Harold Weinbrecht
Harold Weinbrecht is an American computer programmer and politician who has been the mayor of Cary, North Carolina since 2007.
Early life
Weinbrecht was born in Augusta, Georgia. His family lived in Cary from 1957 to 1967. His uncle was Fred Bond, Jr, the former mayor of Cary. He attended Augusta College and North Carolina State University, receiving a B.S. in both computer science and mathematics.Politics
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.He became the chair of Cary's new Information Services Advisory Board in 1998. In 1999, he was named to Cary’s Planning and Zoning Board. That same year, Weinbrecht was elected to an at-large town council seat.
Though his opponent spent six times more on advertising, Weinbrecht won the 2007 [Cary, North Carolina, mayoral election], winning approval on 58% of ballots cast over incumbent Ernie McAlister. One of the key issues in the election was growth, with Weinbrecht proposing a balanced approach. During his first term as mayor, Weinbrecht formed the Citizen Issue Review Commission and created a town sustainability manager position. Weinbrecht was re-elected as mayor in 2011 Cary, [North Carolina, mayoral election|2011], 2015, 2019, and 2023. His current term expires in December 2027.