Conversations with the Mayors

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, May 19, discussing town news and events. He talked about the latest budget conversations for the town, which include the town board asking the town manager for a tax increase. He discussed the timeline for the updated budget, other upcoming town events, and more. The post Hillsborough: Budget Update, Tax Increase, Water and Sewer appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, May 15, discussing town news and events. She gave an update on the town's proposed budget, which does not call for a tax increase, but does have funding cuts for nonprofits, and other financial pressure points for the community and local governments. She also talked about some climate action funds that are available, and more. She also previewed some upcoming community events and more. The post Carrboro: Budget Update, Funding Cuts to Nonprofits, Climate Action appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, May 14, discussing town news and events. She discussed the recent public hearing on the town's proposed budget, which saw many community members speak on library funding and more. She also discussed upcoming events in the community and more. The post Chapel Hill: Budget Update, Timeline, Library Funding, and More appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, May 14, discussing county news and events. She discussed Tuesday's public hearing on the budget and the feedback the board received from the community. She also looked ahead to Thursday's work session on public education, and more. The post Orange County: Budget Decisions, State Impacts, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, May 13, discussing town news and events. He discussed the town budget proposal, which includes no tax increase, but does have a water and sewer rate increase. He also talked about the town board's decision to impose a 60-day moratorium on the construction of data-mining facilities as town staff looks at updating land use ordinances. He also congratulated longtime wastewater plant operator Shawn Maines who is set to retire after 28 years with the town, and more. The post Hillsborough: Budget Updates, Data Center Moratorium, Longtime Employee Retires appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, May 7, discussing town news and events. She talked about the recent budget presentation from town manager Ted Voorhees. She talked about there being no tax increase, and highlighted some key areas where there may be funding increases. She also previewed that the town would be providing more feedback opportunities, and more. She also discussed commencement weekend in Chapel Hill. The post Chapel Hill: Budget Priorities, Timelines, and Feedback appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton speaks with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, May 6. The post Orange County: Details of the Budget Presentation and Tough Decisions to Make — (May 6, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, May 5, discussing town news and events. He previewed the town's budget, which will have its initial presentation later in May. He discussed the recent trends of data center moratoriums in the area and Hillsborough's roll in that. He also talked about upcoming summer activities, including a July 4th celebration for the town, and more. The post Hillsborough: Budget Preview, Data Centers, July 4 Celebration appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, May 1, discussing town news and events. She discussed a mental health fair happening in Carrboro Friday afternoon. She also previewed the upcoming budget process for the town, which will pick up later in May. She outlined some sidewalk work downtown from earlier in the week, and more. The post Carrboro: Mental Health Fair, Budget Preview, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, April 30, discussing town news and events. She outlined the public hearing on possibly reducing the size of the council and expanding the mayor's term. After much pushback from the public, the town council voted to close the issue. She discussed an update on the Southern Area Plan, mentioned a few proclamations, previewed some upcoming events, and more. The post Chapel Hill: No Change to Town Charter, Southern Area Planning, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 28, discussing town news and events. He recapped the most recent meeting of the town board of commissioners, which included a lengthy update of the town's Unified Development Ordinance. One provision in that rewrite would allow for more small scale corner stores in residential neighborhoods. He also talked about an annexation request, a Zwanze Day recap, and more. The post Hillsborough: UDO Rewrite, Corner Stores, Annexation Request appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, April 24, discussing town news and events. She talked about the most recent meeting of the town council, which saw a presentation on the Safe Routes to School program, and the town purchasing a parking lot on West Weaver Street. She also previewed some upcoming town events, including Arbor Day festivities, the Freight Train Blues Series, and more. The post Carrboro: Safe Routes To School, Arbor Day, Freight Train Blues appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, April 23, discussing town news and events. She discussed some connectivity projects that are set to break ground later this year, including the Fordham side path. She also gave an update on the town council looking at potential charter