Burlington city councilman Harold Owen announces today his intention to seek a third term.
Owen, first elected to the council in 2017, spent his career in Burling-ton’s city government before retiring as its city manager in 2015. Owen spent 40 years in city government, much of that as head of the recreation and parks department, and with the last 13 as city manager.
Owen points to that background as city manager as uniquely equipping him well to oversee challenging finances that will be on the horizon. Owen notes the end of various federal funding programs associated with the Covid pandemic will put financial pressure on the city.
He also points to the need for seeing some of the city’s projects through. “I think there’s things we’ve gotten started over the past eight years, particularly the last four, that need to be continued,” Owen said, adding that the city’s finances need to be handled in “an affordable manner.”
Owen, 72, graduated in 1975 from N.C. State University with a BS in Recreation and Parks Administration; he also holds a MPA in Public Administration from UNC-Greensboro (1992) and a certification in City/County Admiministration from UNC-Chapel Hill (1983)
Owen and his wife of 46 years, Denane, have two adult daughters.
