Surprise! It's Still An Election Year

The Chapel Hill mayor’s office on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Source: Chapelboro

The most recent wave of elections came to a close on November 2. The majority of these elections concerned municipal and county governance, with some state positions up for grabs as well. Although not as highly contested or watched as state and national elections, local governments are very important — as they have the most potential to have a concrete impact on daily life. Local governments are responsible for maintaining basic services such as water, roads, public safety, parking, etc. These are services that residents interact with routinely, and often take for granted.  

Many people do not realize the importance of local governments because they are seen as inferior to the state and federal governments, due to their smaller size, comparative lack of media coverage, and the fact that local governments answer to the higher authority of the upper levels of government. Yet local governments have jurisdiction over the issues that — although they may not be as hot-button or highly publicized — ultimately affect people’s everyday lives. Firstly, since local elections usually have smaller voting pools, each citizen’s vote can have a proportionally stronger and more visible impact. On the city level, the mayor acts as the executive and has the ability to address issues that deal with land development, housing, jobs, transportation, public spaces, and cooperation with the state and federal governments. Even if, like in certain cities, the un-elected city managers hold more influence than the mayor, the mayor still participates in a leadership role in city council proceedings, and often acts as a deciding vote. 

The city council is another important entity in local governments. The council has the power to create and vote on laws pertaining to the city, such as the short-term rental ordinance passed in July which limited the number of on-street parking spaces per unit and required that renters receive a special event permit before hosting an event. Additionally, the governing body dictates the city budget. In regards to city personnel, the council is in charge of hiring the heads of multiple departments upon which citizens depend, such as the city manager, fire chief, and police chief, among others.

Above the city level, but still considered local, are the county positions. The county officials have similar roles to that of city officials but on a larger scale. Instead of having a mayor for the county, there is a county executive who is responsible for implementing policies and enforcing ordinances like the mayor or city manager is for their city. The county also elects the district attorney (DA), who is responsible for the criminal proceedings in the county. The DA has a very important role as they are able to decide which crimes will be prosecuted and prioritized. This can have a major effect on citizens, as some crimes, such as marijuana use, may not be prosecuted. 

Another important institution on the county level is the school board. This is a very influential body that directly affects many citizens, as it controls the budget and curriculum for all public schools in the district. School board meetings are similar to city council meetings in that they are usually open to the public, providing an accessible forum for citizens to express their concerns. These meetings have been receiving increased attention lately due to the debate over the potential consultation of critical race theory in school curricula, with both parents and legislators expressing either their support or opposition to this pedagogy. 

For Chapel Hill in this election cycle, there were some tight local races. The major race was the mayoral bout between incumbent Pam Hemminger and Councilwoman Hongbin Gu. This race was highly contested due to the role of Chapel Hill Alliance for a Liveable Town (CHALT). CHALT is an organization which strives to limit stormwater, traffic, and town growth so that Chapel Hill can maintain its “small town” atmosphere. CHALT is an influential organization in Chapel Hill and it has traditionally been important for mayoral candidates to have its endorsement. Both candidates have enjoyed the support of CHALT in the past; however, in this election cycle, CHALT backed Gu instead of Hemminger, stating that Hemminger “has not shown the bold leadership we had hoped to see” in her current role. Although Hemminger did not have the support of CHALT, she did have the support of five of the seven sitting city councilmembers. However, Hemminger was ultimately able to move past the lack of endorsement from CHALT, as she was elected for her fourth term. 

In the North Carolina municipal elections in 2019, more than 3 million people were eligible to vote; however, only around 500,000 did with a 16% voter turnout. Many of these elections are decided by only a few votes. Pam Hemminger won the mayoral race with only 5,876 votes in a city with a population of over 60,000. This is why local elections are important and why everyone should participate. Each individual’s vote goes a long way and can determine the outcome of the election.