Mia Burroughs to Run for County Commissioner

Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board member Mia Burroughs will seek the Orange County commissioner seat being vacated by Commissioner Alice Gordon, OrangePolitics has confirmed.

Gordon announced yesterday that she would not seek another term as commissioner, an office she has held since 1990. There has been chatter in the community for some time that Burroughs might be interested in making a move to the Board of Commissioners, so the OP Posse contacted Mia last night, and she confirmed that she will be a candidate for the District 1 seat in the May Democratic primary.

"Alice has been a wonderful representative for the district," Burroughs said. "She leaves a very strong legacy of supporting Orange County values from her position as commissioner."

Burroughs has served on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board since 2007—elected experience she hopes to bring with her to the Board of Commissioners, and experience she says has enabled her to build positive relationships with other elected officials in the county. She noted that good working relationships among local boards has become even more important as funding at the state level has placed local governments under strain.

"I believe we can all work together to do the best for Orange County citizens," she said. "The commissioners have a great opportunity to continue to support the most important resource in our county, which is our people. Nearly half of the commissioners' budget goes to education, and the commissioners also fund a number of other things, including social service programs, that make a big difference in the lives of Orange County citizens." 

"Our commissioners have been wonderful supporters of education, though the last year has been the first time in probably decades when there hasn't been someone from a school board or a school employee sitting on the Board of Commissioners," she added.

Burroughs said she hopes to not only focus on education if elected, but also wants to be part of a quick resolution to the issues facing the Rogers Road community and to diversify Orange County's tax base.

Election filing opens on February 10th. With this open seat, the open seat for Orange County Sheriff, and the Carrboro special election on top of the higher-ticket races, Orange County could be in for an exciting election season this spring before the primary on May 6th.