Change, One Step at a Time

People sometimes ask me if it really matters whether or not gay men or lesbians are elected to office. The argument goes something like: "Surely, a supportive straight elected official will support your issues just as well as you can?"

It's a well-intentioned question, often asked by a friend or supporter who--niaively, I suggest--believes that acceptance of homosexuality is closer at hand than it actually is. Because this question is meant kindly, I usually resist answering by asking, in return, "Would women have made the advances they have if it had been up to men alone? Can we really expect that African-Americans would be where they are today if they'd just sat on their hands waiting for white people to up and decide to share power?"

The answer is self-evident.

It's for this reason that electing openly lesbian or gay candidates to public office is important. Without a seat at the table, change is unlikely. A seat at the table facilitates public discourse in a way that is unique and powerful. Even in a progressive area like Orange County, having openly lesbian or gay elected officials is important.

That's why I'm so proud of Lydia Lavelle for running for the Carrboro Board of Aldermen this year. She will bring a set of life experiences to the BoA this is currently lacking. While there isn't a "lesbian" position on sidewalks or garbage collection or taxes, there are unique life experiences that will add depth to discussions. Each of us--white, black, latino, young, old, male, female, gay, straight--each of us brings a unique voice to the decision-making process. Lydia will bring hers, and it will serve the people well.

But she brings alot more to the table as well. Lydia is as strong a candidate as there is for the BoA this year. She serves on the Planning Board, is a resident of the newly annexed area, and has more than a decade's worth of experience in recreation and parks issues from her time living in Durham before moving to Carrboro. Lydia, a former law partner of Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, brings a sharp intellect and steadiness to this campaign. She will be a great advocate for the people of Carrboro if they choose to elect her in November.

I wish Lydia well in this race.

Equitable Library Service

A recent decision by the Board of County Commissioners has led some in the community to question the BOCC commitment to library services. The perception of a lack of commitment is unfounded, in my opinion, but misperceptions in politics are powerful and have to be addressed.

In November, the County Commissioners announced plans for a new 25,000 square foot Orange County library centrally located in Hillsborough. The swift decision to create this new facility in Hillsborough has led to some consternation amongst advocates for a branch library serving the Southwestern portion of the county.

The new Hillsborough facility is desparately needed. Our county needs a new, improved facility that will meet the needs of Central/Northern Orange County in the 21st century. The current Orange County library is old and cramped, and I fully support the construction of a new facility.

Additionally, I firmly believe the Board of Commissioners is committed to following through on the 2004 Library Task Force report--a report that called for BOTH a new, larger central library in Hillsborough and a southwest branch library located in Carrboro.

But the advocates for a southwestlibrary are right to keep pressure on the Board of Commissioners to lay plans for a branch library in Carrboro.

The primary sticking point, in my opinion, is the issue of cost sharing. A year ago, the previous BOCC told Carrboro that they expected the town to pay 50% of any branch library located in the Town of Carrboro. This formula bears an undue hardship on Carrboro for the simple reason that smaller towns have a smaller budgets and shallower revenue streams. To understand Carrboro's objection to the proposed cost-sharing formula, it's important to understand the full impact. Let's look at a hypothetical example.

Say that a new libary cost $2 million. Under the County's proposed 50-50 cost sharing formula, Carrboro would be expected to cough up $1 million. Here's where the financial hardship arises: for Carrboro taxpayers, $1 million equals roughly 8 cents on their tax rate. For county tax payers on the other hand, $1 million equals less than 1 cent on the tax rate.

It's also important to recognize that under this scenario Carrboro's tax payers would be paying twice. Yes, twice. They'd be paying through their Carrboro taxes AND their county tax assessment. How fair is that?

Another key problem in the 50-50 proposal floated by the previous BOCC is that the southwest branch library will serve a large portion of southern Orange County, not just Carrboro residents. So the commissioners currently expect Carrboro tax payers to fund a library that will serve a large portion of folks outside the town limits.

The County does not expect the residents of Hillsborough to pay 50% of the costs of a libary there. Nor do they expect Cedar Grove or Efland to pay 50% of libaries located there. So, why single out one community in the County to bear a burden not borne by others?

The current cost sharing plan on the table needs to be revisited, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to reevaluate the county’s position on sharing the cost of that facility. I am looking forward to exploring other options so this much anticipated facility can be built expeditiously.