Lydia Lavelle: Candidate for Mayor of Carrboro

With less than a week until Election Day, The Daily Tar Heel spoke with the Carrboro Board of Aldermen candidates to discuss major issues facing the board. Election Day is Nov. 5.

Candidate: Lydia Lavelle

Age: 52

Daily Tar Heel: What do you think are the biggest issues in this election?

Lydia Lavelle: Development, whether its downtown or in the neighborhood. We want to make as little impact as possible but still develop.

Also, our community is always looking to try to relieve the tax burden on residential home owners and figure out how to promote economic development in a way that helps the local economy but help the people who pay property taxes keep their taxes down.

DTH: You’ve done a lot for tourism in Carrboro. Carrboro Tourism and Development Authority board will draft a budget on Nov. 4 for the current fiscal year. What are your recommendations to the board?

Lavelle: It’s required by law to have the money we collect by hotel tax to use as the money to increase tourism and support visitors in our town. They’ll continue to promote local events like the music and poetry and movie festivals, and continue to promote arts. We also work in conjunction with the Orange County Visitors Bureau.

DTH: Tourism is growing in Carrboro, so if people are interested in taking tours of Carrboro, how will you help the town adapt and expand its tourism?

Lavelle: I’m really excited about the possibility of having a walking and biking tour of Carrboro. Chapel Hill did that during Carrboro Day, which was a good first start. People like to come to a community and walk around and learn about it.

DTH Do you think the town should dedicate more money to tourism?

Lavelle: Since we have our first hotel in Carrboro, that will generate money for tourism. Beyond that, we are doing other things to promote tourism, like the revamping of our website, neighborhood listservs and lots of standing events.

DTH: Why are you the best candidate for the job?

Lavelle: I appreciate the show of confidence in other community members who wanted to run, but decided not to because I said I was running. I hope to carry on with the work of the board.

city@dailytarheel.com