Full name: Louie Rivers III
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: https://www.electrivers.com/
1) In 300 words or less, please give our readers your elevator pitch: Why are you running? Why should voters entrust you with this position? What prior experience will make you an effective member of the Chapel Hill town council?
I am running for council for two reasons:
1. I love Chapel Hill and the people of Chapel Hill. I have lived here for about 13 years, which is the longest I have been in one community. Chapel Hill has been a great place to raise our kids and build strong personal and community bonds. I want to be of service to a community that has given so much to my family and me.
2. I am concerned that drastic changes at the federal level will lead to austere financial conditions which will simultaneously require local governments to take greater responsibility for the well-being of their community. In Chapel Hill three pillars of our community are under attack from the current administration: the federal workforce, academia and immigrants. Many people in our community are experiencing job loss or a severe reduction in salary for the first time in their lives. Our neighbors are under threat from an expanding and dangerous federal police force (ICE). People of color and members of the LGBTQ+ have loss support structures at our local university. Chapel Hill needs to step up for these communities.
Additionally, the federal response to recent severe weather, such as Tropical Storm Chantal, has not been fiscally robust and has been in slow providing the support our business needs. Climate change will lead to more frequent and severe weather events. Chapel Hill needs to focus on how we prepare our community for these events and the subsequent recovery.
In short, I love Chapel Hill. I think that the next 4 years will be difficult for communities, like ours, that value diversity, inclusion, equity and kindness. I want to be part of helping Chapel Hill through this difficult time.
2) What would your priorities be as a member of the Chapel Hill town council? Please identify three of the most pressing issues Chapel Hill currently faces and how you believe the town should address them.
My top 3 priorities as a prospective council member are the following:
Preparing for a changing climate: Our climate is shifting, bringing hotter summers and more frequent, unpredictable weather events. These changes will impact how we live, work, and interact with our environment. Chapel Hill must be proactive, not reactive, in preparing for a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.
-Expanding housing opportunities: We are facing a nationwide housing crisis; one made more urgent by economic uncertainty. Chapel Hill’s strength lies in its diverse and vibrant population. To preserve and grow that strength, we must expand access to housing options that meet the needs of residents across the economic spectrum—from young professionals to working families to seniors. This growth needs to be done in the framework of the town’s Complete Community Strategy.
-Promoting transparent and equitable community engagement: Chapel Hill is a town of thinkers, problem-solvers, and engaged citizens. Yet for too many people that I have t, local government feels inaccessible or opaque. We need to open the doors wider, making participation in town decision-making easier, more transparent, and more inclusive. Solving complex issues like climate adaptation and housing affordability requires tapping into the full breadth of our community’s knowledge, experiences, and voices.
To address these and other town priorities we need to address the most pressing structural issues for Chapel Hill: land use management ordinance revision, financial management, and community engagement and trust building.
Land use management ordinance (LUMO) revision: We have not had a complete revision of our LUMO since 2003. Under our current LUMO we lack clear processes for development outside of single-family residences and downtown development. We need a LUMO that provides clear guidance for a variety of residential development especially along our transit corridors. Additionally, we need clear processes for regularly revising the LUMO, it needs to be a living document that can respond to changes during uncertain times.
Financial management: Chapel Hill is entering a time of fiscal challenges. Federal and state support for local governments is decreasing; inflation is ongoing; and sales tax revenue (a significant contributor to town revenue) maybe plateauing. At the same time, we have some major expenses that need to be addressed such as updating our stormwater infrastructure and addressing maintenance backlogs (such as street resurfacing). We have some tough financial choices to make, and we need effective community engagement to help navigate these choices and relevant tradeoffs. We cannot continue to rely on property sales tax to fill budget gaps.
Community engagement and trust building: There are many people in Chapel Hill that have loss trust in local government. To address the structural issues identified above (LUMO revision and financial management) we need to restore trust in local government. This means crafting community engagement process that are free of jargon, set clear expectations at the beginning and have clear timelines that are strictly adhered to. Restoring trust also means showing up even when people are upset, hearing their concerns, seeking to address their concerns and being honest and clear when the decision does not go their way.
3) What’s the best or most important thing the Chapel Hill Town Council has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the town should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.
