Name as it appears on the ballot: Marilyn Carter
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: marilyncarter.org
Occupation & employer:
● Member, Orange County Planning Board
● Member, Governor’s Commission on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
● Retired engineer and senior operations manager
Endorsements include:
● NC State AFL-CIO
● 3.14 Action Fund
● Triangle Blog Blog
● Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford, Amy Fowler and Phyllis Portie Ascott
1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Orange County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?
Late last year, the Commissioners approved a Strategic Plan for the county that sets priorities on a number of issues, including affordable housing, growing a dynamic local economy and climate resiliency. I agree with these priorities, as well as a focus in the Plan on providing strong services in public health, behavioral health and crisis diversion.
I have been talking with voters while canvassing across the county and participated in numerous community conversations. Time and time again, there are stories about how we are experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis simultaneously with an affordable housing crisis. If we are to address one issue, it’s also imperative that the other is considered in tandem.
As Commissioner, I will support more programs that address these issues. For example, the Commissioners recently increased funding for emergency tenant assistance. There is a program providing property tax assistance for long-time residents, which is currently accepting applications through November 1. For folks in transition from homelessness and institutions, there is bridge housing like the Wonderful House, whose ribbon cutting I recently attended.
I am unopposed and all Orange County voters can vote for both me and Commissioner Jean Hamilton to represent District 1. Our voters have high expectations for our Commissioners and their performance, integrity and commitment to finding equitable solutions for ALL of our residents. As a collaborative leader, I will work hard every day to join my colleagues in solving practical problems for our community.
2. What in your view are the most pressing needs for Orange County Schools? What about Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools?
As the daughter of an electrical utility lineman and a nurse, I attended public schools and earned an electrical engineering degree from a public university. Our daughters attended Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
The children of Orange County deserve to have an equitable public education that enables each child to reach their full potential. To do that, it is crucial that they are able to learn in a safe and healthy environment.
There is a county-wide bond referendum on the ballot to fund capital improvements for both the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County School systems. Capital improvements include new facilities and renovations to existing facilities (versus operational expenses like salaries).
A voter-approved bond issue provides the lowest financing costs so that taxpayer dollars go the furthest, and assures that dollars will be allocated to much-needed investment in our infrastructure.
I support the bond and encourage voters to vote for it.
3. How can Orange County leaders work more closely with the boards of both school districts on areas such as staffing, new construction, renovation and facilities maintenance, salaries, and other issues?
The voters in each of the two school systems elect representatives to serve on their respective Boards of Education. Each Board submits budget requests to the County Commissioners in the annual budget process, and provides oversight for their respective school systems on how that budget is administered. There are state laws to guide the school boards in that work.
It can be helpful to understand the difference between the operational budget and the capital budget. The operational budget funds staffing, salaries and ongoing expenses.
For the schools, operational dollars are allocated based on the number of enrolled students, with a “per pupil” dollar amount. The capital budget funds new construction and renovations. As a new Commissioner, I will be interested in practical opportunities for working more closely while respecting the role and authority of each elected body.
4. Orange County is the sole owner of 60 acres, and a joint owner of 100 acres of land known as the Greene Tract in the western part of the county, and the creation of a long-term plan to guide development and preservation of the land is underway. What is your vision for the Greene Tract? How should the county work with the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill to achieve this vision and develop and/or preserve the land equitably and sustainably?
Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill and the Town of Carrboro have been collaborating to gather representative feedback from our residents on how a combination of both development with a range of equitable housing options and preservation can be achieved on the Greene Tract.
The process has included Community Engagement sessions in April, June and September of this year, which I have attended. Community members have shared their focus on ensuring affordable housing options, protecting sensitive areas and integrating new development with the neighboring community in a way that preserves the history and character of that community. In the most recent session, the Planning staff presented a Conceptual Master Plan that offers a future vision that includes a number of housing options, commercial areas, pedestrian walkways, community green spaces and a potential future school site.
I support this collaborative, highly engaged approach and will encourage its continuation.
5. What is your vision for how Orange County should grow economically? What policies would you like to see implemented to enhance economic development in Orange County?
My vision for Orange County’s economic growth is one that balances sustainable development with the preservation of our community’s character, while ensuring opportunities for all residents.
One key to achieving this is through our county and municipal land use plans. Orange County is currently developing the Land Use Plan 2050, which when complete, will describe where and how land in unincorporated areas of the county can be used for residential, agricultural, and industrial purposes for the next 25 years. It has the potential to affect development options for more housing, where we can grow our local economy
and jobs, and how we conserve land for food production, watershed protection and climate resilience.
Our economic development districts, particularly those in Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, and Efland, offer opportunities to concentrate growth where infrastructure already exists. This approach aligns with the principles of smart growth, allowing us to build sustainably while reducing sprawl and protecting our rural areas. As we move forward, it will be important to use the framework of the Land Use Plan 2050 to guide where housing, commercial, and industrial development should occur, ensuring we conserve land for agriculture, watershed protection, and climate resilience.
Land Use Plan 2050 is currently in a Community Engagement phase, much like the process that has guided the Greene Tract development. As a member of the Orange County Planning Board, I have advocated for a feedback process that engages with community members so that the Plan reflects their input on the future of housing, economic development and climate resiliency in a representative way.
6. What steps should the county take to address challenges related to growth and development, such as sprawl and transportation? In your opinion, what have been the county’s successes in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?
