Q&A with Cristóbal Palmer, Candidate for Carrboro Town Council

Mr. Palmer was elected to Council in a special election to fill a vacancy in 2024; he's been in office since December and is now running to serve a full term. He responded to The Carrborean's questions by email. Thank you, Mr. Palmer, for your time and responses!

1. What is something you would like residents to know about you and your priorities for Council, maybe something that’s not in your official statement? (Or, it could be something in your statement that you want to stress and is especially timely.)

CP: In the wake of Chantal, I think the part of my platform that I would emphasize here is from the Climate Justice and Action section: “Carrboro must continue to center equity as it tackles climate resilience.”

During the first two weeks after Chantal, I spent more time working with neighbors in Canterbury Townhomes than in Weatherhill Point, and I just want to emphasize that while there are lessons learned and things we can do better, the Carrboro residents, staff, and folks who came to help us from all over NC and beyond give me hope for what we can accomplish in the near future.

2. How will you engage with residents throughout your term? Does your answer describe something new or continuing what you've been doing?

CP: Perhaps this should go without saying, but Council meetings are public meetings and anyone can come attend in person. Folks can find the calendar here. For those that cannot attend in person, know that you can stream our public meetings on YouTube both live and after the fact.

Beyond the public meetings, there are a large range of community events, town-sponsored events, and simple meals with friends and neighbors that have me out in Carrboro. I would first and foremost point neighbors to the town Community Events calendar and the Signature Events page for places that they’re likely to find me in person. Here I have to give major credit to our Parks & Rec staff, and also our small Communications and Engagement team. They do amazing work that is at or above the level of much bigger towns. There’s a reason we were named an All-America City! 

I emphasize in-person contact because I love Carrboro and want folks to come out and experience it with me. I know that different folks will engage in different ways, and having many ways to connect is important to make sure that we continue to hear from everybody in town, especially those who have historically been marginalized. Improving engagement is an iterative and ongoing process, and I look forward to building trust with folks to help us do better each and every year.

3.       What do you hope to accomplish or contribute to during your term?

CP: Again I would point neighbors to my platform, which can be summarized to four pillars: Equitable Transportation, Climate Justice & Action, Building Affordable and Better Housing, and Anti-racist Learning and Practice.

4. The Council's work and statements related to climate, affordable housing, land use, greenways/connectivity, and social programs are among the better-known Town workstreams. How can or will Council support the business community during your term?

CP: The Downtown Area Plan Project, which will come before Council this Fall for adoption, has support from many of our existing downtown businesses. It combines facets of all of climate action, better housing, transportation connectivity, and green public spaces. Adopting clear and binding rules that encode our values as expressed in the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan is a necessary step to sustain and support a vibrant business environment in downtown Carrboro. I look forward to our work bearing fruit in the form of more housing and more commercial space in a walkable downtown core.

In the coming weeks, The Carrborean will invite other candidates for Carrboro Town Offices to discuss their priorities for Carrboro.

What are your top issues for Carrboro? What do you want candidates to talk about? Take The Carrborean's brief (3-5 minutes) survey. We'll publish the results in the October print edition.