Friends of Bolin Creek interviewed the candidates for Carrboro Board of Aldermen in early October. All candidates participated except for the Mayor. This is the first of three reports on candidates’ views. The entire report can be found here.
What will be your top three priorities if elected to office in Carrboro? Why? What action(s) will you take to achieve each of these priorities upon taking office?
Candidate Dan Coleman:
- Hire best town manager: One with Carrboro values.
- Meet financial challenges: There’s been three years with no tax increases or layoffs, but it’s more and more challenging.
- Carrboro’s local economy: Town’s economic viability is rooted in local businesses. Carrboro’s Music Festival, for example, is supported by dozens of local businesses. Planning principles articulated by the Board of Aldermen (BOA) will serve to protect the community. Carrboro is trying to create a distinct culture: cookie cutter development won’t work here. We really listen to neighbors.
Candidate Braxton Foushee:
- Services for Rogers Road: Need to compensate residents for years of living with the landfill. Carrboro is going to have to pay the tipping fee, and the monies will go to the community out there. All we can do is keep working with Orange County. It’s a debt that we have to pay. We can make it affordable by offering the residents a loan for water-and- sewer hook-up. With their water bill, residents pay a monthly fee until it’s paid off.
- Work-force housing: Need housing for teachers, firefighters and police who work here.
- Jobs : Work to attract clean industry, employers who can provide 50 to 70 jobs each. Downtown is our urban center. Shelton project is not a good fit. Keep downtown vibrant. Parking is the biggest problem. Town doesn’t own any parking lots, but rents them.”
Candidate Michelle Johnson:
- Growth: Supports mixed-use development, as well as green, sustainable development where citizens can walk and bike. Density centered in the urban core. Concerned about the proposed developments on Lloyd Street and also along Greensboro at 500 Shelton Place, how these will affect the surrounding area. Will these developments increase walking, or just increase traffic?
- Diversifying tax base: Need to help local businesses sustain themselves, including increasing the revolving loan fund, developing crisis funds for businesses, and continuing the Energy WISE program.
- Affordable housing: People should be able to live where they work. Expressed support for town development of affordable housing, rather than just payments by developers to the affordable-housing trust.
- Diversity: Seeks to encourage diverse citizen participation. Not certain at present that Town boards and Town staff are receiving input from a representative sample of Carrboro citizens.
- Day-laborer issues: Would vote to rescind the anti-loitering ordinance
Candidate Lydia Lavelle:
- Improved transportation is key to growing infrastructure
- More downtown development: Desires more commercial development close to town center.
- Work with regional partners: Is currently head of Durham Chapel Hill MPO which disburses transportation funds, and sits on the UNC Visitors’ Bureau.