Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker has served four consecutive terms, giving almost eight years of service to the cityin that role. During that time, downtown Raleigh has seen tremendous gentrification efforts (which the mayor and others call "revitalization" and "economic development"). However, overall city “improvements” do not seem as extensive beyond the Bloodworth to-Boylan corridor, and city officials’ efforts to press out low-income residents during his terms have become an increasing point of controversy.

So here’s my early take on Meeker and on his three contestants for October:

Charles Meeker, incumbent
324 S. Boylan, Raleigh, NC 27603 – Meeker has been on the deed as owner of the 2,831-sqft single-family home since 1980, with a total current tax assessment value of $536,251, and a 2009 tax bill of $4,886.48.

Meeker currently lives in Boylan Heights, one of Raleigh’s oldest neighborhoods just southwest of downtown. Boylan Heights has continued rising in value since Meeker took office, with home renovations, new business like the Boylan Bridge Brewpub, and skyline view enhancements like the new convention center and RBC building. Boylan Heights is also across Western Blvd from Dix Hill, on which Meeker supports plans for Raleigh to purchase the mental-health land grant from the state and develop what he and the Friends of Dorothea Dix Park (FDDP) call a “world-class park.”

A look at Meeker’s accomplishments and goals for the City of Raleigh screams out one word: gentrification.

For example, if Meeker supports the FDDP plan (Dix 306) outlined in their whitepaper written by developers from Chicago and St. Louis, then Meeker seeks to apply tax-increment financing (TIF) to fund the initial project, which would surely pressure out the low-income residents around Dix Hill. The plan has no mention of ongoing expenses for maintaining a 306-acre park, and no suggestion of how developing a big new park is better than revitalizing the many community parks with walking distance of homes all around Raleigh.

In recent months, Meeker and the council have expressed a desire to redo Moore Square. Another downtown gentrification project? I think so: after all, it is well known that when there aren’t major events going on at Moore Square, it is a place where a dozen or so of Raleigh’s homeless often find some solace under the shady oaks. There is nothing wrong with Moore Square as it is now without hundreds of thousands spent in renovation… well, unless you are just trying to kick out the homeless.

It appears that the “Meeker Majority” in the City Council may be fast approaching an end. Residents outside of Meeker’s narrow vision of what “improvement” means for Raleigh are ready for the mayor and council to recognize and address their needs, too. Though I had hoped a libertarian candidate would step forward boldly to challenge Meeker this year, the fact that the mayoral race is non-partisan should make me feel better about supporting “the right person for the job” if any of Meeker’s challengers can present a better plan for Raleigh.

Mark Enloe, challenger
709 Daniels St, Unit C, Raleigh, NC 27605 – Mark Enloe has been on the deed as owner of the 566-sqft condominium since February 2008, with a total current tax assessment value of $100,450, and a 2009 tax bill of $931.58.

If you read through Mark Enloe’s site, it appears he has a vision not unlike Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory. Mike Munger, McCrory’s Libertarian opponent in the 2008 gubernatorial race, once described McCrory as having an “edifice complex,” a pun poking fun at his pride in building things and taking credit (like Charlotte’s light rail). I’m not sure Enloe is aiming to be McCrory, but he does reference Charlotte’s light rail as a better development option than Meeker’s push for the new convention center in Raleigh. Personally, it is debatable on whether either project should have come at a cost to city taxpayers.

Currently living in the community north of Cameron Village, Enloe speaks about tightening spending and balancing the city budget while starting to make headway on our city’s debt. This includes eliminating useless high-paying “assistant” positions in the City Manager’s office and shifting resources and responsibilities to those who are experts in their field. However, some of Enloe’s other suggested changes, such as eliminating the free R-Line bus route, could mislead people to think he’s looking to stunt Raleigh’s growth.

I think Enloe needs to shape his message to talk about replacement efforts, not just cuts in targeted areas. He needs to present what he would elminate against what he would replace as an alternate way to address the need filled by that eliminated position or service. If the “need” is not actually something the city needs, but is just “nice to have,” Enloe should include in his message phrases that acknowledge the “nice to have” role, followed by reframing statements that remove the “need” label from the position or service. For example, instead of saying he wants to get ride of the R-Line, perhaps he should say, “Downtown residents have expressed appreciation for the R-Line, but ridership has been limited, and at a cost of [X] dollars to staff and maintain the route, Raleigh has bigger needs, like [Y], where those dollars could provide a larger benefit.”

So, does Enloe have my vote? Well, you know that hints of fiscal responsibility are music to a libertarian ear. Plus, if you follow my blog, you also know I am glad to hear him step forth and suggest that the Dix 306 project may not actually be the best option for Dix Hill, and that we should “hear from the people on what should be done with the Dorothea Dix Hospital property.” As for my vote, though? It’s still to early to say.

Gregg S. Kunz, challenger
800 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh NC 27605 – Gregg and Tracy Kunz have been on the deed as owner of the 3,378-sqft single-family home since June 2006, with a total current tax assessment value of $739,678, and a 2009 tax bill of $6,732.58.

I could not yet find a campaign Web site for mayoral candidate Gregg Kunz, but I did spot his Plaxo page. Kunz is a business executive who lives in one of the gorgeous houses on that stretch of Glenwood between Five Points and Peace Street. Between Plaxo and Spoke I can tell he’s a hockey enthusiast and supporter of getting kids into hockey. As I cannot find any Web sites indicating his political efforts or his plans for Raleigh, I will postpone any opinions about his run for mayor and plan for a future post when more resources are available.

Larry D. Hudson, II, challenger
5537 Roan Mountain Pl, Raleigh, NC 27613 – I could not find Wake County property information for this address, though Google will happily show you where it is on the map. Hudson’s voter registration actually indicates another address, so he may have only recently moved to the new address.

Filing on the last day (July 17), Hudson has not yet had any press as a mayoral hopeful. Personally, I am pleased to see a candidate who isn’t within the 2-mile radius of the Avery C. Upchurch Building downtown, and who will be familiar with interests of Raleigh’s residents outside the Beltline. Unfortunately, as with Kunz, there are no Web sites yet about Hudson’s politics or plans for Raleigh. I did find a Larry Hudson from Raleigh on MySpace who is most clearly a Mets fan, but I can’t yet confirm if that’s the same guy. ;-)

So far, this guy is my front-runner because he’s not in the public tax records. :D Okay, just kidding… it’s really because he’s not in the Beltline cloister and might see the bigger picture for Raleigh. However, as with Kunz and Enloe, I have to reserve my opinions for later posts.