Chapel Hill residents can apply to Town Council starting today

Starting today, any resident can apply to be appointed to a position on the Chapel Hill Town Council.

Bill Strom left the seat Aug. 1, inciting public skepticism of his motivations — had he resigned a few days earlier, his seat would have been up for election, not appointment. Now the council will choose the seat.

Some officials and residents said the council shouldn’t be announcing his open seat at 8 a.m. today without much notice or chance for public comment.

“This is a mistake in terms of public perception,” council member Matt Czajkowski said. “You can explain it all the ways you want, but you still end up with the same trust issues.”

Today’s meeting was called to discuss a time-sensitive property purchase, Mayor Kevin Foy said, but the town code requires that any open seat be discussed at the next meeting.

“I don’t understand what the objection is to announcing it,” Foy said. “The substance of the matter is who gets appointed, and we’re just going to discuss the process.”

Foy said he will set the application deadline at 30 days — the most time allowed by town charter. An applicant for Strom’s seat will be chosen after the Nov. 3 election, he said, but it hasn’t been determined whether the council that chooses will be the newly elected one or the one currently sitting.

“I honestly think and hope the council will delay the decision so the new council will decide who they want to work with,” said candidate Gene Pease, who said he hasn’t decided whether to apply for appointment in addition to running a campaign for election.

Candidates will not have time to apply for the seat if they lose the election. Anybody who wants to be considered for the appointment must have an application in by the 30-day deadline, well before Election Day.

Four seats on the town council are up for election. There are eight candidates.

Candidates Penny Rich and Ed Harrison, an incumbent, said they won’t apply for appointment.

“I want to be elected by the people of Chapel Hill,” Rich said. “I do not want to be appointed by the Town Council.”

Candidate Will Raymond would not comment and other candidates could not be reached.


Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.