Carrboro, Chapel Hill Honor Outgoing Council Members, Swear In New Members

GOVERNMENT

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

CARRBORO/CHAPEL HILL —Carrboro and Chapel Hill held special meetings during the first week of December to recognize outgoing Town Council members and swear in those elected during November’s municipal elections.

The oaths of office were administered by N.C. House District 56 Rep. Allen Buansi, who recently announced his intention to run for re-election in the 2026 spring primaries.

INCUMBENTS, NEWCOMERS STEP INTO OFFICIAL ROLES IN CARRBORO

Barbara Foushee took the oath of office to begin her third term as Carrboro’s mayor. She ran unopposed in the fall election. Foushee—the second African American mayor and the first African American female mayor in town history—was first elected in 2021 and will serve until December 2027. She previously served on the Town Council from 2017 to 2021.

Carrboro mayors serve two-year terms, meaning Foushee will appear on the ballot again in 2027 should she seek a fourth term.

Incumbent Town Council members Danny Nowell and Cristobal Palmer were also sworn in for new four-year terms that will run through December 2029.

Nowell, first elected in 2021, begins his second four-year term. Palmer, who won a December 2024 special election, secured his first full term in this year’s municipal election.

Also sworn in was Fred L. Joiner, Carrboro’s former poet laureate (2019–2022), who was elected on Nov. 4 to a full four-year term.

The Town of Carrboro honored outgoing longtime Council member Randee Haven-O’Donnell, who chose not to run for re-election after decades of service to the community. Mayor Foushee read a proclamation recognizing Haven-O’Donnell’s years of public service.

Following the oaths of office, the Town Council elected Eliazar Arturo Posada-Orozco Jr. as its new mayor pro tem.

CHAPEL HILL WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS TO TOWN COUNCIL

Chapel Hill held its swearing-in ceremony on Dec. 3. The Town welcomed back incumbents Camille Berry and Paris Miller-Foushee, while newcomers Wes McMahon and Louie Rivers III also joined the board.

McMahon and Rivers, who finished first and second in the Nov. 4 election, replace Karen Stegman and Adam Searing. Stegman, who stepped down from the Town Council this summer, recently announced a 2026 run for Orange County Commissioner. Searing is leaving public office to focus on family and professional pursuits, though he assured colleagues he remains committed to the community.

Council member Elizabeth Sharp read a Resolution of Appreciation recognizing Searing’s service.

In her second term as mayor, Jessica Anderson was formally sworn in by District Court Judge Hathaway Pendergrass. Anderson ran unopposed this year for another two-year term.

After a brief recess, Council members Berry, Miller-Foushee, McMahon and Rivers III took their oaths.

Berry delivered remarks emphasizing the importance of civic engagement and voting.

She thanked the community and acknowledged those who supported her, including friends who attended in place of family unable to travel.

Miller-Foushee, sworn in by District Court Judge Joal Hall Brown, thanked voters for entrusting her with a second term and emphasized her continued focus on smart growth, affordability and climate resilience.

McMahon, sworn in by former Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, spoke about the symbolic weight of taking an oath to uphold the U.S. and N.C. constitutions and emphasized the importance of integrity in local governance.

Rivers III, also sworn in by Kleinschmidt, urged residents to remain civically active heading into the 2026 election cycle and expressed concern about national political and environmental challenges.

Following the ceremonies, the Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously elected Berry as its new mayor pro tem, continuing the tradition of selecting the most senior member who has not previously served in the role.

Adam Powell has been a correspondent for The Local Reporter since 2023. A 2001 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Powell has served as managing editor of multiple local publications, including the News of Orange County, the Mebane Enterprise, the Caswell Messenger, and the ACC Sports Journal. Powell has won more than 20 North Carolina Press Association Awards throughout his journalism career for Excellence in Education Reporting, Excellence in Sports Columns and Features, and Excellence in Video Production. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) for Excellence in Education Writing and for his newsletters representing Rockingham County Schools and the North Carolina Cyber Academy. The author of four books. Adam currently resides in Mebane with his wife Julie and children Colt and Jenna. This reporter can be reached at:Information@TheLocal Reporter.press