CHAPEL HILL - Heading into Tuesday's election, leading mayoral rivals Matt Czajkowski and Mark Kleinschmidt see eye to eye on at least one thing: The newly elected council members should appoint Bill Strom's replacement.

Kleinschmidt accused Czajkowski of a "political stunt" in September when the first-term Town Council member called for a straw vote on whether to appoint the fifth-place finisher in Tuesday's election to Strom's seat. Kleinschmidt favored waiting until after the election but not necessarily appointing the fifth-place finisher.

They've bridged the gap since then.

Czajkowski acknowledges there are problems with appointing the fifth-highest vote-getter for four available seats - not every candidate has applied for appointment, for starters. Kleinschmidt agrees the newly elected council's choice would best represent the current will of the voters.

As the favored candidate of the current council, Kleinschmidt could bear the brunt of anger of those who asked at this week's council meeting what members knew from the time Strom sold his house in June until he resigned in August. Outgoing Mayor Kevin Foy stoked those who see a conspiracy by endorsing Kleinschmidt in a mass mailing that arrived just days before the election.

If Strom had resigned a few weeks earlier, the voters would have elected an interim council member to finish his two remaining years. Instead, a town ordinance requires the council to choose Strom's successor.

Kleinschmidt said he knew Strom had sold his house but didn't know he planned to resign until it happened. Strom had only said he'd downsized to an apartment in Chapel Hill.

"People who refuse to believe me when I say I didn't know, they're not persuadable," said Kleinschmidt, referring to a blog comment claiming he met with Strom, Foy and Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos to keep Strom's seat off the ballot.

"There was no meeting," Kleinschmidt said. "The person who's going to make up that fact is not a persuadable person when you offer them the truth."

Czajkowski said he knew nothing of such a meeting, adding that he'd be the "second-to-last" to know about anything Strom did.

Under pressure

Under pressure Wednesday from Citizens for Responsible Government, a developer-affiliated group that wants a more efficient development review process and more businesses on the tax rolls, Kleinschmidt followed five other council members in pledging to wait until the new council is seated Dec. 7 before appointing Strom's replacement.

"Mark finally put his finger up and read the tea leaves and realized that people in this town are pissed," said Czajkowski supporter and local blogger Fred Black.

Kleinschmidt said the conspiracy theorists - the "death panels of Chapel Hill politics" - frustrated him but that's not why he endorsed the delay.

"The voters' expression on election day is going to be meaningful information in that appointment process," he said.

Foy stood alone Wednesday against the political-change movement, which aims to elect businessmen Jon DeHart, Gene Pease and Matt Pohlman to the council and promote Czajkowski to mayor.

Campaign spending

As of the latest campaign-finance report, Czajkowski had raised nearly $28,000 and spent more than $18,000 through Oct. 19. In the same period, Kleinschmidt raised more than $5,000, received $9,000 under the town's public financing program and spent less than $4,000. He confirmed Friday he had received another $4,000 in rescue-funds after the reporting deadline because Czajkowski's fundraising had topped $21,000.

Pohlman has spent more than $5,000, almost as much as five other candidates combined, excluding Pease and Jim Merritt, whose campaign finance report was unavailable Friday. Pease has spent nearly $6,300 - more than the five combined - borrowing half of that from himself.

DeHart, Pease and Pohlman are among 12 applicants for appointment to Strom's seat. Foy had proposed appointing someone Nov. 9, but CFRG delivered a petition Wednesday asking the council to delay.

"It's clearly political," said Foy, speaking outside the council chambers. "The people that are concerned about this are hoping that the new council will appoint their friend, someone who's more sympathetic to development."

Foy, along with Strom, Sally Greene and ousted councilman Cam Hill ran as an incumbent bloc two years ago. Hill, Merritt, Greene's husband Paul Jones, Councilwoman Laurin Easthom and Carolyn Karpinos, wife the town attorney, have all contributed to Kleinschmidt's campaign, and the Sierra Club and Hank Anderson-Bill Thorpe Breakfast Club have endorsed Kleinschmidt, Easthom, Merritt and fellow incumbent Ed Harrison.

The Orange County Democratic Party is also encouraging members to vote, which helps Kleinschmidt, the only Democrat running for mayor. In addition to Czajkowski, who is unaffiliated, the field in the non-partisan race includes Republicans Augustus Cho, a member of the town transportation and design review boards, and possibly Kevin Wolff, whose name remains on the ballot despite his announced withdrawal from the race.

Times changing?

But even Easthom acknowledged Tuesday's election could shatter the solidarity of the council majority.

"Potentially, times are changing," she said, "so we need to allow whoever's working with that person the opportunity to select the new council member."

Foy said he wanted to use the appointment to make sure the council still had an African-American member, in case 2008 appointee Jim Merritt is not re-elected, or to appoint someone with Strom's commitment to protecting the environment, creating affordable housing, scrutinizing the budget and explaining council decisions to the public.

"There is something to be said for replacing the person whose seat was vacated with someone who reflects that person's values," Foy said.

Czajkowski called that an "extraordinary" statement. "It suggests that the same sorts of values won't be held by the entire council on Dec. 7. Is there anybody either on the council or up for election that doesn't share those values?"

Czajkowski said the election isn't about values but about specific proposals, like his plans to ease the tax burden by freezing the budget for two years and reducing health-care benefits for town employees.