Staff Writer
Stepping down from her post on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen – after 12 years on the job – “feels goodâ€; actually, it “feels great†to Joal Hall Broun.
When Broun – never one to hold back her true sentiments – sought a seat on the board in 1999, she did so with purpose, something she’s carried throughout her tenure on the board, which came to a close earlier this month.
“I felt like I could make a contribution,†she said. Prior to her campaign for alderman, Broun, who had moved to Carrboro from Salisbury in 1992 for a job as a public defender, had spent six years on the OWASA board, from which she gained experience dealing with a large budget. Her education in the law and experience in the community rounded out that knowledge; plus, she likes to participate in the development of policy.
So she threw her hat in the ring for appointment to a seat on the board, where she’d spend more than a decade, winning reelection three times, working to determine “how to leave the town in a better position†than when she started.
And with that, she’s succeeded.
“Joal is all about the process and is thoroughly committed to the process being fair and equitable for all citizens,†board member Randee Haven-O’Donnell said. “She is dedicated to that principle and consistent to that principle and without bias.â€
“I think that that’s really important,†Haven-O’Donnell added. “She always keeps an eye on the bigger picture as it relates to inclusiveness and that unspoken perspective, and I have always admired her forthrightness.â€
Mayor Mark Chilton notes in particular Broun’s work related to the Carrboro Branch Library.
“We’re going to miss her leadership on the board on those sorts of issues,†he said.
“She certainly always has been a consistent voice for making sure that minority populations of our community are not left out of the discussion,†Chilton added.
Broun has been vocal throughout the community’s discussion of a freestanding Carrboro branch library. She’s worked with the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library for years, and plans to continue to serve on the group’s board of directors.
“There’s no reason there shouldn’t be a library branch in Carrboro. There should’ve been one 10 years ago,†she said. “Libraries are a place where you can learn a new skill, you can improve your academic success, you can have a community meeting.â€
But, she added, “Libraries on the whole are underfunded in Orange County.â€
A word (OK, a few) on development
When Broun was first seated on the board of aldermen, “We had a bad [Capital Investment Plan],†she said. “I thought we had to be more specific about what capital projects we were going to work on.â€
So she focused on the CIP, and along with other board members got the town going on projects like the Homestead Road fire station.
Broun is also proud of her work with the board on securing the town’s purchases for open space, like the Adams Tract and the Martin Luther King Jr. property, as well as the joint efforts of the town and school system on the Smith Middle School fields, where her son now practices soccer.
But as Carrboro moves forward, Broun said, it’s important that the board consider what types of development it envisions for Carrboro.
“If you don’t want a Shelton Station and you don’t want a CVS, what do you want?†she said. “It’s easy to say what you don’t want.â€
Economic development, she said, should be the subject of ongoing discussions, involving the county and all of its towns.
In the ’80s and ’90s, Broun said, town leaders did a great job of drawing in the right kind of businesses to complement one another and support what was already there in Carrboro’s downtown.
“People like Ellie Kinnaird and Mayor [Mike] Nelson had kind of a vision to make it happen,†she said.
“These kinds of ideas we need to continue to see,†Broun added.
She’d also like to see more affordable housing in Carrboro.
“I think there are going to be more pressures on reasonably priced housing,†Broun said, adding, “I think that Carrboro should work hard so that we don’t price ourselves out of diversity.â€
The challenges for the board going forward will be to determine where to put that economic development and affordable housing, as well as “paying for town government without raising my taxes,†she said, laughing.
“I’m not sure how we can avoid [a tax increase],†she said, noting the increased costs in gas and employee health insurance.
Picking the next town manager – finding “the right person for Carrboro†– will be key to tackling those challenges, Broun said.
Moving forward
As Broun moves on, it’s obvious that her voice will continue to be heard – though from the other side of the podium.
In addition to serving on the board of the Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library, she plans to serve on the PTA Thrift Shop board. She also hopes to get more involved in her church, St. Paul AME.
“It was a good time in my life to step down,†she said, noting that she’s only got five more years before her son leaves for college.
She plans to use the time she’s freed up to focus on her two children, Harrison, 13, and Rachel, 10, and her husband, Jonathan Broun.
“It’s good to be able to spend time with them,†she said, adding that she’ll now be spending her Tuesday nights cheering on her kids in their athletic endeavors.
But board members can be confident that Broun will continue to share her opinions on issues facing Carrboro – and continue to encourage them to make their opinions known too.
Serving on the board is “just like student councilâ€; board members have to make decisions and stick with them, she said.
After all, “Not making a decision is a decision in itself.â€