Know Your Candidates Voters Guide: Durham City

League of Women Voters^®
of Orange-Durham-Chatham

Mayoral Candidates. Durham City At-Large Council (3 seats).

This Voters Guide was compiled by the League of Women Voters in Durham County. The League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties is a non-partisan, non-profit, volunteer organization that does not endorse, support, or oppose individual candidates or political parties.
Each candidate was provided the same list of questions and was requested to limit their responses to 60 words or less for each question. Replies from candidates are printed as received. The League is not responsible for the content. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order under the electoral office they are seeking.
No part of this voters guide may be reproduced without permission of the League, or used in any way that may be construed to be an endorsement of an individual's candidacy or views by the League of Women Voters.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND DATES
Primary: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Election: Tuesday, November 8, 20011

Sample Primary Ballot
Early Voter Turnout
Voter registration, one stop voting, absentee ballot, primary and election schedules
To check your voter registration

TYPE OF CITY ELECTIONS
The City of Durham has a council-manager form of government. Durham City Council is comprised of seven members: three members from specific wards, three at-large members and the Mayor. The terms for City Council seats are staggered. Nonpartisan elections are held every two years.

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The NC Center for Voter Education Durham Voter's Guide provides biographical information on each candidate.
Select the MAYORAL CANDIDATES or DURHAM CITY AT-LARGE COUNCIL CANDIDATES buttons for LWV Questions and candidate responses.

Mayoral Candidates Durham City At-Large Council Candidates

Mayoral Candidates

Each candidate was requested to limit their responses to 60 words or less for each question.
1. (a) In times of budgetary constraints, which three city services would you protect from reductions? (b) Which three services would you select for deferral?

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): (a) Generally Police/Fire/Emergency Services; Water/Sewer Services, Waste Management are key services needed for maintaining the quality of life and sustainability, as a minimum, in our city and I would try to maintain those services at funding levels to meet our city objectives.

(b) Funding of non-city agencies could be reduced or deferred until another budget cycle or until the revenue picture improved.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: (a) None. There many years of creating more additional employees. - from administration to employees- proforming without achieving tax value. There should be a study (limited cost) for 0 budgeting privatization of jobs and deptments.

(b) Police - Fire- Have the public safe. However adjustment to retirement benefits should be addressed.

Sylvester Williams: no response

2. If an increase in revenue is needed to maintain city services, how can this be done? Be specific as to sources of revenue, such as property tax, fees, sales tax, etc.

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): The primary revenue sources for city services are property taxes and fees. We can not raise sales taxes, unless given authority by the NC General Assembly.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: There should be no increase in tax - property, sales - until value is proven with savings. The first action to increase taxes have always been taken without insured value & saving has been wrong.

Sylvester Williams: no response

3. What criteria would you use to extend present water and sewer services?

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): Water and sewer services are in general available to all properties within the city limits. There are "no one size fits all" criteria for the extension of water and sewer services outside the city limits. The criteria for me become a function of the request and if it meets the technical requirements, capacity, and zoning and cost to the city.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: The present water sewer interstructure was too high of cost and need of repair. There are realities of new homes and business coming into Durham. There should be actual cost and return of cost known. Housing development should be bonded to prevent cost shifting when not completed.

Sylvester Williams: no response

4. What are your priorities in infrastructure repair and/or replacement?

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): Water and sewers lines, streets, side walks, city facilities are my priorities

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: The constance failures of decades of water + sewer lines - street repair is a continued failure known by past elected representatives. The on-the-job training of citizens as in America's CCC & WPA programs must be renewed.

Sylvester Williams: no response

5. (a) What additional funds would you allocate to workforce housing, beyond the commitment to Rolling Hills and Southside? (b) Do you favor mandatory inclusionary zoning?

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): (a) I don't have a quantitative amount of funds that I can specify. I am committed to providing affordable housing be it rental or homeownership to mixed incomes of families that are at the median and/or below the median income for our area, providing we can find a reasonable source of funding.

(b) Yes especially if local funds are involved or special provisions are provided by the city to the developers.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: (a) Only for having citizens to be trained - from students to all age groups to be personal responsible for do-it-yourself. Many working tax payers have labored to maintain their home. TROSA - Home Depot - Lowes - School classes - plumbing- brick laying etc. Now with Jobs Jobs.

(b) No. For achieving any inclusion the forced action creates greater discorse.

