“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.
In Hillsborough, the Choice is Clear
A perspective from Matt Hughes
(Editor’s note: Matt Hughes is an incumbent candidate in this year’s Hillsborough Board of Commissioners election)
The state legislature has obstructed our ability to legislate important to citizens in our community, including the minimum wage, climate change, gun control, and other issues. Nonetheless, municipalities can leverage land use regulations, transportation strategies, zoning, developing parks and trails, comprehensive plans, and the power of the purse to implement policies in line with the values of our community.
Hillsborough’s Amtrak station continues to move down the tracks. We have improved our water and sewer system, thanks to investments from the state and funds from the American Recovery Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—signature accomplishments of President Joe Biden. The Town Board approved the state’s first Nondiscrimination Ordinance after the sunset of the so-called “bathroom bill”. The Town Board approved one of the state’s first Comprehensive Sustainability Plans to make combating climate change and building resiliency into how our town operates. And The Town Board has also committed to dedicating 2 cents of the tax rate to affordable housing with smart budgeting. These accomplishments are unusual for a town of our size. It shows what Democratic leadership, with experience in local office, can accomplish!
This fall there’s a race for Mayor and three Commissioner seats. Mark Bell, an incumbent Commissioner and Democrat, is running for Mayor. Myself and Evelyn Lloyd, both Democrats, are running for reelection. And Meaghun Darab, another Democrat, is running for Mark Bell’s open seat. A fourth candidate, who is aligned with a third-party and in nearly ten years has never voted in a town board election, is also running.
Mark, Evelyn, Meaghun, and I are running as a team and as proud Democrats. But we don’t and won’t always agree on everything. Yet we believe we present a shared progressive and positive vision for Hillsborough—a vision that is deeply rooted in experience, service, collaboration, accomplishment, and community.
To continue Hillsborough’s progress, residents should vote for Mark Bell, Evelyn Lloyd, Matt Hughes, and Meaghun Darab!
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
