Showing posts tagged “Bill Bell”
Samiha Khanna ·
1 Feb 2010, 8:40 PM ·
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In his annual “State of the City” address, Bill Bell highlighted several of the same issues that were of top concern in last year’s update: transportation, jobs and crime reduction.
Bell highlighted declines in property and violent crime, efforts to make local transportation easier and more accessible–including the possibility of fare-free ridership–and what the city has done in the past year to improve the city’s 7-percent unemployment rate.
In his 28-minute speech, Bell also noted that as the city begins what many hope will be a year of economic recovery for Durham and the nation, this year’s budget process could be as challenging as last year’s. With revenue from the sales and occupancy taxes, as well as revenue from development permits and fees, on the decline, the city will face about a $15 million gap when the administration comes together this spring to examine the budget, Bell said.
“As with your household budget, when you spend more than you bring home, the city’s options are quite limited,” Bell told an audience at Durham City Hall. “The solution will be either a change in services, reduction in spending and services, or some type of revenue increases.”
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Durham, Durham County, news, politics Bill Bell, City of Durham, Durham City Council, Durham politics, economy, environment, jobs, unemployment
Lisa Sorg ·
3 Nov 2009, 9:56 PM ·
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The incumbents for Durham City Council and mayor swept the challengers in four races that barely raised the pulse of voters. The closest race, which was still decided by a 71-26 margin was in Ward II, where longtime Councilman Howard Clement faced Libertarian Matt Drew. Clement received 7,258 votes to Drew’s 2,729.
According to unofficial results from the Durham County Board of Elections,with all but the provisional ballots counted, Mayor Bill Bell will return for a fifth term after defeating Steven Williams 8,233 votes to 2,345 votes.
Cora Cole-McFadden, who was first elected to Council in 2001, will continue to represent Ward I, beating upstart Donald Hughes 7,941 votes to 2,449 votes. And in Ward III, Mike Woodard has claimed his third second term by rolling over Allan Polak 8,704 to 1,307.
Voter turnout has been dismal, even for city elections. The 2007 race was enlivened by a colorful contest between Bell and an aggressive challenger, Republican Councilman Thomas Stith, and by the meals tax referendum, which voters soundly defeated. In that general election, 25 percent of registered voters turned out; the 2007 primary drew 10.6 percent of registered voters.
This year, little more than 4 percent of registered voters in Durham showed up at the polls for the primary. The turnout for the general election has not yet been announced on the Durham Board of Elections Web site.
Durham, politics allan polak, Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, donald hughes, Howard Clement, Matt Drew, Mike Woodard, Steven Williams
Lisa Sorg ·
3 Nov 2009, 9:22 PM ·
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With 25 of the 58 precincts reporting, incumbents Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, Howard Clement and Mike Woodard hold commanding leads. Mayor Bell is ahead of Steven Williams 75 percent to 24 percent. In Ward I Cole-McFadden leads 75-24 over Donald Hughes; Howard Clement has the tightest race in Ward II, but maintains a 69-29 margin over Libertarian Matt Drew; and Mike Woodard has the largest gap, 86-12, over Allan Polak.
Durham, politics allan polak, Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, donald hughes, Howard Clement, Matt Drew, Mike Woodard, Steven Williams
Samiha Khanna ·
27 Oct 2009, 5:18 PM ·
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Five Durham candidates filed pre-election campaign finance reports this week, and the lists of contributors didn’t include many surprises, but were interesting nonetheless. Candidates raising or spending more than $3,000 in their campaigns this fall were required to file pre-election reports.
Among the highlights: Mayor Bill Bell received contributions from Charles Wilson, of C.T. Wilson Construction, and long-time former Sheriff Roland Leary.
Bell contributed $100 to incumbent Mayor Pro-Tem Cora Cole-McFadden, who is running for City Council in Ward I against newcomer Donald Hughes. Cole-McFadden is seeking her third term on the Council. Her roll of contributors also included retired school board Chairwoman Kathryn Meyers, Steve Toler, a frequent consultant to city and county boards, and Virginia Bowman, CEO of Northgate Mall, and Steve Schewel, primary owner of the Independent Weekly newspaper. She also took contributions from Phail Wynn, an executive vice president at Duke University, and Charles Wilson Jr., CEO of C.T. Wilson Construction. Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, news 2009 Elections, allan polak, Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, darius little, donald hughes, Durham, Durham City Council, Howard Clement, Matt Drew, Mike Woodard, Steven Williams
Lisa Sorg ·
2 Sep 2009, 9:06 AM ·
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Mayor Bill Bell and incumbent Council members Cora Cole-McFadden, Howard Clement and Mike Woodard received the endorsement of the Durham People’s Alliance, a progressive political action committee.
