Meeker gets at least one new ally on council

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker emerged from today's election with a City Council that could enable him and his allies to significantly change the way new growth is paid for in the city.

Challenger Nancy McFarlane defeated incumbent Tommy Craven, and challenger Rodger Koopman defeated incumbent Jessie Taliaferro. Koopman did not get 50 percent of the vote, and Taliaferro said tonight that she would request a run-off next month.

McFarlane, 51, and Koopman, 47, campaigned as staunch allies of Meeker, promising to follow his lead in substantially raising fees on developers to pay for new roads and parks.

"Impact fees were probably the biggest issue," said McFarlane, a pharmacist and former president of her homeowners association.

Russ Stephenson, who was re-elected to an at-large seat, and Councilman Thomas Crowder, who ran unopposed, favor similar increases in the city's impact fees.

McFarlane and Koopman also joined Meeker, Stephenson and Crowder in condemning developer John Kane's proposal to have Raleigh and Wake County provide $75 million in public money to build parking decks for North Hills East. Koopman called the idea "white-collar welfare."

The three remaining seats on the council will be filled by incumbents Philip Isley and James West, both of whom ran unopposed this year, and newcomer Mary-Ann Baldwin, who replaces the retiring at-large member Joyce Kekas.

Baldwin, 51, the director of marketing for Stewart Engineering, raised more money than any other candidate this year with a total of more than $82,000. She drew criticisms for receiving significant campaign contributions from people with ties to real estate and development -- a charge that was also leveled at Craven and Taliaferro.

Koopman, an engineering consultant and Air Force veteran, ran unsuccessfully last year for the Wake County board of commissioners.