Chapel Hill council race focuses on affordable housing and cost of living

Berry is seeking a second term on the Chapel Hill Town Council after first being elected in 2021. She is a consultant who has worked with various nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

What she cares about: Her platform focuses on affordable housing, transportation, and community engagement. She emphasizes creating more options for affordable housing and supporting nonprofit and small-business partnerships.

Experience/endorsements: Berry touts more than 20 years working with community groups, including Hope Renovations, Piedmont Health, and local nonprofit boards. She lists endorsements from the local district attorney and an Orange County Commissioner among others.

Miller-Foushee is running for re-election after being elected for her first term in 2021. She is the Assistant Director for the Center for Muslim Life at Duke University.

What she cares about: Her campaign priorities include what she calls affordable living, environmental preservation, and safety and security. She wants more housing options for low- to middle-income workers like teachers, transit staff, and small business owners. She argues for planning that preserves green space and encourages higher-density development around transit corridors. Her public safety philosophy includes housing security, access to social services, and emergency crisis responders as alternatives to policing.

Experience/endorsements: Her website notes that she has worked on initiatives like accelerating affordable housing review and pushing a rewrite of the Land Use Management Ordinance to encourage middle-income housing.

McMahon has lived in Chapel Hill since 2014 and served on multiple town advisory boards since 2015, including the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission.

What he cares about: McMahon's priorities center on fiscal management, parks and recreation, and expanding Chapel Hill's greenway network. He says the town must "do more with less," by diversifying revenue sources and avoiding constant property-tax increases. He also wants to build housing along transit corridors and create more small, naturally affordable homes for teachers, firefighters, and young families. McMahon says disaster preparedness and community partnerships are key to the local response to disasters like Chantal.

Experience/endorsements: McMahon points to his decade of service on advisory boards like the American Legion Task Force and North Carolinians Against Gun Violence. He touts himself as a "community connector" who brings people together on issues ranging from storm cleanup to affordable housing advocacy.

Rivers is an associate professor at North Carolina State University's Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and a former EPA employee. He moved to Chapel Hill in 2015.

What he cares about: Rivers says his decision to run was shaped by concerns about the federal government pulling back from environmental and disaster relief support. He lists his top three priorities as climate resilience, housing across the income spectrum, and stronger community engagement. He wants Chapel Hill to invest in better stormwater infrastructure, prepare neighborhoods for disasters, and support mutual-aid networks. Rivers also calls for more accessible town meetings and clearer deadlines for public input.

Experience/endorsements: Rivers holds a PhD in natural resources and cognitive psychology. His research has focused on environmental issues in marginalized communities and the impact of youth violence on neighborhoods.

Valera is a consultant for nonprofit organizations. He serves on Chapel Hill's Planning Commission and the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs.

What he cares about: Valera's top priorities are affordable housing, climate resilience, and community engagement. He argues that Chapel Hill's limited housing supply has priced out many of the workers who serve the community, including hospital staff, teachers, and service employees. He says rezoning and growth around transit corridors are critical to addressing the shortage. He also wants the town to "plan with nature" by designing infrastructure that considers natural topography and improves stormwater management.

Experience/endorsements: Valera frames his candidacy through social determinants of health, saying that where people live influences their quality of life. He says his career in public service and policy work informs his focus on equitable city planning.

Anderson has served as Chapel Hill's mayor since 2023 and is running unopposed for re-election. She previously served on the town council.

What she cares about: Anderson says she wants to focus on growing Chapel Hill in a way that supports affordable housing. She says the local government's role in helping with disaster relief will likely increase as the federal government's contributions become more uncertain. She says the town's finances need to be less dependent on property tax increases.

Experience/endorsements: Anderson pushed Chapel Hill's Complete Community Initiative in her first term. She points to fiscal responsibility, stormwater upgrades, and building more low-to-middle-income housing as key goals for her next term.