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Council members urge candidates to apply for vacancy

Posted on September 17, 2009October 10, 2009 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

After discussing next steps in how to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Bill Strom, some members of the Chapel Hill Town Council said they hope that candidates in this fall’s council elections also apply for the seat.

Council members Sally Greene and Jim Ward said that given rules that would not allow the council to appoint one of the losing candidates unless they were on the official list of applicants, they hope that all of those running for election take the time to apply.
“I think [the candidates] should go ahead and apply and not worry about people thinking you think you’re going to lose,” Greene said.

Ward said he encourages those running to put in an application to “give yourself an additional chance to serve.”

The council opted to not set a timetable for the review of applicants despite a proposal by Mayor Kevin Foy that would have applicants make their pitch before the council at its Nov. 16 meeting.

The council also discussed the idea of naming the fifth-place finisher in the Nov. 3 election to fill the vacancy.

Council member and mayoral candidate Matt Czajkowski stressed that he’d like to see the council commit to naming the fifth-place finisher from the election. Czajkowski said naming the fifth-place finisher makes sense since that person would have just been through a campaign. Council member Laurin Easthom, who is running for re-election, agreed, saying that going through the process of running would give the fifth-place vote-getter solid insights into the thinking and concerns of voters.

“My goal is that the council chooses the most democratic process [for filling the vacancy],” she said.

Easthom said she would likely not put in an application. Since she has served on the council for four years, it would mean something different, she said, if voters chose not to re-elect her. Ed Harrison, who is also running for re-election, said he agreed with her sentiment.

Council member Mark Kleinschmidt, who is also running for mayor, said while he found the arguments for naming the fifth-place vote-getter “very persuasive,” he did not think the council could require that outcome, especially if there is a decision to wait until after the first week in December, when the new council would be sworn in. Other than putting their preference for a fifth-place vote-getter on the record, Kleinschmidt said, the council would not be able to take any action to ensure it happens.

“We can’t bind each other to that decision,” he said.

Prior to the discussion, the council heard from developer Carol Ann Zinn, who was representing the group Citizens for Responsible Government. Zinn urged the council to wait until after January, when a new council was seated and after the winter break, to name Strom’s replacement. The council, she said, should be willing to wait until then in order to “recognize the wisdom of voting citizens.”

Those interested in applying for the vacancy have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 12. Under the town ordinance for filling a vacancy on the council, only those who have applied can be nominated for the seat.

Will Raymond, who is running for council, said this week that he would put in an application and he is encouraging the other candidates in the race to do the same. By doing so, Raymond said, the issue of Strom’s replacement would become less of a distraction in the campaign.

1 thought on “Council members urge candidates to apply for vacancy”

  1. John Kramer PE says:
    September 17, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Kleinschmidt’s plan is out. He wanted a spot if he did not get Mayor.

    Sorry, Mark!

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