Officials Juggle Responsibilities, Personal Life

And like many local leaders, Town Manager Cal Horton is beginning to feel the weight of the multi-million dollar deficit.

Horton -- who said stress in government jobs "just comes with the territory" -- added that although this time of year is traditionally plagued by financial difficulties, 2002 has been particularly difficult.

"People are asked to work faster and longer than they normally would," Horton said.

And officials' increasing workloads make respites from stress harder to come by.

"The only thing we can do is keep a good sense of humor about it," he said.

In addition to the demands of serving as elected officials, most council members -- even the mayor -- also work full-time jobs.

Many town officials say balancing responsibilities at work and home with their duties in local government causes the most difficulty.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy estimates that he spends 20 hours a week on town business -- excluding weekly council meetings -- after working a full week as an attorney in a small local practice.

"Basically, there are a lot of irons in the fire at the same time," Foy said.

To escape the heat, Foy said he has started playing golf but admits that the sport itself can be stressful.

Council member Dorothy Verkerk also knows all too well the long hours and delicate balancing act required of elected officials.

Verkerk -- a council member, assistant chairwoman of the art department at UNC and mother of three -- said she grows tired of dealing with budget problems on two fronts.

"I'm assistant chair of the art department, so I hear bad news about funding from the University, and then I go to a town meeting and hear more bad news about money," she said.

Verkerk said she tries to prevent stress by limiting her daily schedule to only the most essential tasks and then concentrating on those alone.

At the end of the day, she steps out of the office and tries to leave her worries behind with a leisurely walk home. The fresh air and exercise help to clear her mind.

But Verkerk said her family provides the most refreshing release from the stress of her day. "My kids are great, and so is my husband. I think that people who have children have a better balance than people who don't."

Verkerk also said she often wishes disagreements among council members were as easy to deal with as her children's behavior.

"Sometimes I feel like saying, 'You need to go sit in timeout,'" she said.

Newly elected council member Mark Kleinschmidt said he sometimes needs a timeout when his demanding schedule stretches him to his limit.

He said his time on the council, combined with his work as a litigator for capital punishment cases, has forced him to learn to stand up for himself when his schedule becomes unworkable. "The wonderful thing about people is more often than not, if you say, 'Hey, I can't do this,' they are more than happy to accommodate you," he said.

Like Verkerk, Kleinschmidt relaxes by spending time with the people he cares about. That is all he has time for right now, he said -- although he misses his old workout routine.

Kleinschmidt said, "Just the past few weeks I've been thinking, 'How am I going to get back to the gym?'"

The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.