CHAPEL HILL - Former Town Councilman Cam Hill said he didn't put his name on a mailing supporting Mark Kleinschmidt for mayor because he didn't want it to be seen as sour grapes for losing his council seat to Kleinschmidt's rival, Matt Czajkowski, two years ago.

The mailing called Czajkowski "divisive" and "out of sync with Chapel Hill values" and was paid for by "CHC PAC," which Hill said stands for Chapel Hill Caucus, of which he is the sole member.

Kleinschmidt knew nothing about it, Hill said, adding that he did not know he was required to state that Kleinschmidt had not authorized it.

The state traced the mailing to Hill through a bulk mail permit. Such mailings are considered a campaign expense and a public record, said Amy Strange, a compliance specialist with the state Board of Elections.

Hill had until Wednesday, 10 days after incurring the expense, to register as a political action committee, which he did.

Hill loaned his PAC $1,703.46 for the mailing, a sum he'll have to forgive or collect as contributions to the PAC. Hill will have to report the disposition of that debt in a January campaign-finance report, according to Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams.

Czajkowski, who narrowly lost Tuesday's election to Kleinschmidt, had criticized the mailing because Kleinschmidt had agreed to spending limits under the town's public campaign financing program. He called it "insidious."

But Hill said he doesn't consider his mailing any different from a newspaper ad.

"I think anybody who reads it is going to wonder what all the fuss is about," he said.

The state received two complaints, one from UNC student Kendall Law. He said Hill timed the flier so he would not have to go public until after the election.

"Clearly he knew what he was doing," Law said.

Czajkowski finished 63 votes ahead of Hill to win a seat on the council two years ago.

"Apparently he's still got some hard feelings about those results," Law said.

Hill said that thinking was what kept him from putting his name on the mailing.

"I really want Mark to be mayor, not Czajkowski," he said Tuesday before the polls closed. "But no, it's not sour grapes."

Staff writer Jesse James DeConto contributed to this story.