changes, which would reduce council size and change the mayor's term from two years to four years. She also shared an update on the town's Climate Action Goals, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Bike Month, Charter Public Hearing, Climate Action Plan appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, April 22. She discussed attendance at the ribbon cutting for Morinaga's Hi-Chew facility expansion, and what the continued development of that area means for the county. She also recapped the recent meeting of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, which saw a public hearing and vote on a moratorium on construction of large data-mining centers in Orange County. She also discussed county Earth Day activities at Blackwood Farm Park, and more. The post Orange County: Morinaga Expansion, Data Center Moratorium, Earth Day appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 21, discussing town news and events. He discussed the upcoming Zwanze Day event at the Wooden Nickel this upcoming Saturday. He also outlined an upcoming street resurfacing project that will cause temporary closures for several streets around town. He also discussed some artwork being refurbished at River Park, and more. The post Hillsborough: Zwanze Day, Street Paving, Refurbished Art appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, April 17, discussing town news and events. She talked about the upcoming Carrboro Earth Day festivities this weekend, which will see the Open Streets closure of weaver street for the afternoon. She also discussed the town adopting the National Incident Management System, a look at the town's capital investments plan, some other upcoming events, and more. The post Carrboro: Carrboro Earth Day, Emergency Management Standards, Capital Investments appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, April 16, discussing town news and events. She recapped the weekend in Chapel Hill that featured two sold out Savannah Banana games at Kenan Stadium, and more. She also discussed the recent meeting of the town council, which saw discussion of lengthening the term of the mayor and reducing the size of the council. She talked about the recent legislative breakfast, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Savannah Bananas, Modifying the Charter, Legislative Breakfast appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 14, discussing town news and events. He recapped the most recent meeting of the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners meeting, which saw a discussion of unhoused individuals damaging youth athletic fields in Hillsborough, and creative town solutions for preventing that. He also talked about a proposed reorganization of the town's Community Services Department, a recent trio of arrests for soliciting minors, and more. The post Hillsborough: Trespassing on Athletic Fields, Reorganization of Community Services Department, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, April 9, discussing town news and events. She gave a recap of the most recent meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council, which saw updates on economic development, the Land Use Management Ordinance rewrite, and more. She also talked about a busy weekend coming up in Chapel Hill, which includes two sold out "Banana Ball" games at Keenan Stadium, the UNC Science Expo, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Banana Ball, Science Expo, Lumo appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 7 discussing town news and events. He talked about the upcoming July 4 celebration for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He also discussed sign ups for an upcoming Police Academy from the town of Hillsborough. He also previewed the upcoming meeting of the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, and more. The post Hillsborough: America 250 Celebration, Police Academy, Upcoming Board Meeting appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell in-studio on Thursday, Apr. 2. Her visit comes right on the heels of the Town of Chapel Hill announcing it will be switching up its Fourth of July celebration for the first time in six years, and she shares more details about […] The post Chapel Hill: A New July 4th Tradition and An Affordable Housing Groundbreaking — (Apr. 2, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Mar. 27. The post Carrboro: Trans Visibility Day, Small Ways to Recognize Climate Action and A Bikeway Cleanup (Mar. 27, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, March 26, discussing town news and events. She recapped the most recent meeting of the town council, which included an update on the town's leaf collection and the acquisition of a new leaf vacuum truck. Jess was joined by Mayor's Office Intern Camilla Maldanado, who shared some of her experiences interning with the town, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Council Meeting Recap, Leaf Collection Update, Mayor’s Office Intern appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, Mar 24. The post Hillsborough: Stormwater Success, An Unusual Legal Settlement and Zwanze Day (Mar. 24, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, March 20, discussing town news and events. She talked about the passing of community leader Mae McClendon from earlier in the week, including the impact and legacy left behind by Ms. McClendon. She also recapped the most recent meeting of the Carrboro Town Council, which saw a resolution directed at Gov. Stein urging him to take firmer action in pressuring energy providers