One candidate for mayor is an incumbent Raleigh City Council member who started a business serving the medication needs of people with chronic illnesses and built it to a successful small company. Another heads a commercial real estate company, also very successful, and has served as chair of the board of a large hospital organization and on several other civic boards in this community. A third is a physician who has traveled the world, including places torn by war, to do his part for humanity, while also serving close to home in endeavors of benefit to public education.
Other cities should be so lucky, to have a choice among these three public-spirited, articulate, gracious people for the office of mayor. It speaks well of them that they want to serve. It speaks well of Raleigh that they would wish to lead the city:
Nancy McFarlane, 55, is winding up her second two-year term on the council. She has taken the lead in small-business initiatives and downtown revitalization while also ably serving the north Raleigh District A she has represented. She has assisted Mayor Charles Meeker in his ambitious efforts to improve Raleigh's quality of life and City Hall's efficiency.
Billie Redmond, 59, is CEO of Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties. Over a number of years she has been fully engaged in public service. She recently completed two years as chairman of WakeMed. She has a hard-charging way about her, which has served her well in business and has earned her the respect of the business community, in particular. She served as chair of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.
Randall Williams, 54, is a personable doctor, a gynecologist who also has delivered more babies than he can count. He's also put himself in harm's way any number of times working overseas to deliver medical care to those in severe need. At Broughton High School, which his children attended, he's something of a legend for his activism in many organizations associated with the school.
The truth is, any one of these individuals could make a successful mayor. But there are good reasons to favor one of the three - a candidate who is the best bet to lead the City Council in productive fashion, and who has the strongest track record when it comes to actual government service.
McFarlane's edge
The News & Observer's editorial endorsement goes to Nancy McFarlane, for her council experience, for her ability to listen to others, for her connections with average citizens (she worked her way into politics as an advocate for neighborhood concerns), and because she is entitled to share in the credit for good decisions about Raleigh's future. Her business experience, from the ground up as an entrepreneur, is valuable in terms of helping others who would like to do the same and create jobs in the process.
There is no need for a change in the city's governing philosophy at this time. McFarlane has contributed to the progressive service rendered under the guidance of Meeker, mayor for 10 years, and Meeker properly supports her as his successor.
Yes, Raleigh has been affected by the national economic downtown, and the job-slashing actions of the Republican-led General Assembly will cost many state workers in this community their jobs. The city must be innovative and creative as it prepares to meet future challenges. McFarlane is well-suited to lead those efforts.
But the city continues to receive one "Number One" ranking after another. It's regarded as very friendly to business. Meeker (with McFarlane's help) has been careful when it comes to the environment, emphasizing controlled growth and cooperation among nearby communities.
The Meeker model
The next mayor, in fact, could do no better than to follow Meeker's example. He has presided over council meetings with aplomb, courtesy and efficiency. He has been available to citizens. Though an advocate for the city's once-moribund central core, he made it a point to consider the interests of north Raleigh and southeast Raleigh and the more far-flung parts of the city limits.
He has had big pictures in mind, which meant a convention center and investment in a downtown plaza, the re-opening of Fayetteville Street. Some of those efforts were contentious at times, but the mayor exhibited a patience underneath his determination to get things done. And during his tenure, the path of the city's future growth has been well charted via an updated comprehensive plan.
Though it's fair to say that McFarlane has had to grow into her role as an elected official, that's exactly what she has done. She seems to have a good grasp of the demands of the mayor's job in terms of representing and promoting the city. She already has mastered the inner workings of City Hall and has a good understanding of policy issues: land use, transit, public safety.
Either Redmond or Williams would bring considerable talent to the position. They have been well-informed and skilled in presenting their visions of the Capital City's future in public forums. And their records already are filled with examples of selfless public service. They may have further political ambitions, should their mayoral hopes fall short. Their continued interest would be good for politics, just as it has been for the other areas in which they've served.
One of the things, in fact, that would help Nancy McFarlane be an even better mayor of Raleigh is the continued involvement in the city's affairs of individuals with the character and quality of Billie Redmond and Randall Williams.
