Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker at the Busy Bee in downtown Raleigh. Photo by Christopher Grohs.

District E winner Bonner Gaylord. Photo by Rachel Hulbert.
—–
9:41 p.m. – Sponsored ad

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

SPIZE CAFE – Let us spize you up and tantalize your taste buds with Pan-Asian flavors in our Baguettes, Soup, Salads & Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh herbs and exotic spices will surely invigorate your palate. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Call: 919-828-5000 or visit: www.spizecafe.com

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
9:37 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Voter turnout was 11.37 percent, with 54,985 people casting ballots. That’s an increase from the last municipal election two years ago, which had a 10.93 percent turnout.

—–
9:32 p.m. – Christie Starnes

District D challenger Ted Van Dyk reacts to news of his loss at the Hibernian Pub on Gelnwood South.

—–
9:27 p.m. – Rachel Hulbert

Mary Ann Baldwin celebrates her re-election with her daughter and husband at the Player’s Retreat on Hillsborough Street.

—–
9:07 p.m. – Julia Merchant

James West, who just won a sixth term in District C, joins RPR’s Yolanda McGill upstairs at the Morning Times:

“My top agenda is focused on attempting to strengthen our at-risk and fragile communities.”

West’s thoughts on the outcome of the school board election: “If anyone is out to destroy diversity policy, I’m very very disappointed….I think that we have to have a policy that embraces everyone.”

—–
8:56 p.m. – Sponsored ad

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

SPIZE CAFE – Let us spize you up and tantalize your taste buds with Pan-Asian flavors in our Baguettes, Soup, Salads & Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh herbs and exotic spices will surely invigorate your palate. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Call: 919-828-5000 or visit: www.spizecafe.com

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
8:52 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Nancy McFarlane sits down with RPR’s Yolanda McGill upstairs at the Morning Times.

—–
8:48 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Russ Stephenson sits down with Yolanda McGill upstairs at the Morning Times:

“It’s been an interesting grassroots campaign. With the economic downturn…more meet and greets, getting out and talking to people about issues, less ad-buys.”

—–
8:37 p.m. – Andrew Mayo

Mary Ann Baldwin celebrating her re-election at the Player’s Retreat on Hillsborough Street:

“You know, I’m just so relieved, I’m so happy right now.” Her goals for the next term? “Transit is going to be the number one thing. I’m going to work to get the house sales tax approved, continue to work on gang prevention like I’ve been doing with Councilman West, look out for people who have less, and bring jobs to Raleigh.”

—–
8:31 p.m. – RPR staff

Meeker’s acceptance speech at the Busy Bee Cafe downtown: “Council has a lot of work to do to get this city rolling again…we need to be a greener city moving forward.”

Nancy McFarlane, Russ Stephenson and Lee Sartain also gave speeches.

—–
8:23 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

SPIZE CAFE – Let us spize you up and tantalize your taste buds with Pan-Asian flavors in our Baguettes, Soup, Salads & Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh herbs and exotic spices will surely invigorate your palate. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Call: 919-828-5000 or visit: www.spizecafe.com

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
8:20 p.m. – RPR staff

The slate of four GOP-backed Wake County School Board candidates, critical of the system’s diversity policy, have swept the school board election.

—–
8:18 p.m. – RPR staff

John Odom wins District B with 59 percent of the vote (24/26 precincts reporting).
Thomas Crowder wins District D with 67 percent of the vote, all precincts reporting.

—–
8:02 p.m. – RPR staff

Meeker wins mayor.
Nancy McFarlane wins District A.

—–
8 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Bonner Gaylord wins District E.
James West wins District C.

—–
7:57 p.m. – Julia Merchant and Christie Starnes

First round of election results:

Mayor
Meeker: 63.33%
Hudson: 26.9%
Enloe: 6.83%
Kunz: 2.59%

At-Large
Baldwin: 35.6%
Stephenson: 33.8%
Claris: 18.6%
Sartain: 8.05%
Shakespeare: 3.25%

District A
McFarlane: 93.11%

District B
Odom: 55.89%
Koopman: 43.89%

District C
West: 89.06%
Reisinger: 10.41%

District D
Crowder: 66.76%
Van Dyk: 30.37%
Goldberg: 2.22%

District E
Gaylord: 73.57%
Haq: 25.79%

Board of Education
District 1
Malone: 53.71%
Rakestraw: 39.28%
Vair: 6.91%

District 2
Tedesco: 47.05%
Truitt: 24.84%
Tart: 23.78%
Lucas: 3.75%
Augustine: .46%

District 7
Prickett: 64.1%
Simon: 35.6%

District 9
Goldman: 59.93%
Nixon: 39.89%

—–
7:40 p.m. – Syreeta Hargrove

Spotted: Ted Van Dyk at the Cameron Village Library voting location as polls closed. Van Dyk, who is challenging incumbent Thomas Crowder in District D, said he has enough professional and community experience to serve on the City Council. If elected, Van Dyk would make it a priority to look out for a broader array of stakeholders.

