UNC junior aspires to be Chapel Hill mayor

Junior Scott Rodgers wants to eventually become the mayor of Chapel Hill.

The charismatic economics major from Raleigh took his first step last month: e-mailing current Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt for advice about how to become qualified.

“It doesn’t do much good to just sit around and say, ‘Things should be this way, things should be that way,’” Rodgers said. “To be in a position of power where, you know, I can actually make things happen, would really excite me.”

Being mayor would allow him to lead at a local level, where he thinks he is best qualified.

“My interest probably arose over the course of my college career, just sort of wishing things were a different way, me sort of thinking, ‘What are ways that this could be improved?’” Rodgers said.

Some of those things included frustration with a lack of parking on campus and in downtown Chapel Hill, especially on game days.

Kleinschmidt said he plans to respond to Rodgers’ request for advice soon.

“It’s not something that generally people make a life goal,” Kleinschmidt said. “It’s just something that generally happens from working in the community and caring about people and being involved.”

There is no traditional road to becoming mayor, said Kleinschmidt, a criminal defense lawyer who was a Chapel Hill Town Council member before he became mayor.

“People find different paths depending upon where their interests lie and where their skill set is,” he said. “It’s something that’s especially peculiar to the individual.”

Rodgers’ primary interests are transportation and land use policies. One of the first things he would do as mayor is improve the bus system, he said. He regularly attends council meetings involving transportation.

Rodgers said that he hopes to learn more about other issues in the community, and if he did not know enough to be a good mayor, he would not run.

Long-time friend Philip Carr said Rodgers is a very determined individual.

“He seems to always know what he wants to do and seems to always get it done,” said Carr, a junior who has known Rodgers since they were 4 years old.

Rodgers would like to improve his networking skills, he said. This is something he admires in Kleinschmidt.

“He looks like someone you could strike up a conversation with on the street, like he’s a really friendly guy. That’s a very important quality for the mayor,” Rodgers said. “I’m going to try to be like that.”

The most challenging part of being mayor is balancing personal life and civic responsibilities, Kleinschmidt said.

Rodgers said he is capable of taking on the challenges because of his intense passion for Chapel Hill.

“I love this town. I love this community. It’s just something I think I’d be really good at,” he said.


Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu