An election is coming, an election is coming: Get ready, get set, vote

COMMENTARY – The Durham Municipal Election is rapidly approaching with 12 people vying for three city council seats and eight people hoping to become mayor.

Early voting for the municipal primary begins on Sept 21 and ends on Oct 7. The Oct. 10 primary will narrow the field of candidates for city council to six and mayor to two for the Nov 7 general election. Early voting for the general election begins Oct 19 and ends Nov 4.

Durham voters have a lot to consider before casting votes. These candidates for both city council and mayor are a mixture of present council members, former council members, candidates who tried before and lost and people unknown to most residents.

What is the average voter to do beyond gauging who to select based on campaign signs or the endorsement of their favorite political action committee? Most voters are detached from the working of city government beyond the fight recorded by WRAL-TV after a council meeting.

How do you pick from a group you barely know? Who do you trust when what matters most is discussed less than the personal battles defining the work of the city council?

Durham City Council elections take place every two years with the mayor on the ballot every election. At-large council seats are on the ballot this year. Terms for ward seats expire in 2025.

In 2021, voters overwhelming supported Elaine O’Neal to become Durham’s first Black woman to serve as mayor. Her win responded to a call to defund the police. Rev. Mark-Anthony Middleton and DeDreana Freeman were re-elected riding the coattail of O’Neal, a former district and superior court judge. Leonardo Williams, owner with his wife of Zweli, a Zimbabwean cuisine restaurant, defeated A.J. Williams, a 34-year-old community activist, by 300 votes. A.J. Williams lost despite loads of funding and the backing of Durham Beyond Police and Durham for All, grassroots coalitions effective in mobilizing a diverse community of younger residents.

The 2019 election centered Mayor Steve Schewel campaign for affordable housing against Farad Ali, a former member of the city council and CEO of The Institute for Minority Economic Development. Ali advocated for shared economic prosperity.

Jillian Johnson, Charlie Reece and Javiera Caballero, who replaced Schewel after he became mayor in 2017, joined forces to form the Bull City Together Platform as incumbents on the council. Ali endured criticism for his business connections while Johnson, Reece and Caballero were celebrated for promoting a progressive agenda.

History informs the context for the upcoming municipal election. If affordable housing and police funding are the narrative for the previous elections, what’s on the ballot this year?

Civility Matters

The shout heard around the Triangle measures the communal rage felt by many Durham voters. In March, allegations of malfeasance against Councilwoman Monique Holsey-Hyman during a work session carried over to Freeman accusing Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middle of bullying Black women and allegedly accidently striking Councilman Leonardo Williams in the face.

A lack of civility among members on the council impacted O’Neal’s decision not to pursue a second term as mayor. Bickering during council meetings lends credence to no current council member (Williams and Freeman are both campaigning to become mayor) having the ability to effectively facilitate council meetings.

Durham voters should consider the impact of a culture of incivility in voting for mayor. Who among the candidates processes the demeanor essential in managing a crowd of people with opposing perspectives?

It Takes Four Votes

Bearing in mind all the bad related to establishing a coalition like the 2017 Bull City Together Platform, the name of the game is winning four seats on the council. In Durham, the mayor is the symbolic head of the city and a member of the city council but has no executive authority. The city manager oversees the day-to-day operations and implements the policies and manages the budget approved by the council.

When casting your votes, consider how the positions and perspectives of each person align with the rest of the team. The work of the council is not the life of lone rangers. Ideally, they should build together in ways which reflect the general consensus of local residents. They represent voters, not their own views related to what it means to hold a position of power.

Each vote is an affirmation of a collective mission statement. It isn’t a popularity contest.  Each vote signifies how we, as a community, understand and support how infrastructural changes advance or impede the work of our city.

Growth or Slow it Down

Voters should ponder the consequences of growth. Are we building for the people who are coming, or is growth benefiting the people who are already here?

Are we positioning growth in celebration of what Durham has always been – an incredible city with a rich legacy of inclusive prosperity?

We are one of the homes of Black Wall Street - where dreams come true transcendent of race, gender, gender identity, place of origin, religion or past mistakes. Are we building for a future imbedded in the life, culture and witness of what brought us to Durham – what keeps us in Durham? Or, are members of the city council favoring zoning changes and other policies to entice and satisfy the desires of the people who aren’t here?