—–
7:31 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Polls are now closed.

—–
7:30 p.m. – Rachel Hulbert

—–
7:21 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Perry Woods, a local political strategist, is sitting down with Yolanda McGill upstairs at the Morning Times. Woods gives his opinion on the biggest issue driving the school board race:

“Unfortunately there are those right now that want to eliminate our diversity policy. Some parents aren’t happy with school reassignments. When you get angry, you don’t always see the whole picture – sometimes outrage trumps reason.”

—–
7:16 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Polls close in less than 15 minutes!

—–
7:12 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
7:07 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Damon Circosta, Executive Director of the North Carolina Voter Education Center, has joined us upstairs at the Morning Times for an interview with Yolanda McGill. Circosta explains that it only takes 12,500 votes to win a Raleigh City Council seat.

—–
6:59 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

A total of 2,351 people voted early this year. Of those, 2,105 cast one-stop voting ballots, the rest were absentee voters.

—–
6:49 – Ethan Elliott

Voter Clyde Lundy says he’s proud to cast his vote for incumbent City Council member Nancy McFarlane, who’s running uncontested. Lundy says McFarlane shares his concern over stormwater runoff and water quality, and calls her “a watchdog for local issues.”
—–
6:44 p.m. – Ethan Elliott

The absence of school board races from some ballots continues to confuse voters. Over at the Sertoma Arts Center in District A, several voters drawn to the polls by the school board election are upset that they’re apparently unable to cast ballots in the race.

—–
6:33 p.m. – Julia Merchant

Polls close in less than an hour. In the last municipal election two years ago, 10.93 percent of registered voters turned out to cast their ballots…will this year be better?
—–
6:18 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

—–
6:16 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Join the Raleigh Public Record staff upstairs at the Morning Times as we live blog the election results tonight from 7 to 10. We will have our very own Yolanda McGill on camera talking to candidates and local political nerds and bringing you the results as they come in.

—–
6:13 p.m. – Ethan Elliott

Out at Jeffreys Grove Elementary School at 6119 Creedmoor Rd. in District A, poll worker Shirley Bullock has seen 242 voters come through the doors today, or about a 15 percent turnout. Voters like Donald Fowler were drawn by the school board race. Fowler said he was “very dissatisfied” with the Wake County School System, which, in his opinion, “caters to special interest groups to the detriment of our children.” Voter Tony Pecoraro expressed discontent with the state’s method of testing students, saying it doesn’t accurately reflect the fact that North Carolina students are performing worse than those in other states.

—–
6 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

The at-large runoff question: We spoke with Gary Sims at the Wake County Board of Elections who told us that if two at-large candidates each grab more than 25 percent of the vote, they’ll both automatically win a seat. But if only one candidate is able to grab that percentage of votes, the third place finisher gets to decide whether to call for a runoff.
—–
5:21 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Raleigh Public Record’s election-day coverage is made possible by:

SPIZE CAFE – Let us spize you up and tantalize your taste buds with Pan-Asian flavors in our Baguettes, Soup, Salads & Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh herbs and exotic spices will surely invigorate your palate. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Call: 919-828-5000 or visit: www.spizecafe.com

—–
3:44 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Polls close in less than 4 hours. Find your polling place here.

Still undecided? Check out the Raleigh Public Record’s candidate profile series. You can also read through the candidates’ financial disclosures here.

—–
3:36 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Join the Raleigh Public Record staff tonight as we cover the election returns live, upstairs at the Morning Times, 10 E. Hargett St. starting at 7 p.m.

RPR election coverage made possible by:

—–
2:29 p.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Join the Raleigh Public Record staff upstairs at the Morning Times as we live blog the election results tonight from 7 to 10. We will have our very own Yolanda McGill on camera talking to candidates and local political nerds and bringing you the results as they come in.

—–
2:03 p.m. – Andrew Mayo

Andy Felton, a voter at the Cameron Village Library, said he is concerned about “leadership, growth, city and downtown. I’m looking for a change.”

