Carrboro Mayor Chilton gets roasted by his peers at fundraiser

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton wears a lot of fedoras and he’s hard to get in touch with — but his friends still say he’s done a great job as mayor.

Friends and colleagues of the outgoing mayor aimed jokes at his reputation at a roast and fundraiser hosted by EmPOWERment, Inc.

The roast served the dual purpose of bidding goodbye to Chilton, who will not run for reelection this fall, and raising funds for EmPOWERment, said Celisa Steele, president of the board of directors.

EmPOWERment is a nonprofit that works to improve access to affordable housing throughout Orange and Chatham counties. Chilton has been involved with the organization for 10 years.

Ruby Sinreich, the editor and founder of Orange Politics, compared the disparity between Mayor Chilton’s passion for Carrboro and propensity for leaving phone calls and emails unanswered.

“The one thing Mark seems to not be very passionate about is checking his voice mail,” Sinreich said. “I often think I would have better luck reaching him by carrier pigeon.”

Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said Chilton is very active on Facebook.

“I get more alerts from Mark Chilton on Facebook than Candy Crush notifications,” he said.

The relationship between Kleinschmidt’s and Chilton’s towns also came under fire at the roast.

“I want to congratulate you on completing your terms of office, governing the West Chapel Hill Homeowners Association,“ Kleinschmidt said in jest.

But he said he looked up to Chilton as an old friend and a mentor.

“Mark is one of the people I’ve had the fortune to look up to and seek guidance from,” Kleinschmidt said. “I am really looking forward to the contributions he will make in the next steps of his life.”

Carrboro resident Chris Marthinson said he’s been friends with the mayor for a long time.

“He was arrested in June,” he said. “Finally.”

Chilton was arrested and charged with second-degree trespass, failure to disperse and violation of building rules in June after he joined the Moral Monday protests at the N.C. General Assembly.

Chilton said he appreciated the attention, even if it meant he was on the receiving end of some jokes, and encouraged attendees to support EmPOWERment.

“I’ve got to say, it really is an honor to be here tonight and to be the focus of attention even if it’s negative to some degree,” Chilton said. “My first inauguration was 22 years ago. I’ve been being cussed out since then, so I reckon I can take it.”

Chilton said he knows he will miss spending Tuesday nights with the Board of Aldermen.

“I’ve really enjoyed refereeing your petty squabbles,” he said.

city@dailytarheel.com