2 say they would understand if black is chosen for Strom's seat

Meet the applicants

n Matt W. Pohlman of 104 Colburn Point finished fifth in a four-way race for Town Council in the Nov. 3 municipal election. He is a CPA and financial advisor with Franklin Street Partners and was president of the board of directors of the Mental Health Association in Orange County for six years.

n Will Raymond of 209 Mt. Bolus Road, a software engineer, was a Town Council candidate in the municipal election. He's a community activist who has run for Town Council on two other occasions.

n Joe Capowski of 404 Coolidge St. served on Town Council from 1991-1999, including two years as mayor pro tem.

n H. Brock Page of 111 Cloister Court is a Chapel Hill native and local attorney.

n Donna Bell of 611 Craig St. is a member of the town's planning board, EmPowerment board of directors and the town's visioning task force. She is one of two African Americans seeking to fill the vacancy.

n Aaron Daimon Shah of 605 Nunn St. is an assistant high school basketball coach at Chapel Hill High School. He works in UNC coach Roy Williams' summer basketball camps. Shah ran for council four years ago but dropped out after a family illness.

n Jason Baker of 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. is a member of the planning board who works in the marketing department of Weaver Street Market.

By Gregory Childress

gchildress@heraldsun.com; 419-6645

CHAPEL HILL -- The number of applicants vying to fill the Bill Strom vacancy has dwindled to seven.

But if you take to heart the comments of a few of the remaining contenders, the Town Council might have an even smaller pool from which to choose when it takes up the matter Monday.

On Wednesday, during applicants' presentations to the council, two said they would understand if the council decided to appoint one of the two African-American candidates in the name of diversity and to ensure the town's black population has representation.

Former council member Joe Capowksi threw his support behind Donna Bell, one of two blacks vying for the appointment. The other black applicant is Aaron Shah. Both are residents of the historically black Northside community.

"Donna [Bell] is impressive and I believe that she will make an excellent council member representing all of us," Capowski said. "Should she, for whatever reason, be unable to garner five votes from the council, I will be able to serve."

Jason Baker said he didn't want to see more than 50 years of African-American representation go by the wayside.

"I think it would be a mistake to let more than 50 years of African-American representation fall away," Baker said.

The council was left without a black member after Jim Merritt lost his election bid in the fall election. Merritt was appointed to the panel last year after the death of Bill Thorpe, who had been the council's lone African-American member.

Some council members have said diversity should be a significant consideration in filling the vacancy.

But the fifth-place finisher in the Nov. 3 election, Matt Pohlman, who received 3,365 votes, just 209 votes behind fourth-place finisher Gene Pease, disagrees.

Pohlman believes he should be appointed to the post, and that the council should consider more than just racial diversity.

"Diversity is a rich, deep and profound concept," Pohlman told council. "If this council is going to set aside the votes of the citizens of this town, let's take the full context of diversity into consideration. Don't dismiss or diminish the 3,365 residents of Chapel Hill who cast their votes for me."

Bell noted all of the changes that are occurring in Northside and said she wants to bring "my voice, my perspective" to Town Council business.

"I think that I could be a good addition," Bell said.

Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the council is counting on the community to weigh in on the decision as the council moves toward selecting Strom's replacement Monday.

"I invite all of you to participate in that process," Kleinschmidt said.

Lee Pavao, Joshua Ravitch and Jon DeHart all withdrew their applications. DeHart has said he supports the appointment of the fifth-place finisher.