This particular post highlights some of the reasons why Partisan, Race-Focused City/County Governments are usually the best way to ruin a region and invite Political/ Public Corruption.
Before I proceed its important you understand the new Charlotte City Council's Political/ Racial make up:
Black Mayor (Democrat)
5 Black members
5 White members
8 Democrats
3 Republicans
Last night I observed new Mayor Anthony Foxx's first City of Charlotte Business Meeting.
Yes, the meeting's Political atmosphere and tone did remind me of other Partisan type City Council Meetings from regions like Atlanta and Detroit.
In fact the Bickering, Partisan arrogance, Disrespect, subtle signs of Reverse Discrimination and Moodiness was very noticeable.
For example why is it whenever Council members Andy Dulin, Edwin Peacock or Warren Cooksey (3 White Republicans) has something to say, everyone else on the council (except Mayor Foxx) starts talking in the background, Coughing, laughing, going to the bathroom, etc.,
That kind of behavior is extremely childish, rude and disrespectful.
Have any of you ever seen Pres. Barack Obama behave in such an insolent manner towards any Republican or White Congressional Member? No!
What are you so-called "Charlotte Leaders" teaching our youth when demonstrating such negative behavior towards your counterparts?
I'll touch on that issue more in another post.
During the course of last night's meeting Foxx introduced his "brilliant" idea of wanting to give former Charlotte Bankers No Interest Small Business Loans to help increase Charlotte's Job Growth.
In summary Foxx wants to give former Bankers/ former Banking Industry employees Taxpayer money for what appears to be good Business ideas.
This money would be given via NO INTEREST Loans, with the City of Charlotte absorbing ALL Risk involved.
Due to a previous related statement made by Foxx about his idea which was recently published in the biased, "suspect" Charlotte Observer, several Council Members raised some serious concerns.
By the way here is an excerpt from the Charlotte Observer article about Foxx's new Business program along with his "suspect", questionable statement:
Foxx said he plans to ask city staff and his colleagues on City Council to tweak a city loan program for small businesses. The program currently steers money toward fledgling businesses planning to open in economically distressed corridors of the city, such as North Tryon Street.
Foxx wants to prioritize the loans for what he calls critical businesses, such as banking. If a team of laid-off bankers have an idea for a start-up, Foxx wants them to have access to no-interest loans even if their office is in SouthPark.
"The current program is corridor-based," Foxx said. "I want it to be industry-based."
Foxx said the state has a program to retrain unemployed financial service workers, but he said there isn't a loan program to help them.
Foxx's published statements (of which he never publicly recanted nor denied) implies he trusts the Business Judgment or Business Ideas of former Bankers/ former Banking Industry employees more so than the Business Judgment or Business Ideas of Small Business experts.
Wait a minute!
In this Recession aren't Banks refusing to extend Credit or Loans to Small Businesses right now?
Didn't President Obama hold a meeting with Bank CEOs earlier this week asking them to please open up lines of Credit for Small Businesses?
Ok so....
Since Banks/ Bankers are the reason many Small Businesses are suffering, why would Mayor Anthony Foxx want to give former Bankers/ former Banking Industry employees a FREE Lifeline and a Blank Check for "Monopoly Money"??
Not just any kind of "Monopoly Money", Foxx wants to give them Taxpayer "Monopoly" money!
Another concern bought up about Foxx's proposed Small Business Plan was the probability of possible Legal Implications.
Why?
Because Foxx wants to use City and Taxpayer money to give former Bankers/ former Banking Industry employees NO INTEREST, Blank Check Small Business Loans when the City of Charlotte isn't giving any other group regardless of Race, Creed, Religion, Demographics, etc., NO INTEREST, Blank Check Small Loans.
Wait a minute!
Isn't Foxx a Civil Litigation Attorney?
Isn't he aware of Civil Rights Violations which violate the U.S. Constitution??
Isn't he aware Civil Rights Violations also apply to the Business world?
Doesn't he know that this program could open up a can of Legal worms (Lawsuits)?
Or does he think his "Legal Expertise" or crooked Legal Semantics will be able to keep Charlotte from having to pay out huge settlements?
However....
The expressed concerns of other council members especially White Charlotte City Council members (yeah I said it!), were cut short by former Charlotte City Council Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon.
Patrick Cannon had his chance to become Charlotte's 2nd Black Mayor in History but he gave up that opportunity.
It now appears Cannon wants to appoint himself as the unofficial Small Business Expert for Charlotte.
This is a man who had to straighten out his own finances for NOT paying thousands of dollars to the IRS in back taxes.
At least that's the reason he gave for dropping out of Charlotte's Mayor race several years ago in his run against former Mayor Pat McCrory.
(Patrick Cannon)
(At-large Democrat)
(From 2003 to 2008, Cannon faced a total of $193,553 in IRS liens between 2003 and 2008. He satisfied all the liens, which were eventually canceled. His issues with the IRS were detailed in Saturday's Observer.)
No one but God is perfect and all Human Beings make mistakes or mess up but with this knowledge about his past what makes Patrick Cannon think he is suddenly the "Unofficial Small Business Ambassador" for Charlotte??
Better yet why would Foxx think that just because Patrick Cannon endorses his proposed Small Business plan its a great, outstanding idea?
Or because current Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess says its ok, that he should carry this plan forward without any more research?
Susan Burgess isn't a Small Business Expert or an Economist, so how can she provide Foxx with wise counsel on Business Matters?
Just because she's a City Council Member doesn't mean she's qualified to be a Small Business Expert.
Since Foxx is Charlotte's New Mayor but possesses NO prior Small Business Experience, Anthony Foxx doesn't just need a bunch of "Yes" folks sitting around the City Council dais making him feel important.