According to PA spokesman Milo Pyne, about 60 people attended its meeting Tuesday night.
The Indy will issue its endorsements for the Durham primary Sept. 16, the day before early voting begins. The primary will be held Oct. 6, with the general election to follow Nov. 3.
Durham, politics Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, Howard Clement, Mike Woodard, People's Alliance
Lisa Sorg ·
10 Jul 2009, 4:35 PM ·
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With one week down for the 2009 election candidate filings, Durham Mayor Bill Bell has a challenger, Steve Williams, a Durham native who grew up in Walltown, and graduated from St. Augustine’s College, where he received a track-and-field scholarship. His platform, which is listed on his Web site, includes crime, economic development, the environment, housing and education.
Meanwhile, a third candidate has entered the Chapel Hill Town Council race, Jon Dehart, a mortgage account representative. There are four candidates running for three seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board, the most recent being J.M. (Joe Green), a UNC education professor.
And in Raleigh, District E, which until today was the lone council district without a candidate, now has one: North Hills General Manager Bonner Gaylord, who serves on the Raleigh planning commission.
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, news, politics Bill Bell, Bonner Gaylord, elections, J.M. Green, Jon Dehart, Steve Williams
Lisa Sorg ·
9 Jul 2009, 11:48 AM ·
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Is that the sound of a cash register? First term Chapel Hill Town Councilman Matt Czajkowski has filed for mayor of Chapel Hill; like fellow mayoral candidate Augustus Cho, he has not opted to participate in the voter-owned election program, allowing them to raise large sums for their campaigns.
Czajkowski loaned himself more than $17,000 for his 2007 town council campaign.
Town Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt is also expected to run, but has yet to file.
Update at 5 p.m.: Matt Pohlman has filed for Chapel Hill Town Council. He has not enrolled in the voter-owned election program. Mark Chilton has filed for Carrboro mayor
In other Orange County filings, Gary Wallach and MaryAnne Gucciardi are running for Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board.
In Durham, the Ward 2 race got more interesting as a third candidate, Sylvester Williams, a minister, is running against incumbent Howard Clement III and Libertarian Matt Drew.
Update at 5 p.m.: Incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden has filed for Durham City Council in Ward I.
And in the No Big Surprise department, incumbent Mayor Bill Bell is running for a fifth term, effectively dousing Mike Woodard’s mayoral aspirations this year. Woodard is running for re-election to City Council.
In Wake County, candidate filings for District 7 are popping up like mushrooms after a rain: Deborah Prickett and Jerry Ballan are running against Karen Simon.
Meanwhile Rodger Koopman is running for re-election in District B and Anthony Integlia is the sole person seeking the District C seat.
Update at 5 p.m.: Chris Augustine has filed for Wake School Board District 2, bringing the candidate total in that race to four. In Cary, Jennifer Robinson will face Cynthia Sinkez in District A.
In Raleigh, incumbent Mayor Charles Meeker filed for re-election; he’ll face Mark Enloe, who also filed today. Nancy MacFarlane is running for another term in Council District A; currently, the only district without a candidate is District E.
Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Wake County, politics Anthony Integlia, Bill Bell, Charles Meeker, Chris Augustine, Cora Cole-McFadden, Deborah Prickett, elections, Gary Wallach, Jennifer Robinson, Jerry Ballan, Mark Chilton, Mark Enloe, MaryAnne Gucciardi, Matt Czajkowski, Matt Pohlman, Nancy MacFarlane, Rodger Koopman, Sylvester Williams
David Fellerath ·
10 Feb 2009, 5:15 PM ·
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A high-profile game sure brings out the politicians. Super Bowl winners often get face time with presidents (or voice time with them), for example. Sometimes politicians even want to be seen with athletes who’ve just disgraced themselves in front of the entire planet: In 2006, after Zinedine Zidane notoriously headbutted Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final, French politicians eager to be seen with a French-Arab hero rushed to Zidane’s side.
Still, it doesn’t always benefit the politician to be at the ballgame, of course. Especially when the team is the Philadelphia Flyers. Just ask Sarah Palin.