Before you vote, decide. What is your vision for Durham? Are you willing to accept more growth? If so, at what expense? Who wins when we keep building? Who loses when the growth results in an invasion of richer, white people with limited knowledge of why many people celebrate “Dirty Durham”.

They are welcome to come, but not at the risk of losing our happy home.

Shared Prosperity

Again, considering where we’ve been helps frame where we’re going. Voters rejected Farad Ali in 2017 due to his business connections. The claim that Ali and Joshua Gunn, a former Durham Chamber of Commerce executive and hip-hop recording artist who lost in a bid for city council in 2017, were too business centered missed the mark in fully understanding and affirming the goals of Black and Brown economic mobility and inclusion.

It is problematic to measure Black capitalism using the same constructs as white centered, institutionalized capitalism. Black capitalism is rooted from a place of survival for both individuals and a community massively impacted by the weaponizing of white centered capitalism.

They are not the same thing.

Ali called for the implementation and execution of strategies aimed at facilitating shared prosperity. If voters embrace continued growth coupled with ongoing gentrification, the widening of white versus Black and Brown economic disparity and shifting demographics reflective of more white and fewer Black and Brown residents, are we becoming a community different than what we’ve come to celebrate.

Voters should consider policies which protect our desired image. What is our community brand? How do votes by members of the city council assure the sharing of prosperity? Should we care?

A few things to consider as you prepare for the upcoming primary and subsequent general election.

Next up, a summary of the people running for mayor and city council.

 

City Council member DeDreanna Freeman says she will always fight a bully

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Durham City Council member DeDreanna Freeman says her profanity-filled outburst after a recent city council meeting is her response to the actions of a bully.

 A reporter with WRAL recorded on camera an argument between Mayor Pro-Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton and Freeman after members of the city council discussed censuring Monique Holsey-Hyman for two alleged inappropriate actions.

“Get off of me, get off of me. This is how you treat Black women,” Freeman yells in an argument revealing deep hostility between the council members.

“Because I made her. Because I made her,” Middleton responds. 

“She can think for her fucking self, just like every single woman here” Freeman fights back in an exchange that has people wondering about what else happens behind closed doors.

“There will never be a time when I watch a person attempt to take a woman down and not say something,” Freeman said in an interview after the altercation. “If there was an investigation to prove a censure, I would be the first in front of the line, but when you accuse a person with no evidence, I will always defend a person.”

Holsey-Hyman is accused of offering support to a developer in exchange for a campaign donation. In a statement prepared before the reading of the resolution to censure Hosley-Hyman, Mayor Elaine O’Neal said the alleged action will be referred to state law enforcement and could lead to criminal consequences.

Councilwoman Jillian Johnson wrote and introduced a resolution to censure Holsey-Hyman for allegedly engaging a city staffer to work on her campaign. Middleton, Johnson, Leonardo Williams and Javier Caballero support the resolution.

O’Neal does not support the resolution.

“Last night, I did receive a draft of a resolution from a council person that had my name down as a signee. From my understanding, a resolution had never been signed and I ask that my name be removed from that resolution,” said O’Neal. “I also admonish anyone who uses my signature in a manner that I didn’t give you permission for to know you do not have permission to do that.”

Blurred lines and potential conflicts of interests

Holsey-Hyman often sides with O’Neal and Freeman against development proposals that require the approval of the city council. Freeman says the move to censure Holsey-Hyman is Middleton’s payback for refusing to follow his leadership.

“There’s something to be said about a group of people who call for social justice while refusing to protect the rights of a Black woman,” said Freeman. “They’re not looking for an actual investigation. They got what they wanted. They have four votes and pushed right through it.”

Freeman says a real investigation may require consideration of potential misconduct of every city council member.

“If they want an investigation. Investigate everything,” said Freeman. “I’m Ok with you censuring me. I’m gonna stand right here and support this Black woman.”

Middleton is rumored to be dating Karmisha Wallace, chief of staff in the city manager’s office. The allegation raises latent conflict of interest issues with profound implications related to the management of the city.

It matters that Johnson, a Black woman, wrote and read the proposed resolution to censure Holsey-Hyman. Freeman’s profanity-laced attack, combined with Middleton’s response, places Black women in the center of a conversation involving what it means to protect the hearts of Black women.

