2007 Chapel Hill-Orange County Elections

2007 Carrboro Municipal Elections

Mayor
Mark Chilton
Chuck Morton
Brian Voyce

Board of Aldermen
Frank Abernethy
Joal Broun
Dan Coleman
Sharon Cook
Lydia Lavelle
Katrina Ryan

Sharon Cook
www.cookforcarrboro.org
Click here for Chamber Commentary
Click here for Audio Responses

Legend:
Y = Yes, N = No, U = Undecided

1.) Is increasing the commercial tax base in Carrboro an important priority for you?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

2.) Would you support shortening thetime it takes to have a project approved or denied in Carrboro if the quality of the development and level of citizen input remained high?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	N	Y/N	Y	U	U	Y	Y	Y	Y

3.) Would you support creating a set of criteria for desirable development projects and then expediting the approval process for projects that meet those established objectives?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	N	N	Y	U	U	Y	Y	Y	Y

4.) Do you support land use regulations and regulatory practices that promote workforce housing and residential density along transportation corridors?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	U	Y	Y

5.) Would you support a cap on the privilege license tax?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
N	U	N	Y	U	Y	Y	U	Y	Y

6.) Do you think a healthy growing economy is an equally important component of community sustainability as environmental protection and social equity?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y	Y	U	Y	Y	U	Y	Y

7.) Do you generally support the concept of developing the Horace Williams Tract into a mixed use research park (Carolina North)?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y	U	U	Y	U	Y	Y	Y

8.) Do you agree with the town’s stated goal of doubling commercial density?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y/N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

9.) Will you vote to identify an additional commercial node in Carrboro?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y/N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

10.) Do you believe the town should consider extending its moratorium in the Northern Study Area if it has not completed its rezoning process by its expiration in October?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
Y	Y	Y	N	Y	U	Y	Y	Y	N

11.) Do you think the town needs to do more to make sure its committees and taskforces include more representation from the business community where there is currently very little?
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen						Chamber Position
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan	Chamber Position
N	Y	Y	Y	U	U	Y	Y	U	Y

12.) List up to three specific things you would do to make Carrboro a better place to do business.
Carrboro Mayor			Carrboro Board of Aldermen
Chilton	Morton	Voyce	Abernethy	Broun	Coleman	Cook	Lavelle	Ryan

Please click the following questions to hear the the candidates' response when asked at the forum held on October 10:
(for help in playing these files, please contact Randy Schmidt at 967-7075 x.32 or rschmidt@carolinachamber.org)

EmPOWERment, Inc. anticipates that upcoming mixed use projects will have a major financial impact on the community. If elected, what specific measures will you take to preserve the integrity of neighborhoods surrounding these projects?

What do you believe should be the next step by the Board of Aldermen in regards to the Rogers Road transfer station planning?

In a September 30th Chapel Hill News Editorial, the writer called for those in public office to take “personal responsibility for their actions not only in Town Hall but out in the community.” In your opinion, should personal actions influence who a person votes for?

Chamber Commentary:

Sharon Cook is an active community volunteer whose home was annexed into Carrboro in 2004. The primary reason Ms. Cook is running for office is to ensure that there is representation of Carrboro’s Northern Area on the Board. Ms. Cook is knowledgeable about local planning issues and the environment and is committed to growing Carrboro’s economy. She views the privilege license tax as a “hidden” tax that does not generate significant revenue and believes it should be abolished. As a member of the Carrboro Planning Board, Ms. Cook is supportive of streamlining the development process and creating a set of objective criteria that would expedite desirable projects, both goals of the Chamber. On the issue of Carolina North, Ms. Cook is supportive of the proposed development but believes the town should be careful to understand the full impacts of the project on traffic congestion and the environment. The Chamber thinks Ms. Cook is a strong candidate for Carrboro and Carrboro businesses.