—–
1:46 p.m. – Andrew Mayo

Peg Hulslander, the chief judge at the polls at Fred Olds Elementary polling in District D, said: “We all brought books but we haven’t read much so far.”

At the Cameron Village Library (District D) Janet Lehman said there was a “light but steady increase at coffee hour” as lunchtime rolled through with only a few voters. She said voters were confused about the school board elections, seeing only council positions on their ballots. There is concern, she said, “because a few voters are going to decide what happens to one hundred percent of students.”

—–
1:24 p.m. – Andrew Mayo

Raleigh Public Record caught up with at-large candidate Mary Ann Baldwin campaigning outside of a polling station in District C.

Here’s what she said about the election turnout: “I’m sad. Nobody’s voting. That’s just very disheartening to me. City Council has more impact on their lives than any other political body. We’re having a national hangover from the last election.”

And about herself: “I’ve worked pretty hard, serving, working and campaigning.”

—–
1:19 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
1:10 p.m. – Sponsored advertisement

Raleigh Public Record’s election-day coverage is made possible by:

SPIZE CAFE – Let us spize you up and tantalize your taste buds with Pan-Asian flavors in our Baguettes, Soup, Salads & Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh herbs and exotic spices will surely invigorate your palate. Open Mon-Fri 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Call: 919-828-5000 or visit: www.spizecafe.com

—–
11:15 a.m. – Andrew Mayo

“We want to make sure the right people get elected, we want to keep diversity in our school system,” said Allie M. Peebles after voting in District D.

—–
10:53 a.m. – Rachel Hulbert

Photos from the Poe Montessori School polls in District C this morning.

—–
10:01 a.m. – Andrew Mayo

Poll worker Mark Vanderborgh at the Poe Montessori School, a polling place in District C, said, “The turnout is very light, but we did not expect very much.”

—–
9:42 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Join the Raleigh Public Record staff upstairs at the Morning Times as we live blog the election results tonight from 7 to 10. We will have our very own Yolanda McGill on camera talking to candidates and local political nerds and bringing you the results as they come out of the Wake County Board of Elections.

—–
9:14 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Voters compete with parents dropping off their kids at an elementary school in District C, where long-time council member and Mayor Pro-tempore James West faces Chuck Reisinger, a young challenger new to Raleigh politics.

—–
7:49 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

The rain has tapered off and NBC17 and WRAL say that any rain for the rest of the day will be light.

Find your polling place here.

—–
7:27 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Still undecided? Check out the Raleigh Public Record’s candidate profile series. You can also read through the candidates’ financial disclosures here.

—–
7:16 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

Support for Raleigh Public Record’s election day coverage comes from:

Support also comes from the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.

—–
6:30 a.m. – C. Duncan Pardo

The polls are open in Raleigh for the mayoral, city council and school board races.

Find your polling place here.

And check back throughout the day and into the evening for updates on the election.

Raleigh residents have the opportunity to vote early beginning today. Early voting is available weekdays until Friday, October 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., as well as Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The official election date for Raleigh government and the Wake County School Board is October 6.

Early voting is held at the Wake County Board of Elections building at 337 S. Salisbury St.

Still don’t know who you’re voting for? Read about Raleigh’s city council candidates in the Raleigh Public Record candidate profile series.

The audience appeared concerned with how candidates planned to address issues associated with the city’s rapid growth, projected to add 200,000 to the population over the next 20 years.

“I think we’re at a critical point here. We’re going to have to set priorities and be smart about what we do,” said John Suddath, an audience member who took diligent notes during the forum.

Voters listen to the candidates at the forum hosted by
WakeUp Wake County and the Wake County League of
Women Voters. Photo by Andrew Mayo.

The first series of questions were formulated by moderator Marian Lewin of the League of Women Voters. The second part consisted of audience-submitted queries.

Candidates were pressed on how they would deal with public transportation. The improvement of the current CAT bus system was a popular priority. Answers varied from providing riders with incentives, like free wireless service, suggested by at-large candidate Lee Sartain. Thomas Crowder, seeking re-election in District D, said he supports adding more frequent stops to a system he called “very, very undeveloped.”

Crowder himself doesn’t actually use the system, as he admitted after someone in the audience asked him how often he rode CAT. His opponent, Ted Van Dyk, said he didn’t use CAT very often either.

District D candidates Ted Van Dyk, left, and Thomas
Crowder, right, at the candidate forum. Photo by
Andrew Mayo.