Is this a story about accountability or is this a story involving who manages power on the city council?

While at it, ask yourself, what does it mean to make a Black woman?

 

 

 

Prayer vigil conjures hope in a new reality

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THE NAMES OF 38 PEOPLE WERE PRINTED IN BOLD letters on separate pieces of white paper. They were carried to a table and placed underneath rocks to protect them from the wind. The church across from the parking lot summoned thoughts of a holy procession, with an altar, prayers, and homilies reminding us of the lives of the dead.

Ben Haas, director of The Religious Coalition of Nonviolent Durham, welcomed the more than one hundred attendees to a service of grieving. The 29^th Annual Vigil Against Violence took place at the Elizabeth Street United Methodist Church.  Because of Covid-19, last years vigil was conducted virtually. The naming of the dead reminded the people present of the worst part of Durham. The senseless deaths of men and women.

It was a mixed crowd of the varied hues of Durham, mingled with a group of politicians who have made reducing homicides part of their platforms. Javiera Cabellero, who suspended her campaign for mayor, stood beside Nida Allam, Wendy Jacobs, and Mayor Steve Schewel. On the opposite side of the parking lot, Elaine O’Neal stood near DeDreana Freeman. I was positioned close to both in an area packed with grieving family members.

The distance exposed more than paces between bodies. The detachment summoned a reminder of both political and societal dissimilarities adding to the pain.

I thought about and prayed for Allam as I looked for names on the Durham Memorial Quilt. The quilt was started by Sidney Brodie in 1994 after the senseless death of two- year-old Shaquana Atwater in Few Gardens. I cried after closing my eyes and calling the names of Allam’s friends – Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha – all murdered by a white man with a history of threatening Black and Brown neighbors in Chapel Hill, NC.

I was reminded of how political distance often lies. Allam belonged next to me as we grieved the deaths of the 38 people with names on white sheets of paper. My desire to frame others as adversary was met with a common pain that transcends labels we create to protect distance. I found five other names to add to the blues of Tia Carraway’s memory. I remembered standing with her family as we identified a body battered by bullets and rigamortis.

Thirty-eight names on white pieces of paper.

The comments reverberated like an echo – the same message kept coming back. All of us need to work against this common enemy. This is our problem. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. The same message kept coming back. The long line of names on the quilt forced an even more painful memory. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this eulogy.

The blue sky and gentle wind conceived the backdrop for confusion. Beautiful days aren’t made for memories like this. I thought of gloomy skies and torrid winds. I thought of the bitterness of death stirring uncontrollable moans of Black mamas in a church packed with a troubled community. I imagined the sound of a Black gospel choir singing “Precious Lord, take my hand.”

I saw blue skies, felt a gentle wind, and heard the mingling of white and Black voices troubled by incessant death. I felt the lure of distancing preventing the breakthrough of new possibilities. My imagination captured the explosive bang of bullets. My prayers sought the refuge of a community unwilling to surrender to making this a normal memory.

Thirty-eight names on white paper.

Thirty-eight people killed in 2020. They have mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Some have children too young to remember the day their parent died.

It is easy to miss the story when pain owns the moment. The story isn’t a political agenda. It’s not the race of the victims, or the vicious cycle leading to their deaths.

It’s the making of a holy moment, with names on white paper escorted to an altar underneath the blue sky with a gentle wind. Its collective tears mingled like incense in a bowl lit in the presence of our sacred truths. Its naming a certainty deeper than death – our hope and faith in a world not known for this type of misery.

Thirty-eight names on white paper.

My prayer, no more paper.

 

 

Is this a message from Durham voters: Part 2

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Data collected by University of Oklahoma Associate Professor Andrea Benjamin tells a story regarding a potential radical shift in Durham politics. For more than a decade, winning municipal elections is the result of valuable endorsements from People’s Alliance, The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, The Friends of Durham, and the Indy Week - a local newspaper.

The influence of local political action committees has expanded to include the Durham Association of Educators, Durham4All, and other emerging political players. The power of the PACs has taken on a life of its own, making Benjamin’s thesis – the influence of endorsements in deciding elections – the most critical work of a local campaign team.

It’s only a primary, but could Durham be amid a radical shift?

