Citizen Will

Category: Elections

  • Engaging the Community: Everyone but OP

    Last night I got an invite from Ruby Sinreich to engage other candidates on her local ‘blog OrangePolitics. Though I was an avid contributor to her ‘blog for several years, contributing a significant portion of the content, I have declined to participate in building her readership or commercial “brand” during this year’s election cycle. My […]

  • Will Raymond for Town Council 2009

    A big thank you to all the folks who contacted and encouraged me to run. Below is my formal announcement, more posts to follow: Will Raymond Announces Run for Chapel Hill Town Council 2009 Chapel Hill, NC – July 17th, 2009 I am taking the next step in my eight year continuum of public service […]

  • Penny Rich Up to Bat

    Seems like the municipal elections are officially on. Kevin bowed out as mayor. Mark bowed in. Laurin, not surprisingly, ready to go again. And now Penny. I ran with Penny in 2007 and welcome her 2009 run. She did her homework, was firm in her convictions, eloquent and handled some rather nasty rebukes by two […]

  • Raymond, Ready For Service: Formal Application

    Here is my formal application to fill Bill’s seat. I agree with recent Council comments that their new colleague must be “ready to hit the road running”. To do so, an applicant should be prepared, involved and experienced. Council already has a demanding workload. Over the next 7 months two major challenges – troubled finances […]

  • Raymond, Ready For Service: Where Would I Serve?

    I submitted my formal application to fill Bill’s seat (not his shoes) this afternoon. Along with my application, I provided some examples of my recent activism, a list of advisory boards I would like to represent Council on and some suggestions covering a few of the issues that Chapel Hill faces next year. I’ve served […]

  • Raymond, Ready For Service: What Have I Done?

    I submitted my formal application to fill Bill’s seat (not his shoes) this afternoon. Along with my application, I provided some examples of my recent activism, a list of advisory boards I would like to represent Council on and some suggestions covering a few of the issues that Chapel Hill faces next year. The additional […]

  • NC Ballot: Designed For Failure?

    Early voting is moving at a breakneck pace this year with large turnouts from day one. Unfortunately, NC’s “straight party” ballot option continues to confuse. Even if you vote “straight party”, you MUST vote for President separately!! Luckily, our new local BOE Director Tracy Reams made sure this year’s poll-workers were well trained to notify […]

  • Obama and Jones

    Barack Obama swung by Chapel Hill tonight in his on-going attempt to clinch his party’s nomination. As David Price noted, for the first time in decades North Carolina is relevant – and we have an opportunity to push Obama over the top. As with many political events, the rally, scheduled for 9:30pm kicked off promptly […]

  • Chapel Hill’s Resegregation?

    Following up on last week’s panel discussion of John Ehle’s 1965 book “The Free Men,” Terri B. is concerned about the direction Chapel Hill is headed: I do not believe that building luxury housing surrounding the remaining historically black neighborhoods in downtown is an acceptable solution. Thanks Terri for the link to photographer Jim Wallace’s […]

  • Super Incumbency: What Fred Said….

    Following up on my recent comments, Fred Black weighs in on this year’s “super incumbency” and the deleterious effect it had on our community.

  • Election 2007: The Arrows in My Back ;-)!

    To all the folks that have sent me emails of support in the face of a dramatic surge in negative, personal attacks, I thank you. It has been a strange election season. I didn’t expect the Sierra Club or the IndyWeek to endorse me, for political or personal reasons. But I never expected the Indy […]

  • Chapel Hill News: My Mistake, Not Theirs

    Hey folks. I’ve had a number of supporters contact me about the omission of my comments on Downtown in Sunday’s Chapel Hill News. It was completely my fault. Even though I was prepared, I submitted my answers too late for inclusion in the print edition. I did post the answers several days ago here (Chapel […]

  • Election 2007: Chapel Hill News Candidate Questionnaire

    Here’s my answers to the Chapel Hill News candidate questionnaire. If the answers seem a bit terse, it’s because brevity was required. POLITICAL PARTY AND EXPERIENCE: 2005 Candidate for Town Council Town Advisory Boards: Horace-William’s Citizen Comm., Downtown Parking Task Force, Technology Board Other: Community Independent Expansion Comm. , Friends of Lincoln Arts Center While […]

  • Election 2007: Neighborhoods for Responsible Growth

    This year the NRG decided to vet the candidates via email. In 2005 they held interviews and presented the audio responses. Trying to be thorough, I went a bit overboard this year. Figuring no one would want to wade through 10 pages of answers, I tried to boil down this final response to the NRG. […]

  • Election 2007: Chapel Hill Sierra Club Forum

    Here’s the Chapel Hill Sierra Club forum. I’ll be adding some commentary about clear contrasts in environmental policy between the incumbents and the non-incumbents, how we should “walk the talk” on environmental protections – making both large and incremental improvements in our Town’s commitment, and how current policy sets goals the Council never plans to […]