Paying for growth was another topic that dominated the conversation. Impact fees — paid by developers of new housing — came with mixed opinions. District B candidate John Odom, a former city council member and the most fiscally conservative candidate, doesn’t want to increase the ones already in place; while his opponent, incumbent Rodger Koopman, said he supports a graduated system. Koopman and Odom also differed on their opinions about affordable housing. While Koopman wants to see 10 percent of all new neighborhoods mandated as affordable housing, Odom was more skeptical — he said that plan would be nice, but what’s really required is the courage to put it in place.

Below is a list of questions and answers divvied up by district. Several candidates were absent, and their answers are not reflected here.

At Large

Candidates: Russ Stephenson (incumbent); Lee Sartain

Q: (moderator) Do you think the city of Raleigh has done enough to ensure a long-term water supply, and if not, what measures would you recommend?

Lee Sartain: “What we’re going to have to see happen in Raleigh is a more year-round conservation effort. Conservation needs to become a way of life in our city. We need to be working with the state and other municipalities to address long-term water supply capacity issues.”

Russ Stephenson: “I worked for a year to help convince our staff and council that we need to move from an attitude of consumption…to an attitude of conservation. I think we’ve come a long way.”

Q: (moderator) As municipalities grow, the schools system must cope. How will we pay for schools?

Stephenson: “We need infrastructure to help pay for those capital and infrastructure costs so more dollars can go to education. If we’re at capacity in certain areas, (we should) hold off on development permits for those areas. Those are both good tools to ensure a high quality school system that will keep our county strong.”

Sartain: “Where the city can make the biggest impact is in areas like planning. School construction will continue to be a costly issue for us, and (we should focus on) really steering development where we have capacity.”

Q: (audience) Assuming light rail is years in the future at best, what can Raleigh do now to improve public transportation?

Sartain: “One of the things that I thin is really a prelude to rail is to enhance bus service. You want to make bus service an incentive. You don’t just sell the fact you have a bus going right by your house, you want to talk about the value of riding the bus; (for example), you can get to work stress free or work while you’re riding.

Stephenson: “I agree that the future of our city really depends on us developing transportation choices beyond just single automobiles and gas engines. I believe that we will follow in the footsteps of Charlotte with a transit referendum. I agree with Mr. Sartain that we need to show people that we can provide an excellent service to people with buses that will get them excited.”

Q: (audience) The current cost of CAT service is $2 million taxpayer dollars to $200,000 in revenue. What are your views on this?

Stephenson: “We’ve become so accustomed to thinking our asphalt system of roads is free, but it is something we pay dearly for. I do think it will take a forceful statement in a bond referendum to really kick start a serious move toward a serious transit system. We can do little demonstration projects like the R-Line, and we can continue to do so, but I look forward to making some significant city and countywide investments in transit.”

Sartain: “Transportation systems are subsidized by the taxpayers at large. Making sure that we grow ridership is the most important thing we can do.”

District A

Candidate: Nancy McFarlane (incumbent)

Q: (moderator) What measures should the City of Raleigh take to protect the Falls Lake watershed and what measures should be taken to address stormwater regulations?

Nancy McFarlane: “There are many regulations we can improve on. One we’re considering is to increase the stormwater runoff requirements during construction. Silt is the biggest pollutant in Falls Lake, and it causes all kinds of problems. One of the things we are able to control is the amount of silt and stormwater that does wash off the sites. We’re looking at beefing up those, and they should be coming back for a vote before too long. The other thing we need to do is to start thinking about acting regionally. We can work together with municipalities to help beef up regulations.”

Q: (audience) Have you read the new comprehensive plan update, and what is your view of its use and value to the growth and development of the greater Raleigh area? Is there anything you believe needs to be changed?

McFarlane: “We have spent the last few months doing nothing but reading the comprehensive plan update. There’s been a great deal of thought put into it. I think the next year and a half, as we rewrite our COD, is going to spell out for us how that plan is put into place. I think one of the great things they have built into the process is the update every five years. I think there’s always room for improvement, and that’s sort of the challenge, is to keep your eye on things as they change and evolve.”

Q: (audience) Do you think the city is doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and what would be your priorities for promoting energy conservation and renewable energy sources?

McFarlane: “I’m proud of the things we have done. We are currently installing a one megawatt solar field, and that power will be purchased by Progress Energy for sale back to the grid. We’ve also talked about looking at other open spaces, but we have so many parking decks and large building tops that sometimes it’s cost prohibitive. But I think we’re looking at more and more opportunities, and I think this is an area where we could really step up. All of our buildings that we do will be LEED certified (in the future). I think we’re making really good steps.”