Referendum of Political Action Committees

Many residents express lingering concerns regarding candidate endorsements. The legitimacy of People Alliance’s endorsement of Javier Cabellero for Mayor, Marion Teniade Johnson for City Council Ward 1, and A.J. Williams for City Council for Ward 3 is perceived to be the outcome of a takeover. Concerns include the influence of voters who don’t reside in Durham, and an agenda packed with the platforms of Durham4All, Durham Beyond Policing, Southern Vision Alliance, and Durham Association of Educators.

The dominance of People’s Alliance over the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People shifted when IndyWeek broke with a longstanding tradition by not endorsing the same slate as People’s Alliance. The IndyWeek endorsement singles, for many, a divide within the ranks of Durham’s white progressive community.

Balanced Approach to Law Enforcement

When Cabellero, Jillian Johnson and Charlie Reece united to campaign as the Bull City Together Team, it came with a platform that includes massive police reform. Many voters’ express concerns that a disagreement regarding funding to support additional police impacted Police Chief C.J Davis’s decision to accept the job as head of the Memphis, TN police department.

Efforts to defund Durham’s police department is met with resistance during an uptick in gun violence. Cabellero, Johnson and Reece are viewed as a team determined to add Marion T. Johnson and A.J. Williams to abolish the police, a goal communicated by members of Durham Beyond Policing.

Meanwhile, O’Neal, a respected former district and superior court judge, is trusted by many to have the skills and experience to lead balanced conversations regarding criminal justice reform.

Checks, Balances and Conflicts of Interest

Many Durham voters express concerns regarding a city council without disagreement.

DeDreana Freeman, Ward 1 incumbent, is criticized for raising questions related to accountability in her votes regarding affordable housing. Freeman’s concerns are consistent with many of her constituents.

“DeDreana Freeman was targeted by Jillian [Johnson] precisely for her independence and for telling the truth,” Sherri Zann Rosenthal, a former deputy city attorney, posted recently on Facebook. Rosenthall was assigned to handle issues within the Housing and Community Development Department. “DeDreana voted against the so-called Expanding Housing Choices ordinance and was the only member of the Council to do so. That ordinance was wrapped in the cloak of anti-racism and affordable housing but actually did nothing for either of those goals.”

As part of her work as a longtime senior city attorney, Rosenthall legally structured the city’s affordable housing and loan programs. Rosenthall says the ordinance approved by the city council opened historic neighborhoods to developers.

“Jillian had a vested interest in the passage of this ordinance, as she planned to build a rental duplex,” Rosenthal continued. “The duplex plan was already submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) prior to the Council and Commission vote to pass the HPC ordinance. She didn’t disclose her personal interest, and she didn’t recuse herself.”

Rosenthal says Steve Schewel is part of a real estate LLC with family members, and Vernetta Alston formed a real estate LLC while still a member of the Durham City Council. Alston is currently shown in the North Carolina Secretary of State database as being associated with three real estate develop entities. Alston currently serves as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives

The Rev-elution reporting on the Participatory Budgeting process lifted concerns related to Jillian Johnson’s influence in the process. Johnson championed Participatory Budgeting and served as the city council representative on the steering committee. A.J. Williams, a candidate for city council, serves as the Director of Incubation and Ideation Labs for Southern Vision Alliance where Johnson is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors and the former Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer. Williams is a member of the steering committee.

Marion T. Johnson, a candidate for city council, serves as the Chair of the Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee after working as a member of Johnson’s campaign team. Susan E. Goodman, the mother of Paul Bendich, Johnson’s partner, also served on the steering committee. The Participatory Budgeting Committee awarded Southern Vision Alliance, the nonprofit organization where Johnson serves as co-chair, $50,000, the maximum allowed during the Phase 2, 2021 budget cycle.

Commitment to Racial Equity

Many residents point to O’Neal’s work as the Co-Chair of Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force and Freeman’s work as Co-Chair of Episcopalians United Against Racism. Both groups offer convincing leadership before and after Durham County Commissioners failed to extend the contract of former County Manager Wendell Davis.

During a period of increased racial hostility, some members of the Durham City Council publicly supported Durham County Commissioner Heidi Carter after Davis wrote a letter addressing comments that he perceived to be racist. When Cabellero supported the decision not to extend Davis’ contract, based on an assessment that he failed to support public education, many Black residents viewed her comments to be an intrusion into county government affairs.

