George McDowell, candidate for Cary Town Council, District C
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Candidates for Cary Town Council, District C
Who is running for the Cary Town Council? Get to know the candidates running for District C.
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Five candidates, including the incumbent, are seeking the Cary Town Council District C seat.
The district covers the southern part of the Wake County town and is currently represented by Jack Smith, who was elected in 1989.
Challengers include Mary Insprucker, George McDowell, Renee Miller and Amanda Murphy.
Normally the Cary municipal elections are held in November of odd-numbered years. But last year’s elections were postponed due to a delay in the U.S. Census releasing redistricting data.
Early voting in the May 17 election begins April 28 to May 14.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit wakevotesearly.com or contact the Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 or voter@wakegov.com.
Name: George McDowell
Age: 72
Occupation and employer: Retired lawyer
Education: St. John’s College and U. of MD Law School
Political or civic experience: Founder of the Cary Tree Archive
Campaign website: www.beautifycary.org
What is Cary doing right, and wrong, on managing growth?
Cary has failed to plan for the explosive growth it is experiencing. The Cary Community Plan, our guiding developing document, grossly underestimated population growth. The plan predicted that Cary will have 193,000 people in the year 2040. In fact we will reach that number sometime in the year 2024 — two years from now — and in 2040 we will have 98,000 more people than the Plan predicted. The plan must be re-written to plan for infrastructure to support the increase in population.
What do you think Cary should do, if anything, to address racial injustice issues, and what kind of changes would you propose?
Historically under-represented minorities have suffered and suffer now from environmental inequality. The city of Durham has addressed this inequality by focusing its efforts at tree planting, stream restoration and other environmental care in under-served areas. Cary should do likewise.
How should Cary increase the availability of affordable housing within the town?
The town should find sufficient funding to implement the Cary Housing Plan adopted in November 2021.
Would you support a property tax increase for an affordable housing fund? Explain your answer.
No, the question must be answered in present context. The market value [and hence the assessed value] of homes in Cary is skyrocketing because of the presence of — in addition to families searching for a home to live in — Wall Street hedge funds, companies that are buying up single-family homes with the intention of turning them into rental properties, real estate firms that buy homes with the intention of reselling, and BlackRock Investments [which is buying residential real estate as a hedge against inflation]. Real property tax relief is a dire and pressing need, especially for those for whom a 25% increase in property tax would move them into the home-cost-burdened category. The state and county must move toward capping the allowable rise in assessments and Wake County and the Town of Cary must lower the tax rates they levy.
What new steps should Cary take to recruit businesses to the area?
Cary should encourage locally owned businesses. In my view, Cary is sufficiently attractive to out-of-area businesses, and no recruitment is necessary.
What is a specific need within your district? And how would you address this issue, if elected?
First off, a council member in Cary is one of seven. He or she must have the agreement of fellow council members to accomplish anything. Intermittent flooding is an issue in District C and in many other areas of Cary. This is the result of development changing permeable ground to impermeable. I would [will] advocate for a massive planting program where the remaining permeable ground is planted with native noble hardwood trees and native bushes and flowers. The resulting environmental change will reduce [but never eliminate] flooding, and will have the added benefits of cleaning our air of the now record levels of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and particulate matter, as well as making our town more beautiful, like the charming small towns in Europe.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
- Real-property-tax relief.
- Massive tree-planting program and stream repair.
- Persuading fellow council members that Cary should build a state-of-the art botanic garden and arboretum on the 200+ acres the town recently purchased in Chatham County, which facility would be the model for 21st century sustainable building construction and a place for citizens to quietly reflect on the beauty of nature.
What unique skills or life experience would you bring to town governance?
I practiced law for 25 years, 23 of which in a private solo practice of civil and criminal law. I came to understand that compromise was the essence of the business. I found that the best resolutions were achieved by strong and vigorous advocates who entered discussions with a respect for their fellows, an appreciation of their goals and a spirit of commonality. This principle would underlie my service on council.