District B

Candidates: Rodger Koopman (incumbent), John Odom

Q: (moderator) Do you support further (impact) fee increases? Should we change the way these fees are used in the city to encourage growth in targeted areas?

Rodger Koopman: “Yes, but I do believe we need incentives for affordable housing, and we should lower impact fees to facilitate that. Right now, the impact fee is flat and doesn’t reflect these kinds of incentives. I’m fine with raising them, because the cost of growth today is mostly subsidized by you and I, the taxpayers, which I believe is unfair. We need to make sure we tweak it to build in incentives for affordable housing.”

John Odom: “I’m not for impact fees or raising taxes. I think there’s other ways we can save that money.”

Q: (moderator) What are your priorities for the uses of future parks in Raleigh, i.e., balancing nature parks with things like dog parks?

Odom: “I’m the guy who stepped up to the plate and said we need to buy Horseshoe Farm. We need more parks. We need more gyms, we need more baseball fields…but we also need open space. If you look at my record, (during my time on the council), we put more parks per person than ever before.”

Koopman: “This is a false choice, because we need both. We need nature parks, but we also need active recreation. A second part of this is that parks and recreation provide tremendous economic value. It’s not either, it’s both.

Q: (audience) What should the city do to make sure affordable housing is evenly dispersed throughout the city?

Koopman: “The city can do a lot through our planning and zoning process, and to crate incentives like graduated impact fees. If we build diverse neighborhoods, we reduce pressure on the school system. I think it’s time for the city to put teeth behind efforts to get this kind of diversity, (and plan) at least 10 percent of new neighborhoods as affordable housing.”

Odom: “I agree with Koopman, but there’s one ingredient you have to have — the courage to put it in place. Most of the affordable housing is in Districts C and B. You’ve got to have the courage to make that happen. It’s the only way it’s going to happen.”

Q: (audience) Do you consider publicly supported community food gardens to be an integral element of the green space protection and land use plan?

Odom: “Not at this point.”

Koopman: “I absolutely support these community gardens. I have not looked at that plan cogently, but I think it’s a great idea and I definitely support it.”

District C

Candidate: James West (incumbent)

Q: (moderator) How do you assess the need for public transit? Do you support additional municipal revenue and a possible countywide referendum to increase the sales tax by one half cent (for public transit)?

James West: “Yes. The whole issue is very critical with (our) sprawl. I think Charlotte has been an example of some things we can start. It’s not going to be easy. We tried some things earlier that were not so successful, but I think we have a clear vision.”

Q: (moderator) Affordable housing is not as available in Raleigh as other places, particularly in the downtown district. Do you have any recommendations for improving the supply of affordable housing, and do you support zoning measures to ensure that?

West: “I do not support mandatory inclusionary zoning. I’ve worked with almost every nonprofit in the city in terms of trying to get more affordable housing. I think the affordable housing task force did a good job, and I think some of their recommendations were integrated into the Comprehensive Plan. (It will take) incentives, streamlining our development process, and bringing people to the table to work together for a common goal.”

Q: (audience) The current economic downturn has placed pressure on the city of Raleigh. If elected, what would you do to balance city priorities over the next few years?

West: “There’s always competition between our revenue and the cost of services. I think we definitely need to look at an equation as it relates to fees vs. property taxes, and look at things that are fair and also things that will tend to generate business and bring income and revenue into the city and improve the quality of life in general. I believe the property tax is probably the fairest tax.”

District D

Candidates: Thomas Crowder (incumbent), Ted Van Dyk

Q: (moderator) How do you think these priorities will be implemented that will be guiding future growth in Raleigh (in reference to the recently passed comprehensive plan Future Land Use Plan)?

Thomas Crowder: “I want to thank the residents of District D; we created the 2030 Comprehensive Plan study group, and they looked at the entire district over 10 months. They did an outstanding job, and I think that will help our district as we go forward. We are going to have a transition period which is very critical. Currently, the planning department has some changes to the current ordinance and we’re looking at those very carefully. (We have to consider) what does the public get in return for higher density?”

Ted Van Dyk: “I think there’s still some things that need to be addressed and worked on. It looks to me that the planning department budget is a quarter million less than last year. We need to be able to create a blueprint we all agree on, but we need to commit the resources it takes to do that. We need to understand transit needs to be woven into the fabric of our cities…including sidewalks and bike paths along with light rail.”

Q: (moderator) Public funding devices such as tax increment financing have been approved in North Carolina. What is your view on the use of city tax subsidies to assist private development in Raleigh?

