Hill May Have Impacted Race

Even though Hill garnered only 116 votes in the Nov. 6 election, some say his greatest contribution to the race was his campaign's emphasis on growth.

UNC Department of Public Policy Professor Daniel Gitterman said Hill had more of an impact with the issues that he thought decided the race.

"(Hill) staked out the most far anti-growth claim," he said. "That positioned Foy as the moderate for growth."

Hill held a press conference one week before the election to announce the end of his campaign and to throw his support behind the eventual winner, Kevin Foy.

At the press conference, Hill also launched Chapel Hill First, a lobbying group that will support politicians who limit development in the area.

Growth has become a major concern for area residents, especially after the Chapel Hill Town Council's Oct. 3 approval of UNC's Development Plan, an eight-year plan for campus growth.

Gitterman said managing growth, particularly with regard to environmental concerns, proved to be an important issue in this year's elections.

Along with Foy, the three new members elected to the council were endorsed by the Sierra Club, an organization that advocates environmental preservation and responsible development.

"(The election) sent a strong mandate," Gitterman said. "If (the voters) did not pick pro-environmentalists, they picked neutral candidates."

Hill said his major impact on the race was bringing focus to responsible growth.

"(Before I entered), the race was about stuff that didn't matter or mattered only a little bit," Hill said. "Once I started talking about growth, everybody started talking about growth."

Kevin Foy won the race with 57 percent of the vote to opponent Lee Pavao's 39 percent. Hill, whose name appeared on the ballot despite his dropping out, garnered 1 percent of the vote.

Pavao said he was not sure what impact Hill had on the race. "(Hill) did campaign, and whatever following he had, he tossed to Kevin," Pavao said. "It's hard to say how many he threw to Kevin."

Foy could not be reached for comment.

Sierra Club Chairman Robert Porter said the newly elected council members will have a new stance on the environment. But Porter said those who want to maintain the status quo in Chapel Hill's growth must accept some development.

"There will be growth, but growth will be more carefully considered," he said. "It will be more environmentally friendly."

Gitterman said that although there are not numbers to clearly represent Hill's effect on the mayoral election, the race might have changed direction because of the way the growth issue was addressed.

"It's hard to tell (the effect) since he pulled out," Gitterman said. "He got the issue of growth on the agenda."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.