What is the Tar Heel Tally?
Tar Heel Tally is a data-driven newsletter about North Carolina politics, local government, elections, taxes, growth, budgets, and public policy.
Most political coverage is built around quotes, conflict, personalities, and the story of the day. There is a place for that. But too often, the numbers behind the story are missing.
I’m Marc Seelinger — a Councilman in Belmont, small business owner, consultant, dad, and data analytics professional. I’ve seen local government from the inside, worked with campaigns from the finance side, and spent my career using data to help people make better decisions.
Good decisions require good information. In government, campaigns, business, and public policy, solid data analytics can reveal trends, test assumptions, and clarify tradeoffs. Without it, decisions are too often driven by anecdotes, ideology, or whoever has the loudest voice in the room.
Tar Heel Tally is about bringing more evidence into the conversation.
Here, I’ll use public data, charts, maps, and plain-language analysis to explore the issues shaping North Carolina communities — from property taxes and county budgets to voter turnout, campaign finance, growth, development, and local government decisions.
The goal is simple: less spin, more substance — one North Carolina data story at a time.
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About the Author
Marc Seelinger has spent his career analyzing and interpreting data for organizations both large and small. He has a technical background in Python development, data visualization, data modeling, and forecasting, with a focus on turning complex information into clear, practical insights.
Marc currently serves as a member of the Belmont City Council and previously served as Mayor of Belmont. He and his wife also own several Marco’s Pizza restaurants in the Charlotte area, and Marc works as a freelance campaign finance consultant and treasurer for political campaigns and PACs across North Carolina.
His experience in the private sector, small business ownership, campaign finance, and local government — combined with his technical data analytics expertise — gives him a uniquely informed perspective on North Carolina politics, public policy, and the decisions shaping communities across the state.
Through Tar Heel Tally, Marc uses data, charts, maps, and real-world context to help readers better understand the numbers behind North Carolina politics and public policy. His goal is to encourage more informed discussion and, ultimately, better policy outcomes for communities across the state.