Van Dyk: “Here in Raleigh, I think we’re in the early stages of understanding the TIF system, which is a system where we bet on future increased tax revenues. As we move forward with our transit plans, like rail and park and ride, this is one of the many different funding options we’re going to need to be looking at.”

Crowder: “We have to be extremely careful on any kind of incentives that we give development. We can look at a graduated impact fee system, (where) long-range service area should pay the highest fee, and affordable housing should pay no fee. We should reduce the impact fee on market rate housing. There are plenty of opportunities to look at how to incentivize development.”

Q: (audience) “If elected, will you do anything to promote walkable communities and complete streets? With NC State being such a growing pedestrian area and the Hillsborough Street reconstruction, how do you see bike lanes entering into the picture?

Crowder: “I was one of the first to push our transportation department to move toward the complete street program. All our major thoroughfares need to have multipurpose paths, and in the future we need walkable, mixed use development.”

Van Dyk: “I would like to remind everyone that sidewalks and bike paths are transit. We can see roads with no sidewalks, with no shoulders, almost gravel roads in parts of District D. Our next path, when we start to recover, is to address these fine grain issues. The only way to get this walkable city is by increasing density. We’ve got to prepare with more dense, rich, urban fabric as we go into the 21st century.”

Q: (audience) How often do you ride the CAT bus? How would you propose to improve the transit system?

Van Dyk: “I seldom ride the CAT bus (he added that he’s able to walk from his home to office, and takes an electric scooter downtown). I’m very committed to the bus system. We have a very, very underdeveloped bus system. Buses that run one time an hour we can’t consider a transit system at this point. Another part of the bus system that merits improvement is visibility. We only have one transit station in Moore Square. I think we can be more visible with transit stops, transit stations, and park and rides, and we need a system that operates frequently enough.”

Crowder: “Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to ride our transit system that often. However, I’m very proud to have worked out a partnership with Capital Broadcasting Company to provide much needed shelters and benches at no cost to the city. We have a five-year transit plan for buses. I think one of the major things we need to do is look at our routes. With the new Comprehensive Plan, we have an opportunity to study that further.”

District E

Candidate: Bonner Gaylord

Q: (moderator) As Raleigh grows, how do we keep up with increased demand for services? Do you support raising property taxes or impact fees?

Bonner Gaylord: “As a city, we need to look to minimize what waste we can find within the government…and take those issues to the voters if that’s necessary.”

Q: (moderator) City council has approved development on the outskirts of the city and into long-range service areas which required expanding water and sewer. How would you reconcile growth and economic development with the need to protect the watershed?

Gaylord: “We’ve got to find places for those people. The answers of where to place those people is going to be varied, and guided by the comprehensive plan and ordinances. Our watershed is a resource that we can’t put a value on. We’ve got to make sure to protect that regardless of how or where we’re growing and make that of primary importance.”

Q: (audience) Do you support a sales tax to build the light rail?

Gaylord: “As a voter, I absolutely will vote for it, but I look forward to that being put to the voters.”

Q: (audience) In this time of economic hardship, do you see a role for the arts and public art as a city responsibility?

Gaylord: “Arts are an important part of the city. We’ve got a fantastic arts program downtown. The city’s role I think is varied. The funding we’ve already done for arts is wonderful. Expanding current programs is something we need to look at on a case by case basis.”

Candidate Forums
City Election Candidate Profiles

September 2, 6pm-8pm: Rodger Koopman (Raleigh City Council – District B)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 3, 11:30am-1:30pm: Lee Sartain (Raleigh City Council – At-Large)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 8, 6pm-8pm: Ted Van Dyk (Raleigh City Council – District D)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 9, 6pm-8pm: Gregg Kunz (Raleigh Mayor)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 10, 6:30pm-8:30pm: Raleigh City Council Candidate Forum sponsored
by WakeUP Wake County and the Wake League of Women Voters
Location: Temple Beth Or, 5315 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh

Deadline to register to vote.

September 14, 6pm-8pm: John Tedesco (Board of Education – District 2)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 18, 5:30pm-7: 30pm: Russ Stephenson (Raleigh City Council – At-Large)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 21, 6pm-8pm: Charles Meeker (Raleigh Mayor)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 22, 8pm-10pm: Mark Enloe (Raleigh Mayor)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

September 28, 5:30pm-7: 30pm: Mary-Ann Baldwin (Raleigh City Council – At-Large)
Location: 101 Lounge + Cafe, 444 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

October 6, 2009: Election day.

Know of more events? Use the Contact page to let us know and we will add them to the list.

