While he is running unopposed, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt is the best person to fill the position of mayor for an additional two years.
When first elected, Kleinschmidt was handed a town trying to survive a nationwide recession and by the end of his second term, the recovering economy shifted the council’s focus towards improving the overall Chapel Hill experience.
Chapel Hill needs Kleinschmidt in his third term to oversee the implementation of Design Chapel Hill and the town’s Youth Initiative he was so proud to finally see get off the ground.
As the council faces criticisms from stakeholders in the various development plans, it is important that Kleinschmidt not only lead the council in holding public forums but also reach out to stakeholders that have been unrepresented and unheard in the past.
A proponent of municipal authority, Kleinschmidt and the council has revised town ordinances to protect the safety and welfare of citizens. Yet the N.C. Supreme Court has issued temporary stays on both the stricter regulations on towing practices and the ban on cellphone use while driving.
As the future of these ordinances comes to light, the town needs to solicit public feedback. Depending on the support shown, the town should either dedicate itself to the implementation of the bills or let them go.
Chapel Hill shouldn’t look to someone other than Mayor Kleinschmidt to carry out everything the town has been working on, and Kleinschmidt shouldn’t wane on the solicitation of public feedback throughout Town Council proceedings.
