New Cary Mayor, 3 Council Members Take Office

Harold Weinbrecht Jr., 51, of Windspring Court, was sworn in as Cary's new mayor. Gale Adcock, 53, of Legault Drive, is the new representative from District D, while Erv Portman, 52, of Fern Bluff Way, was elected at-large, a position he been appointed to in February 2007.

Don Frantz, 36, of East Cornwall Road, won District B's seat by defeating incumbent Nels Roseland and challenger Vickie Maxwell in North Carolina's first instant runoff.

"I am encouraged that the voters have ratified the Council's decision to appoint me earlier this year to represent all of Cary," Portman said.

Weinbrecht told WRAL earlier this week that he plans to enforce a golden rule for developers: “Before you build, make sure adequate road capacity is available in the area you want to build. Make sure there’s adequate water and sewer available.”

Weinbrecht wants to raise impact fees, which are charged to developers to cover the cost of infrastructure, such as roads, water and sewer service, and schools. He envisions possibly further subdividing Cary's three districts, where impact fees vary, in order to encourage growth in some areas and slow it in others.

“I am excited about the opportunity to serve the citizens of Cary during the next four years," he said in a release on Thursday. “I believe the intelligent and engaged citizens of Cary combined with a collaborative council will create innovative solutions to many of Cary’s problems.”

Both Weinbrecht and former Mayor Ernie McAllister attributed the challenger's win to his focus on the issue of growth. Turnout in the Oct. 9 elections barely rose above 11 percent, but Weinbrecht soundly defeated McAllister – 58 to 42 percent.

The new council members indicated that managing Cary's growth and making the town livable will be among their priorities.

"I look forward to working with our citizens, business community and town staff in making our town a better place for all to live, work and raise a family. Let's get to work!" said Frantz, a 15-year resident of Cary and owner of Frantz Automotive Center.

Frantz is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business Owners and the Cary Chamber of Commerce. He previously served on Cary's zoning board and Citizen Budget Review Commission. He and his wife, Lisa, have six children.

“The election was a great chance to meet and hear from voters what they want for the future of our town," Portman said. "I will work hard to represent them and keep Cary one of the best places in the nation to live, work and raise a family.”

Portman also served on the town zoning board, as well as an education task force. He and his wife, Susan, have four children and four grandchildren.

Adcock praised her fellow council members and said she looks forward to what they can accomplish together.

"I am very excited to work with six such well-informed and dedicated individuals on the Town Council," she said.

Adcock, a 14-year resident of Cary, has been active on numerous community boards, including the state Board of Nursing, North Carolina Center for Nursing, Legislative Study Commission on Access to Health Insurance and the state Health Planning Commission.

She and her husband, Kevin, have two children.