Harold Weinbrecht

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Harold Weinbrecht
Mayor of Cary, North Carolina
Assumed office
December 2007
Preceded byErnie McAlister
Cary Town Council
In office
2000–2007
Personal details
Born1956
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyIndependent
SpouseBelinda Weinbrecht
ChildrenAudrey Weinbrecht
Cara Weinbrecht
Residence(s)Cary, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materAugusta College
North Carolina State University
ProfessionSoftware programmer
Websiteharoldweinbrecht.com

Harold Weinbrecht (born 1956) is an American computer programmer and politician who has been the mayor of Cary, North Carolina since 2007.[1][2]

Early life[edit]

Weinbrecht was born in Augusta, Georgia.[2] His family moved to Cary from 1957 to 1967.[2] His uncle was Fred Bond, Jr, the former mayor of Cary.[2] He attended Augusta College and North Carolina State University, receiving a B.S. in both computer science and mathematics.[2]

Politics[edit]

In 1997, amid disputes between developers and citizens, Weinbrecht launched the website Citizens for Balanced Growth where he wrote about local issues and town council meetings.[2]

He became the chair of Cary's new Information Services Advisory Board in 1998.[2] In 1999, he was named to Cary’s Planning and Zoning Board.[2] That same year, Weinbrecht was elected to an at-large town council seat.[2]

Though his opponent spent six times more on advertising, Weinbrecht was elected mayor of Cary in 2007, winning approval on 58% of ballots cast over incumbent Ernie McAlister.[3] One of the key issues in the election was growth, with Weinbrecht proposing a balanced approach.[3] During his first term as mayor, Weinbrecht formed the Citizen Issue Review Commission and created a town sustainability manager position.[4] Weinbrecht was re-elected as mayor in 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.[5] His current term expires in December 2027.[6][2]

Weinbrecht was endorsed by Indy Week in 2007 and 2011.[4] He started his political career as a Democrat, but now considers himself to be an Independent.[4][2]

Professional affiliations[edit]

Weinbrecht is a past president of the Wake County Mayors Association.[2] He has also served on the Wake County’s Growth Management Task Force and is chairman of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.[2]

Career[edit]

In 1994, he became a programmer for SAS Institute.[7][2] He was previously a simulations engineer.[2] He retired in 2022 after 28 years at SAS.[2]

Personal life[edit]

Weinbrecht married his wife Belinda and moved back to Cary in 1987.[2] They have two children.[2] He is a member of Cary Presbyterian Church where he teaches Sunday school.[7][2] He exercises two hours each day.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Harold Weinbrecht". INDY Week. 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Harold Weinbrecht", Town of Cary. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Weinbrecht's Balanced Growth Approach a Hit with Cary Voters". WRAL. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  4. ^ a b c "Cary: Our Endorsements". INDY Week. 2011-09-21. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
  5. ^ Brown, Trent. "Cary mayor re-elected, new council member elected, according to unofficial results", The News & Observer, October 8, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  6. ^ Election Day 2023 Results: NC municipal races up for grabs in primary and general elections, ABC 11, 11 October 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Harold Weinbrecht". Town of Cary. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  8. ^ Kairis, Ashley (April 15, 2020). "Catching Up with Cary's Town Council". Cary Citizen. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
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