Notwithstanding Cabellero’s perspective regarding Davis’ failure to support education funding, many local voters are seeking a leadership style that advances the recommendations of the Durham Racial Equity Task Force report.

Are Durham Voters Making a Statement?

Benjamin’s statement in part 1 holds true. There isn’t enough evidence to formulate a conclusion. Things could shift over the next thirty days, when votes are cast in the General Election on November 2.

What we do know is close to 70% of Durham voters supported O’Neal, Freeman, and Middleton in the primary. Will that translate in the General Election? Will Durham voters select A.J. Williams, who is supported by Johnson and Cabellero, or Leonardo Williams, who is campaigning with Freeman and Middleton.

One thing is clear. This is a clash of opposing ideas like Durham has never seen during my time in the city.

 

Capitol Broadcasting Vice President of Real Estate challenges members of Rotary Club to vote

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Onlookers at Monday’s Downtown Durham Rotary Club meeting were surprised by Michael Goodmon’s rant. Goodmon, vice president of real estate at Capitol Broadcasting Company, told Rotary members Durham needs systemic change, but at the same time we have to triage the emergency of today.

People were surprised because it was a first for the Rotary Club crowd. Goodmon choosing between police funding and defunding the police is a false choice.

Goodmon told members of the Rotary Club to consider the rise in violent crime.

As of September 25, 594 shootings are recorded in Durham, with 205 people being shot. On Monday, September 17, a man was shot while driving in Durham.

A woman in attendance asked a pressing question – what happens if one Political Action Committee controls the entire city? Goodmon told the crowd it will only happen if we allow it.

The sentiment among the people in the room mirrored the assertion of The Friends of Durham. The bi-partisan, Durham focused PAC has launched an aggressive campaign to defeat candidates interested in defunding Durham’s police department.

The Friends of Durham endorses Elaine O’Neal for Mayor after Javier Caballero called for defunding the police.

“I wholeheartedly believe in defunding the police,” reporter Thomasi McDonald highlighted in comments made by Caballero during the June 15 city council meeting. “I know what I want in the future of Durham, and I want less police.”

The City Council approved a $2.8 million budget to create the Community Safety Department. The funding came from the city’s General Fund and required the transfer of vacant positions from other departments, including five unfilled jobs from the police department.

The pilot program will use civilians to respond to 911 calls instead of police officers. The department will include 15 full-time staff, two 911 operators, two social workers and two field responders.

“In its inaugural year, the department will have three primary functions: piloting alternative response models for 911 calls for service, collaborating with community members to identify and text new approaches to public safety and managing and evaluating existing contracts and external partnerships intended to advance public safety,” a statement in the city manager’s budget states.

The pilot program is struggling to get off the ground due to an uptick in shootings and complaints involving 911 response time. The city is searching for a new police chief after C.J. Davis left Durham to become the police chief in Memphis, Tennessee. Developing a comprehensive police reform strategy is complicated when there isn’t a police chief to oversee the process.

In addition to O’Neal, a former superior court judge and dean of the North Carolina Central University law school, The Friends of Durham endorses city council incumbents DeDreanna Freeman and Mark-Anthony Middleton based on their support for what is believed to be a more balanced approach to police reform. The PAC endorses Leonardo Williams, a two-time Durham Teacher of the Year and owner of Zweli’s, America’s first Zimbabwean restaurant, over A.J. Williams, director of incubation and ideation labs at Southern Vision Alliance, a member of Durham Beyond Police and vocal supporter of police abolition.

“I’m a member of the city council. There is no disagreement involving finding alternative solutions,” Middleton said during a recent campaign rally. “We want to look at everything. They only want to look at one thing.”

Goodmon’s rant represents the assessment of many Durham voters. Durham is in a state of emergency. Considering new approaches to public safety is a good thing, but you can’t get there when the wheels are falling off the wagon.

 

Elaine O'Neal's candidacy for mayor perceived as a referendum on what Durham is becoming

Rev-elution offers independent, Black journalism for residents of Durham, North Carolina. Carl W. Kenney II was named Serious Columnist of the Year for his work in the Durham News, a former community paper of the News & Observer. Please support Rev-elution by contributing at: Cash App, $Cmizzou, or Venmo, @Carl-Kenney-1

SEVENTY-FIVE PEOPLE STOOD in front of the Durham County Administration building on the day Elaine O’Neal filed to be placed on the ballot to become Durham’s next mayor. It was a mixed group of family members and people searching for fresh leadership.