Sylvester Williams: no response

6. Jobs are on everybody's agenda. What are the top two actions that should be taken to assure job growth in Durham?

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): I don't know if there are two top actions alone that will assure job growth in Durham. The city council should continue to support an environmentally sustainability city that is friendly to business expansion and relocation by providing job related incentives and a customer friendly permitting process.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: Every citizen should behave. "domestic tranquility" - safety & peace to have children and themselves. And not be I.D.ed as at risk or disadvantaged. All citizens pay taxes from productivity. Jobs - proformed "in-kind" for tax dollars given to renew unity and shared labor. Business should not cost shift their cost of housing, food medical care etc to taxpayers.

Sylvester Williams: no response

7. Give your reasons for supporting or opposing city/county merger.

William V. "Bill" Bell (incumbent): In my opinion Durham City/County merger will occur as a voter approved referendum only if there becomes a crisis of government operations in either one or both local governments or if the voters take the initiative to begin the process from the bottom up (i.e. the voters) and not the top down (i.e. City/County elected officials initiate the process).

As an elected official I would not initiate the process unless in my opinion there appeared a crisis in how the city was functioning and merger with the county could possibly resolve the crisis.

Joe Bowser: no response

Ralph M. McKinney, Jr.: The years of failure of city government for citizens being in areas of at risk - dis-advantaged should not be considered. The division of racial discourse, as the Duke lacrosse proves, race relations has created a failure to address mutual understanding and reconciliation. All citizens aim must be - "on earth as it is in heaven."

Sylvester Williams: no response

Durham City At-Large Council (3 seats)

Each candidate was requested to limit their responses to 60 words or less for each question. Three at-large seats are available.
1. (a) In times of budgetary constraints, which three city services would you protect from reductions? (b) Which three services would you select for deferral?

Diane Catotti (incumbent): (a) As well as our core services, including police and fire protection, we have worked hard to protect investments in job training, economic incentives for infrastructure, and economic development.

(b) We have reluctantly put off some planned maintenance (maintenance is dear to my heart, and a major focus) and some road and sidewalk improvements because of revenue constraints. We have also deferred employee salary and retirement increases.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: (a) I would protect Parks and Recreation for their invaluable work dealing with Durham youth. Secondly I would protect policing with a call for greater transparency, and lastly I would maintain affordable housing services in concert with an expansion of services to address Durham's growing homeless populations.

(b) It would perhaps be premature to select city services for deferral unnecessarily. Given the necessity, I'd let representatives from the potentially deferred services make cases as to their essentiality and make my decision from a more informed perspective.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: (a) Basic, critical city services: (1) Public safety (police and fire protection); (2) water and sewer infrastructure and service; and (3) street maintenance.

(b) (1) Selective fleet and building upgrades; (2) New parks (Durham has 68 now, a large number for a city our size); (3) extension of infrastructure to developments that would not clearly provide a positive tax return to the city.

John Tarantino: no response

2. If an increase in revenue is needed to maintain city services, how can this be done? Be specific as to sources of revenue, such as property tax, fees, sales tax, etc.

Diane Catotti (incumbent): The primary source of revenue for municipalities is property tax. I support modest increases in property tax to pay debt service on bonds for street and facilities improvements. While the city cannot impose sales taxes, I support the 2011 county ballot referenda on transit and education. I also support modest annual increases in water/sewer rates to support necessary infrastructure improvements.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: I'm more or less against tax increases unless they've an application that directly increases the quality of life for Durham Citizens. Hence I support the proposed transportation tax if coupled with fare free DATA bussing. Regarding increasing revenue, targeted taxes levied at area institutions and developers (present and future) who've previously been the recipients of tax/zoning breaks and incentives would be the way to go. A resurrection of the conversation on the real estate transfer tax should also be in order.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: Most city revenue increases should be generated by the property tax. However, there are clearly some services which should be paid for by fees including, for example, DPAC parking deck fees, water and sewer fees, and parks and rec fees (an example of a service which should be on a sliding scale according to ability to pay).

