Javiera Caballero, candidate for Durham City Council, takes your questions

A pivotal election is underway in Durham, with voters set to choose a new mayor and fill three City Council seats this fall.

There are 12 people competing for the City Council seats, including two incumbents.

A primary is being held to narrow the field. Early voting in the primary runs through Oct. 7 and Primary Day is Oct. 10.

The top six candidates will proceed to the general election in November.

Terms last four years. The seats are at-large, which means candidates can live anywhere in the citys.

We collected questions from residents across Durham to help readers get to know the candidates.

Javiera Caballero

Name: Javiera Caballero

Age: 45

Occupation: City Council member

Website: javierafordurham.com

Are we paying people competitively and keeping our promises to our workers?

- East Durham resident Aidil Ortiz

The city of Durham has nearly 3,000 workers — solid waste workers, parks and rec folks, police officers and firefighters, office administrators, and many more — who make our city run. We’re a fair-wage employer, and I voted to raise wages for all workers by 6% to 8% this year, but we need to do more.

I want to make sure that our city is a competitive employer vis-à-vis the private sector and other municipalities. I’m working to make sure that every city worker gets a bonus this fall, and that the workers who are paid the least receive the highest bonuses. I also am committed to raising wages significantly next year. Our market pay study, which has already started, will help our city’s finance team make sound decisions about how to raise wages with our next budget and for the long term.

Do you have any experience that helps you understand development in Durham? How do you plan to get more affordable units in the city?

- Planning commissioner Zuri Williams

My experience as a City Council member, a renter, a homeowner and a community advocate all give me an understanding on development in Durham. Since joining the council in 2018 I’ve been a leader in shaping our $95 million affordable housing plan, Forever Home Durham. I’ve won new affordable housing units for low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities. I’ve also put funding into shoring up existing affordable units and public housing. In my next term I will work to fund even more affordable units with a new, larger affordable housing bond. I’ll also continue to make sure that private developers are offering as many affordable units as possible by negotiating directly with them and offering incentives.

As Durham grows more dense, how do we get away from the classic American model of car-oriented development? Are there any policies that you support that can keep us from becoming another Atlanta or Dallas?

- Downtown resident Nirav Patel

We can do a lot to move away from car-oriented development.

First, we need to change our development and zoning rules so that we can build more densely. We’re updating Durham’s Comprehensive Plan through extensive community engagement. From there we’ll be able to update our joint City-County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) so that we can build differently and allow for more density, especially in our core neighborhoods. I also want to increase funding for our local transit system, Go Durham. We must also expand our bike and sidewalk networks.

Finally, it’s essential to keep working with our regional neighbors to build an affordable and reliable regional transit system, using bus rapid transit and rail.

What policies do you support for implementing safer streets and reducing car dependency locally and regionally?

- Stadium Heights resident Nick Roberts

I’ve been a leader on Vision Zero, our goal to have zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The city has a strong Vision Zero plan but has had no staff member to implement the plan. This year I asked for and won funding for a Vision Zero coordinator so we have a dedicated staff member at the city who is focused on safer streets. I have also worked since the start of the pandemic to make sure that our Go Durham buses are fare-free. We’re expanding our routes so that more people can use the bus instead of their car to get to and from work and school. As a council liaison to the Metropolitan Planning Organization I will keep advocating for both a strong local transit system in Durham and robust regional transit options across the Triangle so that residents have the safe, car-free connectivity we deserve.

What will you do to support the mental health needs of everyday Durham residents, especially thousands of young people in our public school systems?

- Hillside High School senior Isaiah Palmer

I am committed to ensuring that every Durham resident can access the care they need, especially our youth. In my time in office, I’ve been a leader on mental health crisis response. I worked with community leaders to develop the Community Safety department and pilot the HEART program, Durham’s unarmed crisis response program. HEART provides excellent support and de-escalation services. This year I voted to expand HEART citywide, and I’ll work to make it 24/7. In my next term, I want to make sure the city partners closely with our County and Durham Public Schools to increase mental health supports for youth. This could include new after-school activities, keeping our rec centers open later and on weekends, and new job training programs so that every young person feels a sense of hope and possibility about their future. I am excited to work with young people to create these programs.

In your vision for the city, what role does public education play and how does that connect to economic development, public safety and community health?

- Fayetteville Street corridor resident Erika Wilkins

As a mom of three Durham Public Schools students and a proud supporter of public schools, public education plays a vital role in our city and for civic life. Our goal should be that Durham kids go to school together instead of being separated by race and class in a patchwork of public, charter and private schools. The city, county, and DPS need to do a better job aligning our initiatives and programs that support our youth. We have made tremendous progress through our joint City/County Office on Youth and programs like YouthWorks. But, we must work more closely together to make sure we are offering more youth programming, access and connection to different types of supports including mental health support, and ensuring kids know as they reach adulthood, they have access to jobs that pay well and training to be qualified for them. I think this will help many of our kids know they can have a different future.

On the subject of alleged Clean Water Act violations in Falls Lake and its tributaries: How did we get here and who should be held responsible? Who is going to pay for the creek restoration and environmental damage?

- Southeast Durham resident Pam Andrews

The developer, Clayton Properties, didn’t follow sedimentation rules set out in our joint City-County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). As a result they’re being sued for multiple and consistent violations. If found guilty they should pay any creek restoration that is needed as a result of their actions.

How have you seen Durham evolve in your time here and what’s one thing you’ll have the power to change if elected?

- The News & Observer

My family and I moved to Durham 13 years ago because we were priced out of our previous city. In my time here Durham has become both more expensive but it has also become more diverse. There are many things that we need to keep improving on, but our General Assembly preempts city government on many issues, from raising the local minimum wage to inclusionary zoning.

One place where we have moved the needle, and where I will continue to do so, is on community safety. So many of our community safety efforts are locally funded. In my time on council I have helped to start and expand HEART, our unarmed crisis response program. In my next term I want to expand the types of 911 calls that HEART can respond to so that residents are getting the support we deserve. I also want to create a civilian traffic unit pilot. This will allow our police officers to focus on violent crime rather than low-level traffic issues.

To find polling places and full details on voting, visit the Board of Elections at dcovotes.com or 919-560-0700.

This story was originally published September 28, 2023 at 3:09 PM.

Mary Helen Moore

The News & Observer

Mary Helen Moore covers Durham for The News & Observer. She grew up in Eastern North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill before spending several years working in newspapers in Florida. Outside of work, you might find her reading, fishing, baking, or going on walks (mainly to look at plants).