As several mayors are departing their roles in Orange County, the first candidate has announced plans to run for an open seat this fall.
Mark Bell, a Hillsborough town commissioner, shared on Sunday he will run for mayor instead of seeking a third term on the board. The healthcare technology professional posted the announcement on both his personal and campaign Facebook pages.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve Hillsborough for the past seven and a half years as a Commissioner and to serve as the Mayor Pro Tempore for two years during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency,” wrote Bell. “During this time Hillsborough has experienced a lot of change – and challenges – and I’m proud of my contributions to the work we’ve done with Town staff, residents, and stakeholders to improve the quality of life and services to Hillsborough.”
Hillsborough’s mayor seat will be open this local election cycle after current Mayor Jenn Weaver said she will not seek re-election for a third term. She ran unopposed in each of her elections, including in 2019 after long-time Mayor Tom Stevens announced his retirement.
In his campaign announcement, Bell cited both Weaver and Stevens for their leadership in the town, describing them as an “inspiration to serve in elected office.”
“Jenn and Tom are great examples of servant-leaders and I hope to carry their sense of dedication forward if elected Mayor,” he said.
Bell moved to Orange County in 1993 and then to Hillsborough in 2005 after living in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. In addition to serving as the Mayor Pro Tempore, he served on a variety of advisory and organizational boards for the town, including the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board, Hillsborough Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, and the Hillsborough Historic District Commission. In his campaign announcement, Bell also pointed to his time working with the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, PORCH Hillsborough, Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, Orange County Health Equity Council, Orange County Transit Plan Steering Committee, Orange County Food Council, Orange County Intergovernmental Parks Work Group, Orange County Solid Waste Advisory Board, and Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Outside of his work in the town government, Bell is currently the vice president of business development for Bamboo Health — a healthcare technology company that serves state governments and hospital systems. Prior to that, he spent two decades working for the North Carolina Healthcare Association and wrote or co-authored more than a dozen technology books. Bell also said he served in the Naval Reserve for eight years.
“As Mayor of Hillsborough,” he wrote, “I look forward [to] leveraging my professional and civic experience to provide Hillsborough residents and visitors with outstanding public services, balance residential and commercial growth, and to meet future civic challenges with a commitment to equity and opportunity.”
The filing period for the 2023 local election cycle in North Carolina begins on Friday, July 7, according to the state Board of Elections. In addition to the mayorship and Bell’s commissioner seat being up for election, the town board seats of Matt Hughes and Evelyn Lloyd will be on the Hillsborough ballot.
Photo via Mark Bell for Hillsborough.
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