John Tarantino: no response

3. What criteria would you use to extend present water and sewer services?

Diane Catotti (incumbent): I support existing policy of the City of Durham regarding extension of water and sewer services, including petition for voluntary annexation; positive cost-benefit analysis of anticipated revenues (taxes) versus the cost of city services; and contiguous, not satellite, property to the City of Durham.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: Water and sewer should be extended on a phased construction basis in concert with a developments progress. In this way, infrastructure does not lag behind home construction and the developer can guarantee the city's infrastructure investments. Regarding commercial developments, extension of water and sewer should be engaged on a case by case basis.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: Four criteria: The development must be in the urban growth area. The developer must agree in advance to annexation since new state law makes forced annexation impossible. A cost-benefit analysis must determine that the extension will have a net beneficial effect on the city's tax base. The development must have the appropriate zoning and site-planning to protect the environment.

John Tarantino: no response

4. What are your priorities in infrastructure repair and/or replacement?

Diane Catotti (incumbent): I am an advocate for addressing street, facility, fleet, sidewalk and infrastructure repair and improvements, as well as regular maintenance to address our most critical facilities needs, including leaky roofs.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: Regarding infrastructure, there are more than enough rocky roads in Durham in need of smoothing. The last election's street bond did not address all areas of the city in need of an upgrade. Also, we need a lot more bike lanes in the city. This may require widening of many through fares in the city. As it stands, many of the city's drivers, pedestrians, and bike riders are in danger by the lack of well-marked bike lanes.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: First is our water and sewer system which includes many pipes that are 80 or more years old and decaying. (Witness the recent stormwater disasters.) This is expensive but critical. Second, we need to continue to resurface streets on a regular schedule. Third, we need to take care of the city's deferred maintenance need for the fleet and buildings.

John Tarantino: no response

5. (a) What additional funds would you allocate to workforce housing, beyond the commitment to Rolling Hills and Southside? (b) Do you favor mandatory inclusionary zoning?

Diane Catotti (incumbent): (a) Much of CDBG (federal community development block grant) funds will be committed to Rolling Hills/Southside, but funds remain for housing rehabilitation, emergency (transitional) housing, and new affordable housing in SWCD and NECD.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: (a) Focusing on Rolling Hills/Southside make sense. The proposed 250k a year set aside for other affordable housing concerns seems inadequate though. The city should set aside more to cover other affordable housing commitments.

(b) Perhaps it's beyond the City's influence to dictate to private developers that specifically lower income housing be built. If developers request funds from the city or federal government, though, inclusionary zoning should be considered.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: (a) We should continue to allocate housing funds to N.E. Central and Southwest Central Durham. The city is currently up against the limit of its bonding authority required to keep our important AAA bond rating. But once we have paid off significant indebtedness, we should propose to voters a bond issue for affordable housing to supplement insufficient federal and state money.

John Tarantino: no response

6. Jobs are on everybody's agenda. What are the top two actions that should be taken to assure job growth in Durham?

Diane Catotti (incumbent): The City of Durham should continue its efforts toward downtown and neighborhood revitalization, economic development and job training, Expanding our transit system (bus service, commuter rail, and light rail) will go a long way towards making job opportunities accessible to all of Durham's citizens.

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: Further Incentivizing entrepreneurship brings business and jobs to troubled areas. We can't ignore waning shopping centers and strip malls that have previously employed Durham's workers. Economic revival is necessary to address underemployment.

Institutions that get tax and zoning concessions should enact high tech/vocational training and reflexive employment programs. The city should subsidize and incentivize employment of Durhamites by local institutions.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: (1) We can improve and grow our workforce development and training programs such as Joblink. We can do more to get workers in front of local businesses, especially in RTP. (2) Working with partners like the Chamber of Commerce, we can make judicious, effective use of our financial incentives to attract business to our inner city.

John Tarantino: no response

7. Give your reasons for supporting or opposing city/county merger.

Diane Catotti (incumbent): I could support city/county merger and increased consolidation of services. The primary constraint to date has been differences of opinion regarding consolidation of law enforcement (sheriff and police department).

Eugene Brown (incumbent): no response

Solomon Burnette: Elimination of waste and duplicity is always necessary. The merger of the City and County planning departments seems to have gone well. It would perhaps be more prudent to have a conversation around exactly which departments could be combined without disemploying City/County workers before indulging possibilities of full merger just yet.

Donald Hughes: no response

Victoria Peterson: no response

Steve Schewel: While I would favor the merger to gain efficiencies and to reduce confusion on the part of citizens, I don't view this merger as a critical issue for Durham (unlike the crucial school merger of the 1990s). Let's focus on solving the problems of crime, housing, public transit, etc. before we get back into the political morass of city-county merger.

John Tarantino: no response

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