CHAPEL HILL - CHAPEL HILL -- With campaign filing set to start Monday, this year's Chapel Hill mayoral race offers more excitement than it's had in years.

Kevin Foy has not faced a significant challenge in four terms as mayor, but he is stepping down with a development agreement for Carolina North in place and plans for downtown revitalization under way. The next couple of weeks will reveal whether anyone will offer an alternative to the three announced candidates: sitting council members Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt, and conservative writer Augustus Cho.

Two years ago, Czajkowski, a self-described moderate and the most business-friendly member of the council, tapped into a constituency frustrated by the council's plodding approach to land-use review. He has since clashed with his colleagues over health benefits for retired council members, panhandling rules and public financing of elections.

Kleinschmidt, by contrast, sits squarely among the council majority, frequently challenging developers to improve how they incorporate affordable housing or recreation facilities in their plans. A death-penalty lawyer and one of a handful of openly gay elected officials in North Carolina, Kleinschmidt often advocates for laborers and minority citizens.

Cho, chairman of the town transportation board, a former Presbyterian pastor and county Republican Party chairman, will face the same challenge that kept Kevin Wolff from nearing Foy's vote totals in the past two mayoral races: Chapel Hill generally votes liberal.

Kleinschmidt will vacate his council seat to run for mayor, leaving incumbents Ed Harrison, Laurin Easthom and Jim Merritt to vie with announced challengers Penny Rich and Gene Pease for four available seats.

Harrison, an ecological planner by trade, is a voice for cyclists, pedestrians and nature-lovers on the council.

Easthom, a dentist, typically emphasizes concerns brought forth by citizens groups such as Neighbors for Responsible Growth and scrutinizes development plans.

Merritt, a retired school administrator, replaced the late Bill Thorpe as the only black member of the council. He has worked to hear the concerns of the Northside community as the Greenbridge eco-towers rise in their midst.

The announcements that Pease and Rich would run for council came as no surprise. Rich, a personal chef, barely lost to Czajkowski for the last seat in 2007. Pease, a corporate executive, has served on multiple town boards and committees.

CARRBORO

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton will seek re-election, as will Carrboro Alderwomen Randee Haven-O'Donnell and Jacquie Gist.

Alderman John Herrera is stepping down to spend more time with his family. He has endorsed Sammy Slade's bid for alderman. Slade is a fellow Latino who has been active for public greenspaces such as community gardens.

HILLSBOROUGH

Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens will seek re-election, as will Town Commissioner Michael Gering. Town Commissioner Frances Dancy has not announced her plans.

CITY SCHOOL BOARD

Three seats are up on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' seven-member board. Chairwoman Lisa Stuckey and member Jean Hamilton are stepping down. Gregory McElveen, serving out now county Commissioner Pam Hemminger's term, will run for his first full term.

Next year's board must deal with the realities of budget cuts, as 33 teachers and 40 teaching assistants may not be returning this fall. Board members are elected to four-year terms and receive a stipend every six months.

Staff writer Sadia Latifi contributed to this story

jesse.deconto@nando.com or 932-8760

THE FILING PERIOD

The candidate filing period runs from July 6 to July 17. The Orange County Board of Elections is located at 110 E. King St. in Hillsborough. For more information, call 245-2350.