Chapel Hill Town Council/Mayoral Candidate Questions

 

Issue:? Tax Base

1.     The Town of Chapel Hill depends heavily on residential property taxes to support local government.? According to the Economic Development Commission, in 2000, Chapel Hill?s tax base was 79% residential and 21% commercial.

a.     Do you support increasing the commercial tax base in Chapel Hill by allowing more commercial development? YES

b.     Do you think the Town Council should play a larger role in supporting efforts to promote Chapel Hill and the Downtown Business District and in recruiting and retaining local businesses?? YES

c.      Do you think the Town Council should increase their support for local economic development efforts?? YES

d.     Candidate Statements.

 

The Town must implement policies that support the sustainability of local businesses and employers.? Town commitments to locally owned businesses, the environment, and transit must not be compromised by a desire to increase the commercial tax base through recruitment of big-box retail that would negatively impact our quality of life.

 

Issue:? Affordable Housing

2.     Currently, the Town Council uses a strict regulatory approach to affordable housing by requiring a development to include specific percentages of houses of particular sizes (but not necessarily at an affordable price).

a.     Would you support fast-track approvals and/or increased ?density bonuses? for projects that voluntarily propose new houses priced less than $175,000 no matter what the size? No

b.     In light of the success of the Legion Road town homes, would you support changes in the development ordinance so that the required number of small and affordable houses could be met by building attached townhouses as opposed to the current requirements that permit only free-standing single family dwellings to meet affordability requirements? Yes

c.      Candidate Statement

 

Sustaining affordability must be the first concern in affordable housing policy.? I support the creation of land trusts to guarantee that housing remains affordable beyond the initial purchase.? As long as such protections are in place, I would support density bonuses for affordable housing in the manner of Legion Road.

 

Issue:? School/Adequate Public Facilities

3.     A countywide adequate public facilities ordinance would require a certificate of adequate school facilities before any new house could be built in the county.

a.     Do you think an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance will have a negative impact on the availability of affordable housing in the community? NO

b.    Do you think that regulating growth and development in Chapel Hill is a municipal responsibility, or should the school boards be the governing bodies that control growth in the county?? Municipal

c.      Are you supportive of a countywide Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance? Yes

d.     Candidate Statement.

 

I support the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.? It is vital to ensuring the availability of educational services without compromising the educational quality of our local schools. The availability of educational facilities must be a factor in approving residential development.? The Ordinance does not compromise the Town?s ability to effectively manage development.

 

 

Issue:? Development Ordinance

4.     The Chapel Hill Town Council is presently revising the Development Ordinance.?

a.     Do you think the Development Ordinance should be written to make the development process less adversarial and more collaborative?? YES

b.     If a project complies with new site runoff rules, do you think it should be given flexibility in determining exactly what the parking needs are for the project?? NO

c.      Do you think the Development Ordinance should be written with clear deadlines and time expectations to expedite approval or denial, and so developers and Town staff will have a clear understanding of how long a project will take and can plan accordingly?? YES

d.     Candidate Statement.

 

Runoff is merely one important concern implicated by the design of a project?s parking facility.? Flexibility requires the consideration of the environmental impact, public transportation use, and traffic flow around a development.? The complexity of issues like these underscores the necessity for a collaborative process with clear deadlines and expectations.

 

Personal Statement

 

I am running for Town Council because our town needs progressive leaders who will work hard to manage growth effectively, protect the environment, and improve relations between the university and the town. My work as an attorney for death row inmates and as a schoolteacher in an inner-city school gives me perspective into the needs of segments of our community who are often overlooked.? I pledge to work equally hard on human and environmental needs as a member of the Town Council.

 

The challenges Chapel Hill faces are formidable.? The University expansion coupled with other growth pressures, present many quality-of-life choices for our community.? Whether one agrees or disagrees with the heavy-handed manner in which the University has begun implementing its development plan, it is clear the Town must work to mitigate the negative impact of growth on the quality of life.? This includes implementing policies to assure affordable housing, reducing traffic congestion through improved transit and thoughtful developmental policies, protecting our watersheds, and preserving greenways.?

 

I have always been an active participant in my community, both as a volunteer and through my choice of professions.? As the first openly gay Speaker of the Student Congress, I developed strong lines of communication with university administrators.? I have been active in the Orange County Teen Court, which provides alternatives to juvenile court and incarceration for children from diverse backgrounds. I am on the Board of EqualityNC Project, a statewide non-profit organization focusing on GLBT issues. Additionally,? I am an active Democrat currently serving on the State Executive Committee and as Chairperson of my precinct.

 

My campaign is a continuation of my long-standing commitment to public service. I will be a progressive voice for our community?s future and will seek to balance the needs of people, businesses, the environment, and our institutions.?