Coleman announces, others to follow
By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
The first Tuesday in November might seem like a few months and a few dozen degrees Fahrenheit away, but election season is right around the corner. Or it was until Monday, when Carrboro Board of Alderman member Dan Coleman broke the ice and became the first to step up and officially announce his candidacy for elected office.
Speaking before roughly 20 supporters who had gathered in the shade at the Carrboro Town Commons, Coleman said he would concentrate on planning for Carolina North, improving housing affordability and would work to bring a free-standing public library to the downtown. He also said he would make sure that as the town grows, neighborhood concerns are heard.
“Neighborhoods are at the heart of our Carrboro way of life,†he said. “When town policy affects them, I will make sure they are brought into a dialog, not just a hearing.â€
Coleman was introduced by Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, who noted later that she wore her best thrift store dress for the occasion. (“What’s more Carrboro than that?†the former four-term mayor said.)
Coleman was appointed in 2006 to serve out the term of Board of Aldermen member Mark Chilton after Chilton was elected mayor. At the time, supporters of Katrina Ryan, who finished fifth in the race for four aldermen seats, objected to the appointment, saying Ryan should have gotten the nod. The controversy led Carrboro to more thoroughly spell out the rules and procedures for replacing board members.
Coleman, a longtime Sierra Club member and activist, has focused on broadening the town’s tax base and improving commercial viability downtown. He also has been a representative on the town’s New Horizon Task Force, which looked at the impacts of the town’s recent annexation of several northern neighborhoods.
Indications are that Coleman won’t be alone for long in the “announced†category. In replies to email inquires from The Citizen, several office holders said they planned to announce in the coming days.
Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton said he would likely announce his intention to seek another term next week.
His counterpart in Hillsborough, first-term incumbent Tom Stevens, said he plans to announce on July 6, as does Chapel Hill Town Council member Cam Hill.
Elected officials who have said they are not likely to seek re-election are 13-year Board of Aldermen incumbent Alex Zaffron and Elizabeth Carter of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education.
Joal Hall Broun, the other member of the Carrboro board whose term expires in 2007, said she’s not ready to talk about the campaign. “I’m just trying to make it to summer,†she said with a smile during a break in Tuesday night’s marathon board meeting.
In addition to Hill, Chapel Hill incumbents whose terms expire this year are Mayor Kevin Foy and council members Bill Strom, Jim Ward and Sally Greene.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools held an orientation for potential school board candidates on Tuesday. Four potential candidates attended the orientation, where board member Lisa Stuckey and assistant superintendent for community relations Stephanie Knott described the board’s duties, as well as the challenges board members face as the district grows.
In addition to Carter, members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education whose terms expire in 2007 are Jamezetta Bedford, Mike Kelley and Annetta Streaker.
The official filing period for the fall elections, which is shorter this year than in years past, opens at noon on Friday July 6 and closes at noon on Friday, July 20.