The stakes are a little lower down here on Tobacco Road, to put it very mildly: According to a press release issued today from the Chapel Hill mayor’s office, Kevin Foy and his counterpart in Durham, Mayor Bill Bell, will stimulate one or the other’s municipal economy after the outcome of Wednesday night’s battle royale in Cameron Indoor Stadium between the sixth-ranked Blue Devils of Duke and the third-ranked Tar Heels of UNC.
If Duke loses, Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy will receive tickets to a show at the Durham Performing Arts Center, the newly opened largest performing arts theater in the Carolinas. If UNC loses, Durham Mayor Bill Bell is invited to a night on Franklin Street and Asian cuisine at the Lantern Restaurant, which the News and Observer ranked as the 2008 #1 restaurant in the Triangle.
If every loser won such sweet deals, we should all be losers, right? Ahh, not really. Far more difficult than accepting defeat is the second part of the wager - if UNC wins, Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy will supply Durham Mayor Bill Bell with a Carolina blue sweatshirt which he will wear at the next Durham City Council meeting. If Duke wins, Durham Mayor Bill Bell will supply Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy with a Duke blue sweatshirt which he will wear at the next Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting.
Mayor Bell wasn’t reached for comment.
Perhaps Mayors Bell and Foy—and you, dear reader—will consider joining our crack Triangle Offense contributors Wednesday night as they live-blog the game, which starts at 9 p.m.
Chapel Hill, Durham, economy, sports Basketball, Bill Bell, Duke, Kevin Foy, UNC-CH
Matt Saldaña ·
3 Feb 2009, 5:56 PM ·
1 Comment
Photo by DL Anderson
City Council was abuzz Monday night, as Mayor Bill Bell told Durhamites to “prepare for the worst” in his annual State of the City address (read the Indy write-up here), and a standing-room-only crowd stuck around to lend their support for a code amendment that would allow backyard chickens within city limits.
After Bell’s dire forecast for the city–including a projected shortfall of “between $24 and $40 million” in the fiscal year 2009-10–council members returned to the issue of whether to allow city dwellers, with a permit, to house female chickens (hens) in backyard coops for the purpose of producing eggs and meat (and, also, companionship). It would seem a small issue, compared to making up $40 million, but the council, yet again, delayed a vote on the measure. Previously, a vote was delayed at a Jan. 5 meeting. Bell admitted to not having read the most recent language in the proposed amendment, which the Council received Monday from Planning Director Steve Medlin.
In his report, Medlin recommended the Council approve the urban-chickens amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance, citing a “growing interest in local, non-industrial food supplies and concern about rising food prices.” In a 10-4 vote, the Durham Planning Commission–a citizen-led advisory panel–also recommended adopting the ordinance. Bell said his initial concerns about health and safety had been “vetted,” but he said he was holding onto the issue of neighbors’ complaints. However, Medlin said that the current amendment would allow adjacent property owners to initiate a complaint process that would account for unique health concerns, and the distance and appearance of the offending coop.
Bell announced at the beginning of the meeting that the vote would be delayed, but that didn’t stop 17 people–including Raleigh Councilor Rodger Koopman–from speaking in favor of chickens as a resourceful, and environmentally friendly, food source.
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Durham Bill Bell, Lavonia Allison, urban chickens, Victoria Peterson
Vernal Coleman ·
31 Oct 2008, 11:26 AM ·
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The Herald-Sun reports that Durham Mayor Bill Bell caused a stir at yesterday’s Triangle-wide transportation planning committee meeting when he suggested that if elected officials call on the state for permission to levy a sales tax on transit, they also forgo a public referendum a la the prepared meals tax.
Said Bell after the meeting:
“At some point, when issues are big enough and important enough, elected officials ought to be trusted to carry [them] out,” he said. “I’ve been involved in this thing a long time. If we don’t get the transportation issue solved, we’re going to have a slow death, in terms of growth. And it doesn’t just benefit the region. It benefits the state.”
At issue is the proposed $8 billion dollar bus and rail network that would support Wake, Durham and Orange counties. If officials are not granted the authority to push through the tax, supporters will have to seek the approval of voters in all three.
Durham County, Orange County, Wake County, news Bill Bell, transportation
In his annual “State of the City” address, Bill Bell highlighted several of the same issues that were of top concern in last year’s update: transportation, jobs and crime reduction.