The best thing that council did this year was approve $4.19 million for two affordable housing projects. The Hillside Trace project will provide 190 units of affordable housing at 60% or less of area median income (which is ~$48,600 for a one-person household, ~$55,500 for a two-person household and ~$57,400 for a four-person household). This addresses a critical housing need in our community, especially the two- and three-bedroom apartments that will be suitable for families. The project is also close to downtown (despite a non-trivial hill that requires traversal) and is on a major transit corridor (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). Additionally, the four units at Weavers Grove for adults with disabilities addresses an often-underserved population.
A decision that the town should have handled differently is the property tax rate. This past year has seen significant increases in property valuations, widespread federal job cuts and federal research funding cuts. Due to these changes many people in our community are experiencing job loss/insecurity or significant reductions in salary. This was not the year to suggest a rate (50 cents per $100 in property) so far above revenue neutral (44.2 cents per $100 in property). The new property tax rate is a significant challenge for many people in Chapel Hill.
4) President Trump is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas. At the same time, the state legislature has passed laws requiring agencies to cooperate with ICE. What do you think Chapel Hill can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?
Chapel Hill needs to strongly support our immigrant community. This includes continuing to support current town activities that support our immigrant community: the town’s Language Access Plan; the police Hispanic/Latino liaison; and the provision of town information and services in multiple languages. Chapel Hill should also follow the lead of Carrboro and support 4th Amendment workplaces in Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill also has a large immigrant population that is connected to the university as staff, faculty or students. As the university system decreases their support for these communities the town needs to seek ways to fill these gaps when possible. Such as providing spaces for these communities to organize and making sure that UNC students are aware of town language services.
As a community it is critical that we let our immigrant neighbors know that we are allies as they face these difficulties. The town will not always have a solution, but it should be clear that we are doing all that we can to support everyone in our community to safely live with dignity in Chapel Hill.
5) Faced with federal funding cuts, rising costs, and a revaluation that saw home values skyrocket, the town council (in a 5-4 vote) approved a $164 million budget funded by the fifth tax increase in as many years. For current council members, please explain how you voted and why. For non-incumbents, please explain how you would have voted and why.
I would have voted no on the manger proposed budget. Considering significant increases in property valuations, widespread federal job cuts, federal research funding cuts and inflation this is a difficult moment for many in our community and not the time to add to people’s fiscal burden.
Additionally, I would have asked the manager to share a version of the budget, along with relevant tradeoffs, that had the general fund at 12-15% of the annual budget (which is recommended by Government Finance Officers’ Association) instead of the 20% in the adopted budget.
6) The town has prioritized climate action and climate resiliency, but the catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal shows that the town and its residents continue to be vulnerable to these disasters. How can Chapel Hill best help impacted residents and prepare for future disasters? How should the council deal with the coal ash at the police station, which has been impacted by separate flood incidents?
The town should take the following steps to help impacted residents and prepare for future disasters:
1. We need to prioritize updating our existing stormwater system with grey and green infrastructure.
2. We need to support storm preparation training for residents especially in flood vulnerable neighborhoods.
3. The town needs to develop better communication procedures for its existing heat safety capacities that target renters and elderly residents. The town also needs to make sure that heat safety procedures are clearly communicated to business/institutions that serve vulnerable populations (such as retirement communities, daycare facilities and summer camps)
4. After Chantal, Triangle Mutual Aid provided immediate support for impacted residents, it was an organized vehicle for neighbors to help neighbors. Chapel Hill should seek to support a disaster mutual aid group for our local community. This would include but is not limited to providing training to community members about basic storm recovery actions, first aid training, and organization of volunteer resources. It is also key that the town has the ability to communicate with neighbors during and after a disaster.
5. Climate change will introduce a tremendous amount of uncertainty into natural and governance systems. We need to make sure that our town processes are flexible enough to account for this uncertainty. Specifically, we need a major update of our land use management ordinance (LUMO) and create procedures to make it a living document that is regularly revisited and adjusted to account for a changing climate.
The town needs to prioritize addressing the coal ash waste at the police station. We will experience more frequent and severe weather events going forward which elevates the risk for this site. The town should cap the coal ash and build a retaining wall. I am hesitant to support removal of the coal ash due to cost and the displacement of our waste to other communities. The property should not be used for residential development going forward and there should ongoing monitoring of the site. Additionally, we should seek support from the university in addressing this issue, the university did dump the coal ash at the site. They have no formal responsibilities but addressing this site fits with the university’s espoused mission and values.
