The Hank Anderson-Bill Thorpe-Yonni Chapman Breakfast Club has issued its endorsements for the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board.

The Daily Tar Heel issued its endorsements this morning n the Chapel Hill Town Council election. Early voting begins today at noon and will continue through October 31. Election Day is November 3.

The underlying narrative of the election this year has been about growth in Chapel Hill.  Runway growth. Incredible growth.  Unprecidented growth.  Residents are nostalgic for that time 10, 20 or 30 years when the town's growth was so much slower.  

The only problem with that narrative is it isn't true. According to the UNC Carolina Population Center, if you compare the growth rates of the state's high tech counties, Orange (Chapel Hill), Durham, Wake, and Mecklenberg (Charlotte), growth rates are now historically low.  In fact, if you look at the growth rates during supposed golden age of Chapel Hill, in the 60's and 70's, the growth rate was twice what it is now. 

Even if you compare recent growth rates among the state's high tech counties, Orange has the lowest growth rate. Sure, Orange County has grown faster than counties in the middle of nowhere, but Orange is the home to a major economic driver for state, and is right next door to the other fastest growing counties as well.