The women’s march and rally in Washington on Jan. 21 had over 500,000 attendees, and related rallies worldwide pushed the total number of people involved to more than a million.
Taking part in giant rallies or national movements, though, is not the only way to make a political difference. UNC students considering political advocacy should weigh the advantages of becoming politicians themselves: local politicians.
As this board has written about recently, local governments have some unique traits — and some advantages — that distinguish them from larger political entities.
While their budgets look relatively miniscule next to state and federal outlays, towns and counties are where much of the money is spent and decisions made that most directly affect the day-to-day lives of American citizens. Chapel Hill’s town government, for example, provides a bus system, police and fire departments, local parks and libraries. They also manage parking in the town.
For residents of Chapel Hill, in other words, much of the services that imbue civilized life with its advantages and frustrations are ultimately the responsibility of town government officials.
The flexibility and accessibility of local government can also produce local laws that suit the unique body of people who live here. However, for that to happen, the people who make up a large part of that local political body have to involve themselves in the local political process.
In 2009, UNC students made up 23 percent of that body for Chapel Hill. That’s 23 percent of Chapel Hill citizens who, though they may lack experience, could play a large role in guiding the development of the town they live in.
Several UNC students have worked as local elected officials over the years, including former Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton, who was elected to Chapel Hill Town Council in 1991 while still an undergraduate at UNC (he graduated in 1993). Gerry Cohen, who retired in 2014 from his work as special counsel to the N.C. state legislature, served on the 1970s equivalent of that Chapel Hill board while he was a student at UNC’s law school.
So, it’s hardly unheard of for current UNC students to reach the upper levels of town government — but becoming a town council member is not the only way to get involved.