7) As with most places in the Triangle, Chapel Hill is grappling with a shortage of affordable housing. How should the town address housing affordability over the next few years?
The town is taking significant steps to address housing affordability which it should continue to invest in: the affordable housing bond; a commitment to a Complete Communities strategy; investment in the Affordable Housing and Community Connections Department, and a thoughtful Affordable Housing Plan. Additionally, the town has been successful in partnering with developers that make use of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The town should continue to seek partnerships that make use of the LIHTAC vehicle since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act increases funding for the program. A holistic update of the Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) will also help clarify development procedures in town, which will make development in town less expensive. Town should also continue to identify town owned properties that can be used to develop affordable housing projects. Land costs remain high in Chapel Hill and a major limiting factor on developing affordable housing. We can develop affordable housing on town owned properties while maintaining greenspace and ensuring proper stormwater management. Finally, the town should seek ways to expand its tax abatement program, people on fixed income face housing insecurity as property values grow and property tax rates elevate.
Beyond, continuing to grow on these considerable efforts the town should invest in a grant writer to seek affordable housing funds from the non-profit/foundation sector. Chapel Hill has a well-developed ecosystem of local affordable housing non-profits that can act as partners in seeking this funding.
7) Last year, the council voted to eliminate several advisory boards and commissions. How can the town best improve its community engagement process, especially to reach residents who do not have the time or resources to attend town council meetings on weekday nights?
Effective community engagement is difficult (expensive and time consuming) especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is key to successful governance. There are best practices for engaging communities that should inform the town’s engagement processes. For example, engagement activities should be free of jargon, set clear expectations at the beginning, have clear timelines that are strictly adhered to, meet at easily accessible locations, not occur during the workday, and provide childcare and food.
Beyond developing effective engagement processes. The town should seek to develop an ongoing relationship with members of the community. People often interact with the town when something has gone wrong, or they disagree with a decision. I think we should develop a model of community advisory councils (like Raleigh’s citizen advisory councils) that represent geographic regions of town. These councils would meet regularly and provide a forum for sharing town developments with the local community at a hyper-local level. Conversely, they would provide a place for members of our community to raise issues to the town. These councils also have the potential to increase trust between community members and town government via the development of an ongoing relationship.
8) The Orange County commission is responsible for levying taxes to fund Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). That said, what role (if any), should the town council play in supporting CHCCS given the school district’s ongoing budget issues and threatened federal grant cuts?
Town council does not play a direct role in CHCCS administration. However, council’s decisions and priorities do set critical community context in which CHCCS operates. Chapel Hill’s grade school population is shrinking, and we face the potential closure of one of our elementary schools. This points to the need for increasing housing stock across the income spectrum, which is one of my key priories. Young families need to be able to find housing they can afford in our community.
As of 2021, 26% of CHCCS students qualify for free or reduced-priced meals. This is an indicator of more serious need in our community. We need to make sure that we continue to support local safety net programs in our community and seek public-private partnerships to address potential gaps in safety net funding as the federal government takes a step back. Housing and food insecurity significantly impact a student’s chance for success.
9) UNC is a major employer and landholder in Chapel Hill. How would you rate the relationship between the university and the town? What would you like to see change?
Important context for this relationship is that UNC does not pay any local property tax. This is a partial driver of our current tax base which is over reliant on single family residences.
The town’s relationship with UNC is good, but it could be better. UNC’s substantial contribution to our transit system and support of the Northside Land Bank are significant positive contributions to our community. Furthermore, the various activities associated with a world class, R-1 institution have made our community a sought-after destination for visitors and new residents. UNC helps to make Chapel Hill a continually dynamic and attractive town.
Conversely, Chapel Hill and the university could be better partners. The town should speak with a unified voice when working with UNC to avoid confusion via the mayor and the town manager, or staff directed by the town manager. The university should be more transparent in its decision-making processes that affect town. Specifically, UNC’s student housing plan and property development agenda directly impact the quality of life for Chapel Hill residents. Furthermore, the state legislature’s recent decision to exempt the university from local zoning and development rules could potentially lead to a deterioration in the town-university relationship. Clarity is kindness, too often the university’s decision processes are far from clear.
10) If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here.
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