Age: 55

Occupation: Software Engineer, SAS Institute

Family: wife, Belinda Weinbrecht, daughters Audrey and Cara

Email address: Harold@ABalancedCary.org

What is your top priority if elected?

Perhaps most important is to continue to ensure that we put the needs of Cary citizens ahead of those of special interests. Among the top issues are economic prosperity, balanced growth, public safety and protecting our environment. I have brought hundreds of new jobs to Cary while making our tax rate the lowest in Wake County. I have restored balanced growth in our town. Cary is among the leaders of our state and region in environmental protection.

Should Cary continue its appeal of the First Amendment case involving the late David Bowden's sign?

To say this case is about the First Amendment is oversimplifying a very complex issue. Cary never has and never will prevent anyone from exercising their First Amendment rights. The current ruling means that Cary and other towns across the nation would have to regulate everything, including holiday decorations, or regulate nothing at all meaning houses could be used as billboards. Neither of those options is what Cary citizens want. Despite what others might say, we are continuing to vigorously defend our citizens in this case at no additional cost to taxpayers.

How should the town prepare for growth? Where do you stand on impact fees for apartment builders?

We must continue to deal with growth in the same way I established four years ago: by ensuring that our infrastructure can accommodate growth and ensuring that the costs of that growth are shared in a fair way. Without appropriate impact fees (fees charged to developers to recover costs on the infrastructure), the burden is borne entirely by our current residents and businesses. I established an appropriate level of impact fees shortly after taking office as Mayor; prior to that, our citizens were subsidizing new growth. I see no reason that apartment developers should be exempt from paying their fair share of the cost of growth.

Do you agree with Cary's current strategy to revitalize downtown?

We have hired a downtown manager and we recently opened the new Cary Arts Center. Strategic public investment in downtown and other areas is appropriate and enables greater economic development by the private sector. In other words, the public money invested will more than pay for itself in economic benefit.

Expanded profiles can be viewed at carynews.com