incumbents like Nasif Majeed in District 4, or younger incumbents like Patrick Cannon in District 3. Then there's the seven-man race in District 2, which offers the likelihood of a runoff.Eleven candidates for those districts attended a forum sponsored by The Post last week at the Government Center to give their positions on issues ranging from public safety to a
proposed referendum on a new uptown arena.
Nearly all of the candidates called for coalition-building between city officials and communities, but there were sharp
differences between them in some areas. Malcolm Graham, who is challenging Majeed, hammered at the growing disparity between neighborhoods in the UNC Charlotte area
and North Tryon Street. Graham said he would "be a champion for growth" in the North Tryon area. Majeed countered that he led the way for the infusion of $52 million in
bond money earmarked for the area over the last two years. The result, he said, will be infrastructure improvements that will stabilize communities and attract businesses to distressed areas.
To make neighborhoods safer, District 2 candidate Richard McElrath champions the reconfiguration of police response areas to put police in areas where they're most needed.
Other candidates, like District 2 opponent James Mitchell, touted community policing while Anthony Hunt, Harold Grier and Graham would focus on economics and community groups.
There should be a "wholistic approach to crime instead of crime-solving," Hunt said, with better economic opportunity and education in poorer communities.
"Let's stop focusing on the haves instead of the have-nots," Graham said.
"We should be stabilizing neighborhoods and community groups," said Grier, who is challenging Cannon in District 3.
The city should continue to seek privatization for services, the panelists agreed, but not at the expense of city employees. They also say Charlotte should maintain or increase its efforts to
recruit minority- and women-owned businesses to bid on city contracts.
"Minorities should be afforded the opportunity to be involved in the process," said John Crawford, a District 2 hopeful.
"I'm not in favor of privatization where it excludes minority contractors and small business owners," said Hunt, an architect.
The city's goal for MWBE participation is too low, Cannon said.
"It shouldn't be 10 percent," he said. "It should be 15 percent."
