Mark Bell will be on the ballot once again this fall, as he announced Monday he plans to file and run for re-election as the mayor of Hillsborough.
Bell shared the decision in a post on his Facebook page, saying it has been a privilege to serve as the town’s mayor for the last 18 months and he wants to continue serving the community in the role for a second term.
“I’m honored to be able to represent Hillsborough,” he wrote, “and I believe my professional and civic experience provide me with the right tools and perspectives to serve as mayor and help our town to continue to thrive. I would appreciate your support, and your vote on November 4.”
Bell is in his first term as mayor and tenth year of elected office in town, after serving two terms as a member of Hillsborough’s Board of Commissioners. He filed to run as mayor in 2023 after Jenn Weaver took a step back from public office and drew no opposition candidates in the cycle.
Since then, Bell has helped steer the Board of Commissioners and town staff toward addressing the residential and commercial growth the community is experiencing, with the mayor promoting policy development for growth that is environmentally sustainable, transit-oriented and helps establish permanent affordable housing. Bell pointed to committing resources to projects like Habitat for Humanity’s Auman Village that broke ground in early June, and he has used the mayoral position to encourage and host an affordable housing series during the town board’s work sessions.
“A strong local economy relies on robust housing options, and increasing workforce housing is an area that we are making progress in Hillsborough,” he wrote.
Bell also said he’s proud of the town’s efforts to promote a “strong sense of place” and to provide consistent, high-quality governmental services to all of its residents.
“The office of the mayor, commissioners, town manager, and staff all work to serve Hillsborough with respect and efficiency,” said Bell, “and I’m proud to be a part of the town government that was recognized this past September with the ETC Institute’s Leading the Way Award for community satisfaction of town services. Two million residents in all 50 states participated in the survey last year, and Hillsborough residents placed the town in the top 10% in the nation in the survey, with a composite score of 53 points above the national average.
“I believe we’re on the right track,” he added, “but I know we always have room to improve and innovate.”
Most recently, Bell has been outspoken in the ways cuts at the federal government level are affecting the town’s operations. When the BRIC grant program through FEMA was canceled in April, Bell penned an op-ed and spoke with 97.9 The Hill about the challenges caused by losing $6 million of funding for a new water pump station. He warned of the consequence possible for a historic town prone to flooding like Hillsborough is when the infrastructure is aging, extreme weather is increasing in unpredictability and governments beyond the town are scaling back their financial resources.
Professionally, Bell works as a healthcare management consultant and has a background in health-related technology. He served in the Naval Reserves for eight years before moving to Orange County and became a volunteer firefighter with the Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire Department. His volunteer work extends to several other community groups beyond the local government, including currently serving on the boards for the Orange County Veterans Memorial, Northern Orange NAACP, PORCH Hillsborough, Orange County Solid waste Advisory Board, the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization. Bell also served on the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board, Hillsborough Water and Sewer Advisory Committee, and the Hillsborough Historic District Commission during his first two terms as a town commissioner, as well as several other community organizations.
This local election cycle for Hillsborough will feature two seats on the Board of Commissioners on the ballot as well as the mayorship. Incumbents Kathleen Ferguson and Robb English have each announced they play to run for re-election.
This year’s filing period in North Carolina begins the morning of Monday, July 7 and will run through 12 p.m. of Friday, July 18. Election Day for the 2025 municipal election cycle will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Featured photo via Mark Bell for Hillsborough.
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Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell Seeks Second Term, Launches 2025 Campaign Chapelboro.com.
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