Anne Robotti, candidate for Morrisville Town Council

This year, five people are making a run for three open seats on the Morrisville Town Council.

Patty Wei-Pei Cheng is challenging incumbent Satish Garimella for one of the at-large seats on the council.

Incumbent Anne Robotti is defending her District 1 seat against challenger Subba Madireddy, and incumbent Liz Johnson is running unopposed for the District 3 seat.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 election begins Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 4.

To find polling sites and voting information, visit the state Board of Elections, ncsbe.gov, or the Wake County Board of Elections, wake.gov.

Name: Anne Robotti

Age: 56

Residence: 110 Rock River Road, Morrisville

Occupation/Employer: Program manager, Office of the COO/Cisco Systems

Education: BS, Psychology, Fordham University

Political or civic experience: Morrisville Town Council, 2019-present

Campaign website: annerobotti.com

Tell us why you’re running to serve Morrisville. Why should voters trust you in this position?

In the past four years, I feel that I have made a real impact on Morrisville. I have used my collaboration and communication skills to help my fellow Council members achieve consensus and move many projects forward. I have a proven track record of supporting initiatives that make Morrisville a better place to live, work, learn and play. I have supported sustainability initiatives, diversity and inclusion initiatives, road improvements, and a better relationship with the WCPSS Board. Some of the projects I’m most proud of having advocated for are the long-awaited dog park, the Smart Shuttle, the Morrisville Carpenter Road widening project, our progress on Town Center, and our new cultural programs like the Diwali and Holi celebrations, PRIDE day, and Juneteenth. If I am elected, voters can expect more listening, more innovating, and more standing up for the right thing for Morrisville.

What is the town of Morrisville doing right to manage growth? What could be improved?

Adopting our Land Use Plan to serve as a vision was a great start. And our Council is doing a very good job of controlling rezoning to ensure slow, smart growth and avoid stressing our already loaded infrastructure. Advocating for more schools has paid off with more options for Morrisville parents, and our road improvement projects have eased some of the congestion that could be expected when any town grows. I think we could be doing a better job of attracting housing developers that want to include affordable housing in both apartments and single-family homes. Our recent meeting with the Wake County team was eye-opening in this regard, and I hope to put their recommendations into practice over the coming cycle.

If elected, how would you approach an existing or new issue differently from your fellow council members?

I approach most issues differently from my fellow Council members. When approaching a contentious issue, I decide what my own bottom line is, and then try to think of ways to move everyone (including myself) toward a compromise. Seven different Council members are always going to have seven very different opinions. My strength is in thinking outside the box to find solutions that incorporate what other people truly care about, and helping them move off of entrenched positions. I do think that we should be more nimble in light of cost overruns on some of our recent projects, if a project was scoped out years ago, I think we should always be prepared to re-evaluate it in terms of what it’s likely to cost today.

How do you plan to make local government in Morrisville more inclusive and equitable for all residents in the town who feel their voices are underrepresented?

If elected I will continue to do exactly what I’ve done for the past four years: be the voice for people who might not have a seat at the table. I’ll always ask, “Will everyone in town be able to afford this fee? Are we doing enough to honor people’s culture and heritage? Do people feel safe to be themselves in Morrisville?” I’m very proud that Morrisville signed the Wake County Anti Discrimination Ordinance, that we had our first PRIDE, Juneteenth, Holi, and Diwali celebrations over the past four years, and that programs exist so that residents who can’t afford fees can still enjoy the Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center and the Senior Center. Our work on affordable housing will be another important step toward inclusion and equity.

Please list any endorsements you’ve received.

I am endorsed by the Wake County Democratic Party, the Sierra Club, NCAAT, Equality NC, US House Rep Wiley Nickel, State Rep. Maria Cervania, State Rep. Dr. Ya Liu, WCPSS School Board Vice Chair Chris Heagarty, Mayor TJ Cawley and fellow Council Members Donna Fender and Vicki Scroggins Johnson.

If there is anything you would like to address to voters, please do so here.

I’m very proud of the work I’ve done on the Town Council over the past four years. And I’m very proud of my part in the progress our town has made. I have never voted for an upzoning that included apartments outside of our designated density areas, and I have held firm to the principles on which I campaigned: a more sustainable town, smart growth, road improvements, and better relationships with the School Board to make sure that the needs of Morrisville are top of mind when decisions about schools are made. If elected, voters can expect me to do more of the same. My record speaks for itself. I’ve done the right thing for Morrisville for four years, and would like to continue to do so.