1. Please tell us about your background and explain why you are running for Orange County Commissioner. What experience, skills, and values do you bring to the board? Why should voters elect/re-elect you?
I have a Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University, having majored in city and regional planning and focusing on environmental planning/design, and completed coursework for master’s in biblical studies. My work experience has been with community-based organizations and governmental agencies in both urban and rural settings, from NY to NC to AL. I have served on numerous boards and commissions, at local, regional, state and national levels. In 2010, I co-founded Free Spirit Freedom, a cultural arts initiative. In recent years, while commissioner, I have taken advantage of training courses to better understand and improve my role and responsibilities as an elected official, leader and decision-maker. I respect all people, and my goal in life has been to perpetuate the fight for freedom, equality and justice for all. People should vote for me so that I may continue to raise up their concerns and help amplify their voices.
2. Historically, one of Orange County’s greatest assets has been the excellent quality of our K-12 public schools. However, many parents are becoming concerned that our public school buildings are aging and in need of repair and renovation. The Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) is fully responsible for funding the maintenance for school buildings. How do you propose to address the backlog of deferred school maintenance projects?
The County indeed is responsible for providing the funds for maintaining our school facilities. That said, the two school systems–boards and administrations–determine the use of that funding, and admittedly, because of the lack of sufficient funding, the school systems are forced to make tradeoffs regarding their allocations. I would suggest that the Schools and the County staff along with School Boards and BOCC members enter into a more collaborative and joint process that includes prioritizing and scheduling improvements to school facilities and campuses. All of us, together, have a responsibility to all the children in Orange County.
3. GoTriangle recently released an outside evaluation by a national transit organization which described management problems related to the now defunct Durham-Orange light rail project. This report said that the Orange and Durham County Boards of Commissioners and GoTriangle failed to recognize the numerous warning signs that the project could not be completed and continued to spend public money on this dead end project. Throughout the DOLRT planning process the lack of transparency, accountability and local (county and town) control over funding decisions subordinated Orange County’s interests to those of Durham and GoTriangle. What changes to the decision-making process would you urge to address these problems? Link to the report. https://gotriangle.org/sites/default/files/publications/final_report_dolrt_gotriangle_11.5.19.pdf
One element or tool in the decision-making process that should be incorporated into the process is “concurrence.” In Wake County, the transit plan includes sign-offs or signatures by the various partners in a particular project as steps or phases are completed or confirmed. Orange County should take and exercise more control over GoTriangle; you may recall that I expressed concerns over the power that Orange County had handed to GoTriangle. The BOCC ultimately has a fiduciary responsibilities to Orange County taxpayers, and should assume that responsibility over another authority. Please note that the warning signs were obvious to me, based on information derived from state and federal staff and elected officials, and studies of light rail projects in other locales.
4. What actions and/or policy changes should the BOCC take to improve public transit service for Orange County residents and reduce congestion on our roadways?
I support a comprehensive regional multi-modal approach to improve public transit service in Orange County including: 1. bus rapid transit [BRT] along major corridors in Chapel Hill; 2. an inter-related bus system with local connectors, regional routes, express routes and on-demand mini-bus service; 3. park and ride lots to incentivize use of mass transit and ride-share; 4. commuter rail connecting Hillsborough/Orange County to Durham/Durham County and Raleigh/Wake County, as well as Mebane/Burlington/Alamance County 5. service to rural community nodes as well as underserved and transit-dependent urban neighborhoods.
5. The 1986 Joint Comprehensive Land Use Plan established urban service boundaries for the largest Orange County towns and a rural buffer. In your view, how does the existence of the rural buffer benefit Orange County? What costs does it impose? What changes, if any, would you support making to the 1986 Joint Comprehensive Land Use Plan?
The rural buffer serves to protect and conserve our natural resources and sensitive ecosystems from intense development. At the same time, it limits the amount of land that may be needed to address urban growth and forces urban development to go up instead of out. As development goes up, so do land values, resulting in a decrease in affordable housing and affordable living. Changes to the Joint Comprehensive Land Use Plan would need to involve the original parties, and thus, making suggestions in this platform would be premature. One change that I would make is in the composition of whatever task force or working group is charged with updating the plan. I say this based on the representation I observed at the 30th anniversary of the rural buffer–no diversity. The rural buffer seemed to have been created at the behest of white people, though people of color do live therein.
6. What actions and/or policy changes should the BOCC take to preserve and increase housing that is affordable for less affluent OC households, especially those earning below 60% of AMI?
Affordable housing has been and continues to be an issue as upscale developments occur bringing increased property values and taxes, and the loss of historically affordable neighborhoods and affordable land. I would suggest a coordinated county-wide housing plan that: 1. recognizes Orange County as a suburban county with three [and-a-half] municipalities and adjacent unincorporated areas that all need to share in resolving the affordable housing issue; 2. partners the county with the municipalities in applying for federal funding; 3. includes mixed-use development with commercial helping to offset the tax burden to residential; 4. develops the Greene Tract; 5. seeks to preserve established housing stock and affordable neighborhoods—i.e., through zoning and subdivision regulations. 6. maintains and increases the funds in the Urgent Repair Program and similar community-based assistance programs.
7. What actions and/or policy changes should the BOCC undertake to reduce carbon emissions in Orange County? What do you think is achievable within the next 3-5 years?
I think we can make a significant impact in reducing carbon emissions within the next 3-5 years by operationalizing a reliable and convenient transit system that uses electric buses and mini-vans. The county needs more park-and-ride lots so that people can ride-share or take the bus.
8. What actions and/or policy changes should the BOCC take to conserve agricultural, forest and park land in Orange County?
Orange County has been able to protect acres of agricultural, forest and park land through our Lands Legacy Program and services provided through the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation working in conjunction with Soil & Water Conservation and Cooperative Extension. The BOCC should continue to fund their efforts, in particular, the education and advocacy components targeted at both youth and adults. We also need to periodically revisit and review our land use and zoning ordinances as growth and development continues to threaten these areas.
Submitted 2/6/20, 7:05 PM