The county elections board held a hearing Wednesday after Robert Updegrave of Chaney Road filed a challenge against Goldberg. The board decided that since Goldberg moved to the district on the day he filed for the election and then moved again within the district, he had not established permanent residency on the day he filed.

To further complicate matters, during the hearing Goldberg told the board that his wife still lived at his old address in an unincorporated area of Wake County. Goldberg said in the hearing that he had spent some nights with his wife at the other home. “I think I have a right to visit my wife,” Goldberg said. But he would not be pinned down on how many nights he had spent with his wife outside of the district after questions from board members.

“I spent at least 50 percent of the nights in the district,” Goldberg said while testifying at the hearing.

Goldberg’s lawyer, Jerry Meek with Poyner Spruill, said the residence requirement violates the state constitution. In an interview after the hearing, Meek said that the state constitution says an eligible voter only needs to live in the district for 30 days prior to the election.

State election rules, Meek said, only require candidates to be eligible voters, meaning that a candidate only needs to live in a district for 30 days before the election. The fact that the board requires candidates to live in the district as of the day they filed, more than two months before the election, violates the state’s definition of an eligible voter.

A Wake County Board of Elections representative said the ballots have already been printed and Goldberg’s name is on them.

goldberg v boe

Goldberg’s attorney Jerry Meek said they will appeal the ruling in Wake County Superior Court.

Goldberg told the three-member panel that he filed for the office on July 17 and moved into an Avent Ferry Road rental property that he owned that night and slept on an inflatable mattress.

The county’s Board of Elections panel decided the challenge based on the rule that a candidate in a non-partisan election has to reside permanently in the district when they file. Panel members said that since Goldberg moved into the Avent Ferry property on July 17 and then moved again to another home he owned on Kent Road on August 3. The Avent Ferry address he gave when he registered, the panel members argued, was not his permanent residence.

In an interview after the hearing, Goldberg’s attorney said the standard applied is unconstitutional because candidates only have to be eligible voters. To be an eligible voter, Meek said, a candidate only has to live in the district for 30 days before the election.

The attorney said the residency requirement for filing conflicts with the state constitution’s definition of an eligible voter and he plans to make that argument in Wake County Superior Court.

Meek said Wednesday that he plans to file the appeal within a day.

Goldberg owns several rental properties in the Avent Ferry area.

Goldberg told the panel he had planned to move into another property he owns on Kent Road within 30 days of the election from his previous home on O’Neill Road in unincorporated Wake County. He said his wife still lives in the O’Neill Road home and that is still his mailing address.

He said the Kent Road house is being worked on after the recent tenants moved out at the beginning of this month. Goldberg said his wife would move there “when it’s in a shape that’s more acceptable to her.”

Goldberg admitted to the panel that he had spent some nights at his O’Neill Road home. When asked by panel members how many nights he had spent in District D since filing for office, he couldn’t give them a specific number. “It’s more than 50 percent of the nights,” Goldberg said.

During deliberations, members of the elections board said they were concerned that Goldberg had not abandoned his previous home. Wake County Board of Elections Chair Sharron Everett said the question over abandoning the old residence as defined by statute “really is an issue for me.”

A Wake County Board of Elections representative said the ballots for the October 6 election have already been printed, and Goldberg’s name is on them.

Mayor

Mark Enloe

Larry Hudson

Gregg Kunz

Charles Meeker (incumbent)

At-large

Mary-Ann Baldwin (incumbent)

Champ Claris

Lee Sartain

Bill Shakespeare

Russ Stephenson (incumbent)

District A

Nancy McFarlane (incumbent)

District B

Rodger Koopman (incumbent)

John Odom

District C

Chuck Reisinger

James West (incumbent)

District D

Thomas Crowder (incumbent)

Jerome Goldberg

Ted Van Dyk

District E

Bonner Gaylord

Waheed Haq

District E incumbent Philip Isley said in a press release today that he will not run for the council seat again this year. But planning commission member Bonner Gaylord filed recently to fill Isley’s seat.

