Waldorf Set To Relinquish Mayoral Post

Mayor-elect Kevin Foy will be inaugurated as the new mayor of Chapel Hill at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Town Hall.

Waldorf said she opted not to seek the post again because it was time for a new face to lead town government. "People need to do their service and then move on so that new energy and new ideas can fill these roles," she said.

Waldorf first came to Chapel Hill in 1970 as a UNC student. Attracted to the school's affordability, she also earned two master's degrees -- in English and journalism -- from UNC. After graduation, Waldorf worked for The Chapel Hill News as a local government reporter. She later served as administrative assistant to then-Mayor Joe Nassif.

Waldorf said the positions sparked her interest in local government. "I got a real sense of how local government works and the dynamics of the town," she said. "I finally decided, 'Well, I can do this, too.'"

Waldorf first served as a member of the Chapel Hill Town Council for one term before running for mayor in 1995.

Waldorf said she believes her concern for public safety earned her the mayoral post. "A big issue in Chapel Hill (in the early 1990s) was public safety because of the spike in crime rates," Waldorf said. "I was a very outspoken leader in getting our town to give resources to the police department to modernize it."

Since then, Waldorf has served three terms as mayor.

One of the accomplishments that she is most proud of is the improvements made to downtown Chapel Hill, including the widening of the sidewalk on Franklin Street. "I believe that the downtown is now ripe and exciting," she said.

Laying the groundwork for the improvement of local mass transportation is another accomplishment in which Waldorf takes pride. "I became involved in the advocacy of regional mass transit," she said. "(There is now) very fertile ground for good progress on improving regional transportation."

During the final days of Waldorf's administration, the issue of University growth has been at the forefront of town discussion. The Town Council approved UNC's Development Plan, an eight-year guide for campus growth, on Oct. 3.

Although Waldorf said maintaining town-gown relations has been a challenge, she said she is pleased that she was instrumental in bringing both sides to the table for discussions about campus growth. "It was not an easy task, but we concluded it successfully," she said.

But Waldorf also said she will leave office regretting that some tasks, such as the Employee Housing Project, were not completed. The project would take town and University property and redevelop it into affordable housing for town and UNC employees.

Despite some unrealized goals, Town Council member Flicka Bateman said Waldorf has been a capable and goal-oriented leader.

"She is bright, articulate and sticks to the task no matter how hard it is," Bateman said. "She is a very good representative of our community."

Gary Waldorf, Waldorf's husband, said his wife's role has presented both challenges and rewards for their family.

"We, as a family, although it has been a sacrifice, have benefitted considerably from her mayoral position," he said.

As she prepares to leave the mayoral position, Rosemary Waldorf advises future mayors to acknowledge the work of the town's employees. "The mayor should let employees know they are respected and appreciated," Waldorf said.

After her time as mayor concludes today, Waldorf plans to look for a new job. She said she is open to "several different avenues," but will stay in Chapel Hill.

"I'm here for good."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.