager are the only two staff positions that report directly to the Council.
“We will miss having Ralph available to provide the history behind important town and state decisions,” Hemminger said. “And, we are grateful for the passion he has brought to his work.”
During his career in local government law, Karpinos has worked on more than 20 cases in the North Carolina appellate courts. According to a Town of Chapel Hill press release, he has served with eight Chapel Hill mayors, five Chapel Hill Town Managers and more than 50 Chapel Hill Town Council members since 1985.
With Karpinos’s retirement on the horizon, Hemminger said the town council has begun the process to choose the next Town Attorney.
Karpinos said he is looking forward to helping the council and staff facilitate a smooth transition as he prepares to leave.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to serve as the Chapel Hill Town Attorney and to work with such an exceptional and talented group of elected officials and Town staff and a community of thoughtful and creative residents,” Karpinos said.
Karpinos was born in Washington and grew up in suburban Maryland. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University and a law degree is from the University of South Carolina.
For more information on Karpinos’s retirement, visit the town website.
(Photo courtesy of the Town of Chapel Hill)
Related Stories
‹
Here Are the Orange County Local Governments’ Approved Budgets, Tax Rates for 2026-27The final totals and changes for Orange County governments' budgets are being finalized. Here are the details of each approved so far.
Chapel Hill Approves FY27 Budget with No Tax Increases; Will Revisit Library Funding, Greenways in FallThe unanimous vote approved the Town of Chapel Hill to operate on a $170 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a slight increase.
As Chapel Hill Library Weighs Options Amid Possible Funding Cut, Supporters Speak Up to CountyAfter receiving more than $620,000 annually from the Orange County government, the Chapel Hill Public Library may soon lose that funding.
Blue Sky Robotics Expanding Chapel Hill Headquarters, Moving to Rosemary StreetBlue Sky Robotics, which has been headquartered in downtown Chapel Hill since its founding in 2023, will be moving to the Innovate Carolina Junction building at 136 East Rosemary Street. The company is currently located in the Hill Commercial Building on 142 East Franklin Street. In a presentation to the Chapel Hill Town Council Wednesday […]
No Tax Increases and Increased Spending Featured in Chapel Hill Staff's Proposed FY27 BudgetFollowing a year with improved revenues and a new town manager at the helm, the Town of Chapel Hill may go into the next fiscal year without a tax increase or significant cuts.
Impassioned Public Comment Leads Chapel Hill Town Council to Drop Discussion of DownsizingA discussion by the Chapel Hill Town Council about trimming its seats and extending the length of mayoral term was met with swift, vocal opposition during a public hearing last week.
Orange County Clerk of Court Mark Kleinschmidt Wins State, National HonorsOrange County Clerk of Superior Court Mark Kleinschmidt has been recognized with two awards – one statewide and one national – in recognition of his service. Kleinschmidt received the North Carolina Guardianship Association’s Trailblazer Award last week in Asheville, recognizing his two terms as Clerk of Superior Court and Probate Judge. In legal terms, guardianship […]
Climate Action, A New Hotel and Downsizing Council? Highlights from Chapel Hill Town Council's Apr. 15 MeetingThe Chapel Hill Town Council held its first official business meeting of the month on Wednesday, Apr. 15 to cover a full agenda — which included discussing affordable housing funding, ongoing climate action efforts, parking incentives for a hotel project, and more.
Chapel Hill to Resume Conversations for West Rosemary Street Hotel With Public HearingThis week, Chapel Hill is resuming talks for a proposed hotel development in its downtown along West Rosemary Street.
Local Government Meetings: March 23-27, 2026The Chatham County Board of Commissioners and Orange County school board are set to meet after seeing their prior meetings postponed.
›