Here’s a rundown of the races so far, will full-text copies of the elections filings below:

Mayor

Charles Meeker (incumbent) – Democrat

Mark Enloe – Democrat

At-large

Mary Ann Baldwin (incumbent) – Democrat

Russ Stephenson (incumbent) – Democrat

Champ Claris – Republican

Lee Sartain – Democrat

Bill Shakespeare – Democrat

District A

Nancy McFarlane (incumbent) – Unaffiliated

District B

Roger Koopman (incumbent) – Democrat

District C

James West (incumbent) – Democrat

Anthony Integlia – Unaffiliated

Charles Reisinger

District D

Thomas Crowder (incumbent) – Democrat

Ted Van Dyk – Democrat

District E

Bonner Gaylord – Unaffiliated

Charles Meeker Filing

Mark Enloe Filing

Mary Ann Baldwin Filing

Russ Stephenson Filing

Champ Claris Filing

Lee Sartain Filing

Bill Shakespeare Filing

Nancy Mcfarlane Filing

Roger Koopman Filing

James West Filing

Anthony Integlia Filing

Thomas Crowder Filing

Ted Van Dyk Filing

Bonner Gaylord Filing

bonner_gaylord_1

The Raleigh Public Record plans to live up to its name and make all candidate filings easy for voters to access. This will be the first of regular posts providing full text of candidate filings and financial disclosures, along with analysis, for Raleigh voters.

Candidates for the Raleigh City Council began filing Monday. As of noon Tuesday, filings from six candidates for mayor or city council seats were available for public review.

Mark Enloe has filed to run in the mayoral race against incumbent Charles Meeker. Enloe has not filed a financial disclosure yet, at least not one available for public review, but his initial candidate organization filing is available here. Meeker has said he plans to run again.

In the District D race, architect Ted Van Dyk filed papers to create an organization to run against another architect, incumbent Thomas Crowder. Van Dyk recently filed his first financial disclosure form for the new campaign committee.

As of the end of May, Van Dyk had donated $200 to his campaign and spent $85 on a post office box. There are no publicly available filings for Crowder this campaign period, but Van Dyk’s filing so far are available below.

Three people so far have filed papers with the county to run for the two at-large seats. Lee Sartain, Champ Claris and Jason Rogers have filed to run for the city-wide seats. Incumbents Russ Stephenson and Mary-Ann Baldwin have told the Raleigh Public Record that they plan to run again, but their filings for this election cycle are not yet available.

Jason Rogers has not yet filed a financial disclosure. But his initial filings are below.

Ricky Lee Sartain has filed his initial financial report, covering January 1 through the end of May. Sartain loaned his campaign $100, according to the filing below.

At-large candidate Champ Claris has filed his initial financial disclosure. Between January and the end of March, Claris had loaned his campaign $100 and donated a $164 website. He also spent $56 on operating expenses, leaving him with $44 in the bank. Read Claris’ filings here.

Charles Reisinger recently filed for the District C seat, see his initial candidacy papers here. Incumbent James West recently told the Raleigh Public Record that he plans to run again.

Raleigh Public Record contributor Chrystal Bartlett contributed reporting for this article.

Mark Enloe 1

Lee Sartain 1

Champ Claris 1

Charles Reisinger 1

Jason Rogers 1

Ted Van Dyke 1

Listen to Mayor Meeker’s press conference.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker officially announced today that he will seek a fifth term. Meeker made the announcement during a press conference this morning. He said his central motivation is the economic uncertainty facing Raleigh and the rest of the country.

In announcing his plans to go after the mayoral seat once again, Meeker said he has three goals for the next two years if he’s reelected. Meeker said he wants to position Raleigh to “grow better as the recession ends,” plan and fund a regional transit system and establish the Dix property as a park.

On his “grow better” point, Meeker said he hopes to adopt the city’s new comprehensive plan to guide growth for the next 20 years. He said he also wants to work with the council and the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce to attract new businesses to the city as the recession ends.

“The recession could last two months or two years,” Meeker said, but he wants to position the city to continue growing when the economy improves.

On transit, Meeker said Raleigh does not “have adequate public transit.” He said he wants to work with Durham, Orange and Wake counties to create a regional public transportation system. The three counties, plus Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill have been working on a regional transit plan and are waiting for the state legislature to pass a bill allowing a new tax to fund the system.

Residents in the three Triangle counties would all have to pass a ballot measure to create the new tax and fund the transit system. Meeker said he hopes the tax would go on the ballot in all three counties at the same time, which will likely be in 2010.

Meeker also said he wants the Dorothea Dix property to become a city park. Meeker said Governor Beverly Perdue has supported the park idea in the past, but he hasn’t spoken with her about it since she became governor. Meeker says the governor “is very busy with her budget and needs to get that squared away.”

But he said he hopes to continue talking to Perdue about the Dix property. “Mental health usage will always take precedent,” Meeker said.

Meeker won his first mayoral election in 2001 and he served several council terms before that. If Meeker wins a fifth term, he will tie Avery Upchurch’s record of five terms as Raleigh’s Mayor.

City elections will be on October 6.