to switch to renewable resources, and more. The post Carrboro: Life and Legacy of Mae McClendon, Climate Resolution To Governor appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, March 19, discussing town news and events. She recapped the most recent meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council, which included discussion of the town's stormwater plan, early budget conversations for 2026, and more. She also discussed the life and legacy of community legend Mae McClendon, who passed away earlier this week. She also previewed upcoming town events, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Storm Water Plan, Budget Conversations, Remembering Mae McClendon appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, March 17, discussing town news and events. He gave updates on the town's preparation for the expected storms from the previous day. He also talked about the life and legacy of former town board member Ken Chavious who recently passed away. He previewed upcoming Spring events in the community, and more. The post Hillsborough: Storm Updates, Remembering Ken Chavious, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, March 12, discussing town news and events. She discussed the recently opened State Senate and the implications for the town. She talked about a grant the town recently received to upgrade the bus fleet for Chapel Hill Transit, a couple of recent ribbon-cutting milestones, an honor for Police Chief Celisa Lehew, and more. The post Chapel Hill: News Bus Grant, Ribbon Cuttings, Police Chief Honored appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 11, discussing county news and events. She recapped this week's Orange Couny Commissioners meeting, which heard updates on the county's 2050 Land Use  Plan, as well as appointment to boards and commissions. She also discussed some property that the county is selling, and the process they have to go through to sell that property. She also discussed the recent midterm elections, which saw her win reelection and the recently opened state senate seat in Orange County. The post Orange County: Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford With Meeting Recap, Orange County Property for Sale appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, March 6, discussing town news and events.  She talked about election day on Tuesday, and they both reminisced about voting in previous elections. She also talked about an upcoming Black History Month concert that was rescheduled from February. She previewed a Women's History Month event coming up, and more. The post Carrboro: Elections and Voting, Women’s History Month, Kite Flying appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, March 5, discussing town news and events. She talked about the recent meeting of the town council, which saw former local startup Eats2Seats choose Chapel Hill as their headquarters. She also talked about the council's decision to pass a resolution reaffirming the fourth and fifth amendments to the Constitution, previewed some upcoming events, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Election Reaction, Startup Settles in Chapel Hill, Affirming the Constitution appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 5, discussing town news and events. She offered reaction to Tuesday's midterm primary elections locally, which saw three fellow board members elected. She also recapped feedback from Commissioners who went to the recent Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., and more. The post Orange County: Election Reaction, National Association of Counties appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, March 3, discussing town news and events. He talked about election day and his experience voting early with his family. He also discussed a bridge closure affecting overnight traffic in Hillsborough. He also gave a preview of the upcoming Hillsborough Town Board of Commissioners meeting next week, previewed some upcoming town events, and more. The post Hillsborough: Bridge Closure, Commissioners Meeting Preview appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, February 27, discussing town news and events. She talked about the rescheduled Carrboro Film Fest happening this weekend at the Drakeford Library Complex, along with early voting wrapping up on Saturday. She also mentioned the ribbon cutting for the Extraordinary Thrift Shop, which is taking over for the Community Worx Thrift shop in downtown Carrboro. She also gave highlights from an event from the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill Carrboro, and more. The post Carrboro: Film Fest, Early Voting, Chamber Event, and More appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, February 26. She discussed the news of a Barnes and Noble coming to University Place later this year. She also talked about the recent Town Council meeting, which saw a recognition of Black History Month, and approval of a couple of developments on Weaver Dairy Road. She also gave an update on the Legion Road property, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Weaver Dairy Road Developments, Black History Recognition, Legion Road Update appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, February 25, discussing county news and events. She talked about the timeline and priorities around the hire of a new county Tax Administrator, outlined some of the upcoming discussions around the county's budget, discussed early voting in our community, and more. The post Orange County: Tax Administrator Hire, Upcoming Budget