Pittsboro Together endorses Mayor Voller and three new Town Board candidates

By Chris Hinkle
Posted Saturday, July 28, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - Pittsboro Mayor Randy Voller and three new candidates for the Town Board filed for election and are running as a slate with the endorsement of Pittsboro Together, a grassroots political action organization advocating smart and sustainable community development.

Voller is seeking his second term as Mayor. Running with him for three positions to form a majority on the Town Board are: Michele Berger, a UNC-Chapel Hill women's studies professor and political scientist interested in engaging citizens in local government; Jim Hinkley, a long-time Chatham resident with more than four decades of experience in land-use planning; and
Gary Simpson a minister and citizen activist interested in responsible planning and economic development.

All four candidates are committed to the Pittsboro Together platform which supports: responsible community planning to prevent suburban sprawl; downtown revitalization that preserves our small-town atmosphere; locally owned and operated businesses; more sidewalks and trails to connect residential and commercial areas; historic preservation, arts, parks and recreation; clean safe water and adequate sewer capacity; and open and inclusive government.

Voller and incumbent Town Board member Pamela Baldwin were elected on a similar platform two years ago with Pittsboro Together's support.

"I am excited to be running with such well-qualified candidates who are dedicated to the same vision of what Pittsboro can become, and who have the open-mindedness and experience to work with our citizens to make this happen," Mayor Voller said. "Commissioner Pamela Baldwin and I have been frustrated by the current majority's lack of vision and willingness to do what needs to be done for our town to prosper as a sustainable community - enhancing the qualities that make Pittsboro so special."

After verifying their positions on its platform, Pittsboro Together asked all four candidates to run as a slate. "We are thrilled to have such an outstanding team offer themselves for public service," said chair Chris Hinkle.

Berger has been at UNC since 2002, where she teaches in women's studies and political science and has served as a scholar in residence at the Center for Urban and Regional Studies. She also serves as an organizational development trainer with UNC's School of Government. She has won the top book award in her field from the American Political Science Association for her study of 16 women with HIV/AIDS who became politically active in their communities. She has taken this area of academic study into the practical world by working with a community health program fostering positive communication between mothers and daughters to prevent HIV/AIDS.

"I love Pittsboro and I am excited to have the opportunity to use my professional training and passions in a practical way to work with others to further enhance this unique community," Berger stated.

Hinkley, a 26-year resident of Chatham and current member of the County Planning Board, is a certified planner with over 40 years of professional experience. He recently served as a planning consultant to the Town of Pittsboro and has also worked for Orange County and the State of North Carolina. For nearly ten years he was executive director of the North Carolina Land Stewardship Council. A lay minister at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, he was a founder of the CORA Food Pantry in Pittsboro.

"Pittsboro is facing unprecedented growth challenges that make this election one of the most important in the town's history," Hinkley said. "I am hoping to use my planning experience to assist citizens in carrying out their vision of how the town should grow, as opposed to letting outsider developers dictate that for us."

Simpson is secretary and board member of Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities (CCEC), a non-profit organization working for managed growth, open government, and citizen education. He managed the Habitat for Humanity Home Store Too in Pittsboro before becoming part-time administrator for the Fearrington Homeowners Association.

"It's time for the people of Pittsboro to come together to form and shape its future, rather than let it be determined by outside forces motivated solely by profit," Simpson said. "The key is open government and engaged citizens. I want to use my experiences in service organizations to help all of us work together to preserve our beloved small town atmosphere while fostering a sustainable future."

Voller has been proactive in his role as Mayor, actively participating on a number of county and regional advisory boards. He was recently voted chair of the Orange, Lee, and Moore County Rural Planning Organization for transportation planning, as well as vice-chair of the Chatham County Economic Development Corporation. He also serves on the Mid-Carolina Workforce Development Board, the Chatham County Affordable Housing Taskforce and the Chatham County Fair Association board. Moreover, Voller has been involved in developing a cooperative working relationship between Pittsboro and Chatham County, Orange County and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

"Long time members of the Pittsboro Town Board, including my challenger Commissioner Max Cotten, criticize me for using my position to develop cooperative working relationships with the county commissioners and neighboring towns and counties," Voller said "I'll let the voters judge whether they want a proactive Mayor who wants to work with citizens to preserve and promote the town, and bring it into the 21st century, or someone to just hold the gavel at meetings and smile at public events."

Pittsboro Together's steering committee includes people living and working in Pittsboro and the surrounding area. Hinkley was the founding co-chair of Pittsboro Together and Simpson served as the organization's secretary. Both have resigned their positions to run for public office.