Orange County and the municipalities of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Mebane have generally supported a smart growth approach to planning, which concentrates development in areas where it can use existing infrastructure and services while seeking to preserve our rural areas and resources. In recent years, we have seen significant expansion of housing options in the municipalities.
In the short term, construction can disrupt; while over time, it can help alleviate housing shortages, preserve sensitive lands and reinforce connections to local history and culture. Smart growth also can reduce climate impacts by reducing the need for vehicles and maximizing the use of public transit, walkways and bike lanes.
The Greene Tract development, for example, represents smart planning with community input, balancing housing needs with environmental goals. However, maintaining affordable housing amid growth remains a challenge. One way to do this is to streamline the planning process for affordable developments and support zoning reforms to allow more diverse housing types.
For example, the Orange County Planning Board on which I serve recently approved, for the first time, two developments that follow a “conservation cluster” approach. This allows denser development on part of a parcel when a significant portion of the same parcel is conserved and undeveloped. It also provides for a more streamlined planning process.
As Commissioner, I will prioritize continued community engagement, ensuring residents have a say in shaping the Land Use Plan 2050. By involving the community in planning decisions and focusing on equitable, sustainable growth, we can meet our county’s needs while preserving its unique character.
7. Similarly, what should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality? Do you believe the current board is doing enough to prevent current residents from being priced out?
Late last year, the Commissioners approved a Strategic Plan, after seeking representative community input.
One of the top priorities in this Plan is housing. Rapidly rising housing costs are putting many residents at risk of being priced out and are a direct contributor to economic inequality in Orange County.
The current Board has increased funding for housing programs, like the aforementioned tenant assistance and property tax relief for long-time residents, which I applaud. While these programs help residents in the short-term, we need to circumvent economic displacement by creating an environment where affordable housing can be developed.
A streamlined planning process, continued investment in infrastructure, and public-private partnerships can accelerate these efforts and make homeownership more accessible.
In addition to housing, investments to economic development districts and support for small businesses help create better-paying jobs.
Government partnerships, such as the one between Orange County, the Town of Mebane and the NC Department of Commerce have fostered an environment that attracts companies to locate operations here. For example, earlier this month, Morinaga, the maker of Hi-Chew candy, pledged $127 million in new capital investment and the creation of 204 new full-time jobs, after initially beginning operations here in Orange County in 2014.
Steps like these will continue to help residents increase their incomes and reduce the gap between wages and housing costs, so that Orange County is a place where community members can continue to both work and live.
8. There is a lack of affordable housing in Orange County. What steps do you think the Board of Commissioners could take to address this problem and to help facilitate home ownership?
Affordable housing is a pressing issue in Orange County, and working toward solutions requires a multi-pronged approach. The high cost of housing is affecting all sectors of our community—from students and young families to teachers, healthcare workers, and
elders. We need to develop innovative solutions to ensure that Orange County is an equitable place to live.
It is crucial to continue to support housing-first programs such as Emergency Housing Assistance. To open opportunities for longer-term solutions, we should invest in permanent supportive housing and prioritize County-owned land and/or facilities to create additional housing options.
To facilitate homeownership, we should continue supporting programs that offer down payment assistance, property tax relief for long-time residents, and financial literacy education.
Public-private partnerships will also be key to building more affordable units, as developers can help us meet this need in exchange for incentives that prioritize community benefit.
Additionally, zoning reforms that allow for more diverse housing types—like duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units—can increase the housing supply without sacrificing the character of our neighborhoods. I also support conservation cluster developments, a new model we recently approved on the Orange County Planning Board, which balances denser housing with land conservation.
These initiatives can give more residents the opportunity to build equity in our community.
9. What initiatives can Orange County take to address residents’ mental health? What public health care programs are in place elsewhere in the country that you would like to see implemented here?
As a member of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, it was wonderful to see the expansion of Medicaid finally approved by the NC Legislature after years of delay.
Additional funds are now flowing back to our state, and over time, these should enable Orange County to better address the mental health crisis we face statewide and nationwide.
At the same time, one of the most important steps we can take is to recognize that housing is healthcare. Individuals need stable housing as a foundation to successfully address mental health needs, seek treatment, and engage in recovery.
Expanding housing-first programs is a critical part of this approach. The previously mentioned Wonderful House provides bridge housing for residents in transition from homelessness or incarceration. These initiatives offer more than just a roof—they
provide the mental health and substance use support that residents need. If we can expand these programs and ensure access to supportive housing, we will be taking a significant step toward improving mental health outcomes across the county.
Beyond housing, we need to continue the significant array of crisis diversion services already implemented through the Mental Health Collaborative for Diversion Program. The goal of the Collaborative is to divert individuals with mental illness to appropriate community behavioral health providers and support services and to reduce the number
of individuals with serious mental illness entering the criminal legal system.
10. Are there any issues not included in this questionnaire that you would like to address?
The arts enhance the vibrancy of our community by celebrating diversity and creativity and making Orange County an even more attractive place to live and work.
Increasing our investment in the arts enriches our community, fosters creativity, and contributes to our local economy in tangible ways that far exceed our expenditures. The arts provide vital opportunities for self-expression and cultural engagement, benefiting residents of all ages.
Expanding our support for the arts can also enhance our quality of life and attract tourism, which is important for our local businesses. As a commissioner, I will advocate for robust funding for arts programs, including support for local artists, cultural events, and educational initiatives in schools.
