The Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town has endorsed incumbent Mayor Pam Hemminger and Chapel Hill Town Council candidates Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz and Karen Stegman for the 2017 Chapel Hill municipal election.
CHALT has set criteria for candidate endorsements including their commitment and ability to offer solutions for CHALT’s community goals — an inclusive community for all income levels, traffic and transit solutions, comprehensive land-use policies, a healthy environment and other goals.
“What’s really important for a candidate is not just how they vote, but how they proceed on a day-to-day basis,” CHALT member Julie McClintock said. “It amounts to someone who is committed to making steady progress towards these goals.”
McClintock said Chapel Hill is notorious for planning initiatives without truly implementing them.
“For example, we have a wonderful bike plan, but we really want to see the bike plan implemented,” McClintock said. “We’re looking for candidates that will offer practical suggestions and a commitment.”
CHALT was also interested in not just candidates' goals and policies, but their character traits.
“Of course personal qualities and skills that are needed,” McClintock said. “A council member who will really listen to folks when they come down to town hall and not be lectured.”
The endorsement process involved candidate interviews and a forum held by CHALT. The information collected from the interviews and forum was then discussed at a meeting with CHALT’s most active members — around 30 people — where the final decisions for the endorsement were made, McClintock said.
CHALT’s town council endorsements did not include incumbent council members Maria Palmer and Ed Harrison.