Decisions, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, February 20, discussing town news and events. She discussed the legislative breakfast that town leaders had with state and U.S. legislators. She also talked about the town council's unanimous decision to delay the East Weaver Street closure pilot after numerous logistical questions from stakeholders. She recapped the rest of the town council meeting, discussed upcoming events, including the rescheduled Carrboro Film Fest, and more. The post Carrboro: Legislative Breakfast, Delaying Weaver Street Pilot, Town Council Meeting appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, February 19, discussing town news and events. She touched on the proposed timeline for the affordable housing project at the legion road property. She also talked about some upcoming progress toward extending some multi-modal paths. She discussed the Rosemary Street closure and the impacts on local businesses, talked about early voting, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Legion Road Timeline, Multi-Modal Upgrades, Rosemary Street Closure appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, February 18, discussing county news and events. She talked about the recent meeting of the county commissioners, which included reports on transit work programs, Orange County Animal Services, the Longtime Homeowner Assistance Program, and more. She also talked about the process for hiring a new Tax Administrator, the early voting period continuing, and more. The post Orange County: Transit Work Programs, Tax Administrator Hire, Early Voting appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, February 17, discussing town news and events. He previewed upcoming meetings of the board of commissioners. He also discussed a large federal grant to help fund a water infrastructure project, looked to some upcoming events, and more. The post Hillsborough: Commissioners Meeting, Federal Funding, Upcoming Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, February 12, discussing town news and events. She recapped the recent town council meeting, which included a presentation on the town's financial report, and an update in the Land Use Management Ordinance rewrite. She outlined some recent federal funding secured for some major projects for the town, and more. The post Chapel Hill: LUMO Update, Federal Funding for Projects, Financial Report appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, February 11, discussing county news and events. She recapped the most recent work session for the board of commissioners, which saw presentations from numerous county advisory boards and commissions. She also talked about early voting, which begins on Thursday, with several locations in Orange County. She encouraged residents to attend Black History Month events and more. The post Orange County: Advisory Board Presentations, Early Voting, Black History Month appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, February 6, discussing town news and events. She talked about the recent meeting of the town council, which saw an update on the town's comprehensive plan. She also talked about the council directing town staff to see if there are more support options for unhoused residents. She discussed some of the town's numerous Black History Month events, talked about the recently refreshed town website, and more. The post Carrboro: Comprehensive Plan, Black History, Refreshed Website appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, February 5, discussing town news and events. She talked about the response and ongoing impacts of our recent rounds of winter weather. She also talked about the upcoming UNC vs. Duke basketball game which takes place in Chapel Hill on Saturday, February eighth. She discussed an upcoming OWASA closure to Rosemary Street, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Weather Response, UNC vs. Duke, Rosemary Closure appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, February 4, discussing county news and events. She discussed the recent snow and cold weather events and the county's response to those events. She also talked about a pair of interlocal agreements discussed at the most recent meeting of the commissioners dealing with school projects, and tax collection. She also previewed the early voting period, which begins next week, and more. The post Orange County: Snow Response, Interlocal Agreements, Primary Election Season appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, January 30, discussing town news and events. She talked about the previous weekend's winter storm, the upcoming weekend's winter storm, and Carrboro Works superior performance through the storm in spite of still not having a home after this summer's flooding. She also discussed a proposed upcoming pilot to "Reimagining East Weaver Street," which would see the block closed to vehicle traffic on weekends for a six month period, and more. The post Carrboro: Storm Response, Carrboro Works, Weaver Street Reimagined appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, January 29, discussing town news and events. She talked about the recent winter weather's impacts on the town and the school schedule. She also responded to recent events in Minneapolis involving the killing of protesters by ICE agents. She talked about some upcoming event and opportunities in the community including Chapel Hill Transit seeking feedback for their next 10-year plan, and more. The post Chapel Hill: Winter Weather, Minneapolis Response, CH Transit Feedack appeared first on Chapelboro.com.