Four seats claimed on county commissioners

Bernadette Pelissier (D)
Bernadette Pelissier, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, was elected to the board’s at-large seat with 71 percent of the vote.

She plans to increase commercial property and implement the Orange County transit plan.

“Transit will send the message that we are business friendly,” she said.

Pelissier also wants the county to focus on working with local high schools.

“I want to focus on economic vitality, so we can maintain our quality schools, the means to protect natural resources and have the monetary resources to protect our social safety net,” she said.

Penny Rich (D)
Chapel Hill Town Council member Penny Rich was elected to the District 1 seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners with 48 percent of the vote.

“The whole goal for running for the seat in the first place was trying to bring the town and the county together,” Rich said.

She is excited to get to work, and the first thing she will do is get to know the staff.

She also plans to turn her attention to alleviating taxes and supporting transit.

“We really need to figure out a way to alleviate the taxes,” she said.

“We think about growing, but if we don’t include a transit system with that, we are short sighted.”

Mark Dorosin (D)
Mark Dorosin, managing attorney at the UNC Center for Civil Rights, was elected to the District 1 seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners with 52 percent of the vote.

Dorosin formerly served on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.

As commissioner, Dorosin plans to improve affordable housing opportunities, increase diversity in local government, expand access to infrastructure and work on job creation.

His plan for economic development includes recruiting new business and creating an expedited process for development projects that are consistent with community needs and values.

Renee Price (D)
Renee Price, chairwoman of the Commission for the Environment, won the District 2 seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners with 71 percent of the vote.

“I’m very excited, very happy,” Price said.

“I do hope to try to begin to engage citizens in a dialogue moreso than we have now.”

She will work on revitalizing neighborhoods, encouraging diverse economic development and creating open government.

“I will open the doors of government so we can move forward,” she said.

Price also wants to promote green manufacturing, agriculture and local business.