The letter was signed by Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger, Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens and Orange County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Earl McKee.
“We thought it was important to make a statement about just holding fast to values that are important to us and to the larger part of the community,” Stevens said.
The values outlined in the letter, which was released Nov. 14, included embracing immigrant residents, advocating for nondiscrimination of LGBTQ residents, acknowledging and taking steps to prevent and deter climate change, accessible health care, common-sense regulation of guns and ensuring that all citizens feel safe in the Orange County community.
“I think our residents wanted some assurance from the government that they know and is the most responsive to the people, and that’s the local level,” Lavelle said.
The letter reassured residents that Orange County and its officials will not only remain steadfast in their values, but that racial, religious and homophobic harassment has no place in the community.
“I guess I would say we tried to keep the letter as nonpartisan as possible — recognizing that we are in a county that is predominantly Democratic — but the letter was really meant to be one of reminding some of our residents to be respectful of one another,” Lavelle said.
Overall, feedback toward the letter was positive, but many of the officials said that a part of having a welcoming community is allowing and listening to opposing views.
“I recognize that any time we make statements about ‘This is how our community feels, this is what we think, this is what we value,’ there’s always folks who might take exception to that,” Stevens said. “I want to reiterate that that value is to listen to all of our residents to make sure people feel welcomed, including [those] having dissenting views.”
