Community members bring concerns, discuss change at Carrboro Town Hall

On Saturday, community leaders and members gathered at the Drakeford Library Complex for a Carrboro Town Hall meeting to discuss the potential impacts of state legislation on the Town’s initiatives. Topics included racial equity, affordable housing, climate resilience and local responses to federal immigration policies.

Carrboro’s Chief Race and Equity Officer Anita Jones-McNair opened the meeting with an overview of the Town’s race equity work, outlining initiatives over the past six years related to accessibility, inclusion and community engagement. 

"We've spent more time listening, more time engaging and more time educating our community about services and resources,” Jones-McNair said.  

Jones-McNair also spoke about recent Town initiatives like the Criminal Justice Debt Program to help cover court fees, expanded sidewalk accessibility and the launch of Boost Carrboro to support small businesses. 

The floor was opened to community members, allowing them to share concerns and ask questions. 

Community members raised around N.C. House Bill 244, which limits the flags that can be displayed on property owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision of the state. They also brainstormed ways to resist legislation that could undermine equity initiatives. Some attendees suggested creating petitions and other ways to increase community engagement.

Betty Curry, another community member and vice-chair of Carrboro’s affordable housing advisory commission, said she is concerned about the lack of reparations for Black residents. Curry, who is also a representative on the Town's Racial Equity Commission, said that the history of Black residents in the Town is at risk of being disregarded.

“The Blacks in this community have always been victims of a struggle, and now it's possible that their history is disregarded, which is very disturbing to me, because my ancestors built this community that everybody's prospering off,” Curry said.  

Curry said that while the Black population in Carrboro is small, those who have lived in the community for generations should be acknowledged. 

Community member Isaac Woolsey, a disability rights and public transit activist, said that he noticed that most disabled or mentally ill residents are either experiencing homelessness or renting an apartment with poor conditions.

“They don't own their own housing," he said. "I think that is wrong and inexcusable. If we want to be equitable, we need to work on having everyone have their own house and property.” 

Community members also called for proactive measures to protect the Town’s immigrant community from potential deportations.

Kodi Maier spoke about the Town’s response to federal immigration enforcement. They said they would like more clarity on how local officials would act in specific situations. 

"[The sheriff] said he’s disgusted," Maier said. "That’s great. Can I call him if ICE has come for my partner? Can I ask him to intervene?”

Amy Armbruster, Carrboro’s chief sustainability officer, responded to questions about climate action plans, particularly surrounding protections against extreme and unexpected weather. She said that extreme heat and stormwater are key vulnerabilities.

“In some places of our community, the temperatures on hot summer days can be almost 11 degrees warmer than in other neighborhoods,” Armbruster said. "That's one big issue that I've been thinking a whole lot about as we start to get into spring and summer." 

After the meeting, Maier said that social media often shows what's happening in Washington, D.C., and that it can be easy to forget about local action. 

“I think being able to actually see proof of that — of the physical, material community — rather than just having it online or kind of in the ether, right?" Maier said.  "Knowing that there are other people out there that care about you and that they are trying to do something.”

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com