O’Neal brings the energy of a person born and raised in Durham. She has witnessed her hometown change overnight. Her West Durham roots took her to the old Hillside High School where she was a member of the marching band. Like many Black Durhamites, she matriculated as both an undergraduate and law student at North Carolina Central University.

She remembers the Hayti district before Durham Freeway 147 displaced hundreds of black businesses to activate decades of declining Black prosperity. She remembers smelling the fumes of tobacco from The American Tobacco and Ligget Meyers Tobacco companies where Black residents made decent salaries to provide for their families.

Rev-elution interviewed 50 Durham residents regarding their perceptions after U.S. News and World Report ranked Raleigh and Durham combined the second-best place to live in America. Some people wonder if the U.S. News and World Report reflects what Durham is becoming more than what they loved most before the construction of the 27 floor One City Center – the building that symbolizes the purging of the dirty that made Durham an oasis for Black people.

Most of the people interviewed see the upcoming municipal election a referendum on what Durham is becoming. They speak nostalgic regarding the strength of Durham’s past – the Black Wall Street, the vital political machinery of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the culture and support system of Hillside High School and the sway of Black churches and families in providing a support system for youth.

O’Neal’s candidacy is perceived to be about more than the platform of a former Superior Court Judge. It’s about removing politicians dismissive of the history and legacy of Black Durham. It’s about fixing things before it’s too late.

O’Neal is the overwhelming choice for mayor among the people interviewed. Filing for municipal election ends on August 13^th. As of the posting of this article, Jahnmaud Lane, a GOP activist and HAVC technician, is O’Neal’s only competition. People are deeply invested in electing a city council willing to press a more practical agenda.

Rev-elution identified five critical concerns among the people interviewed.

What is driving a candidate’s decision to run for office?

Residents noted a lack of trust in candidates after Nida Allam voted in solidarity with Wendy Jacobs and Heidi Carter not to extend the contract of former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis. Many Black residents question the motives of Leonardo Williams, candidate for City Council Ward III. They also question Marion Teniade Johnson’s ties with Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson. Johnson, who hasn’t filed as of posting this article but has a campaign website, is challenging incumbent DeDreanna Freeman for City Council Ward I. Waldo Fenner, a political novice who is critical of Durham Housing Authority Director Anthony Scott, and Libertarian Elizabeth Takla, have filed for Ward I. Lane, a Black man, can expect stiff criticism for his support of Donald Trump.  Lane is the host of Mind of Jamal. His Twitter account was suspended due to inappropriate content. As of this posting, Ward II City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton has not filed, and he has no challengers.

Do you know what the job involves?

It is vital that candidates for public office understand the role and function of the city council comparative to other elected offices. Takla misses the mark on her campaign website in mentioning public education funding as part of her platform.  Education is an important issue, but doesn’t fall within the jurisdiction of the city council.

How well do you know Durham?

It’s a complicated question due to the vast difference between what Durham used to be and what it is becoming. For some, Durham is a testing ground for progressive models. C.J. Davis, a highly qualified and effective police chief, left Durham to lead the Memphis Police Department. She departed during tense conversations regarding police funding and an increase in homicides. Many respondents shared concerns of Durham politicians making decisions devoid of real conversations with the people most impacted.

Finally, what are the real issues?

The next city council has layers of unfinished business. Respondents listed a few:

·         What are the next steps following the McDougald Terrace debacle? $9,066,649 was spent to transfer hundreds of residents of the Durham public housing units to hotels after carbon monoxide leaks were discovered. A portion of the $95 million housing bond approved by 76 percent of Durham voters will go toward building new public housing. How will this impact the goals originally identified when voters were presented the housing bond?

·         What can and will the city council do to curtail increases in rent?

·         What are the plans to finally fulfill the promise of revitalizing the Hayti Business district after urban removal displaced more than 100 Black-owned businesses?

·         Who will the city council select as Durham’s next Chief of Police? Will the city council function in collaboration with the new chief, or will they micromanage in ways that make it difficult for the next chief to lead?

Good luck voters. There’s a lot to digest in preparation of the October 5^th primary election