If Foxx plans to do what's best for ALL of Charlotte's Constituents like he promised during his campaign run for Mayor, than he needs to hear all points of view.
Charlotte City Council Members including Charlotte's White Council Members and Charlotte's few Republican Council Members, have EVERY right to be concerned about Foxx's proposed "suspect" Small Business Plan.
Here are 5 reasons why:
1) Foxx's proposed Small Business model in essence duplicates some of Charlotte's Small Business programs currently already in existence.
2) Foxx's proposed Small Business model doesn't just want to give former Bankers/ former Banking Industry employees Loan money for Capital to start Small Businesses, he wants to supply this money on a NO INTEREST, Blank Check basis.
3) Foxx wants to basically take much needed funding from Charlotte's Low Income, Corridor based Small Business programs which help to lower Unemployment in Charlotte's Economically distressed areas, and give it to Bankers who will invest those funds into RISKY, Wall Street type Business Ventures ("Monopoly money").
4) Under Foxx's proposed Small Business plan if those RISKY, Wall Street type Business Ventures go bad, the City of Charlotte will eat all costs.
5) If those Business Ventures fail how will Foxx regain the lost revenue, by raising Property Taxes for Charlotte's Middle Class and Low Income citizens again?
Foxx's proposed Small Business Plan didn't need to be rushed through!
It needed to be deferred for further research.
Not one Charlotte City Council Member, nor Charlotte citizen wants to see Mayor Anthony Foxx screw up.
By the same token we DON'T want to see him throw away money to please a bunch of former Bankers or former Bank employees just to keep BOFA's headquarters in this region.
In other words during a Recession Charlotte City Officials can NO longer afford to cater to Charlotte's crumbling Banking Industry.
Anthony Foxx is trying to use precious City Capital and Taxpayer money as a carrot to convince Bank of America to keep its headquarters in Charlotte.
This is WRONG!
It will also hurt Charlotte long term.
Despite Councilman James Mitchell's comment "Mayor I appreciate your Bold Leadership", this is NOT an example of BOLD Leadership.
This is an example of RISKY, possibly Foolish leadership!
Foxx wants to use Taxpayer money for Political Purposes in the form a "Business Tax Incentive".
We're in a Recession!
At least most of Charlotte is in a Recession even if Foxx isn't feeling the effects of Charlotte's Economic downturn, most everyone else is.
There is a distinct difference between being a Visionary Leader vs a Wasteful, Presumptuous Leader.
So...everyone else in Charlotte has to feel Economic Hardship but Bankers are exempt?
Bull!
Shortchanging other Small Businesses Corridors, especially Low Income Corridors to help Charlotte Bankers pay their bills or go on vacations, is NOT a smart way to lower Charlotte's High Unemployment rate. (12%)
Foxx's proposed new Small Business plan does in fact needs further research and more scrutiny before its implemented. That is IF its implemented.
I could go on and on but my point has been well taken...I hope.
Councilman Patrick Cannon Sir you are NOT the newly elected Mayor of Charlotte!
Nor are you Charlotte's "Unofficial Small Business Ambassador".
Even though I don't agree with Anthony Foxx's proposed Small Business plan to prop up Charlotte Bankers, Foxx is still Charlotte's New Mayor.
Charlotte City Council members please get it together before 2010 arrives.
Stop using Charlotte's Middle Class and Low Income citizens to cater to Charlotte's Wealthy, Elite citizens.
Perhaps you don't think so but that Straight Ticket Voting election method will NOT be able to save you come 2011, 2012.
Peace
Anthony Foxx Says He'll Be "Laser-Focused" On Bringing In Jobs Via Loans To Former Bank Employees
After Anthony Foxx is sworn in as Charlotte's new mayor Monday night, the Democrat said he will tackle the city's biggest problem: high unemployment.
Foxx said he plans to ask city staff and his colleagues on City Council to tweak a city loan program for small businesses. The program currently steers money toward fledgling businesses planning to open in economically distressed corridors of the city, such as North Tryon Street.
Foxx wants to prioritize the loans for what he calls critical businesses, such as banking. If a team of laid-off bankers have an idea for a start-up, Foxx wants them to have access to no-interest loans even if their office is in SouthPark.
"The current program is corridor-based," Foxx said. "I want it to be industry-based."
Foxx said the state has a program to retrain unemployed financial service workers, but he said there isn't a loan program to help them.
Foxx will become the city's first new mayor in 14 years and the city's first Democratic mayor in 22 years.
When Republican Pat McCrory became mayor in 1995, Mecklenburg's unemployment rate was 3.2 percent. The city was in the midst of a long run of prosperity, much of it fueled by the expansion of its two hometown banks. In his first address as mayor, McCrory said crime was his top priority.
The situation is different today.
The Charlotte area's unemployment rate in October was 12 percent, up from 11.8 percent in September. It's higher than the state average of 11 percent.
"The economy is the single most important issue for all of us," Foxx said Thursday.
Foxx said he hopes to have the small-business loan program tweaked this month.
The current program, known as the business equity loan program, has been around since the late 1980s.
A small business may have a $100,000 loan from a bank, but still need more money. The city can offer the business a low-interest loan that's no more than 25 percent of the total amount borrowed.
The requirement today is that the business locate in a city-designated economically distressed corridor.
The challenge of improving the local economy will be difficult for a mayor and City Council whose jobs are usually focused on meat-and-potatoes issues such as paving roads, hiring police officers and building affordable housing.
"It's mostly a cheerleading role," said UNC Charlotte political science professor Ted Arrington. "That's partially because the Charlotte mayor is a weak mayor, but also because there isn't a lot that the city can do."
Foxx said he also wants to assemble a team of business leaders to brainstorm ways to strengthen the economy.
One part of that would be how to better market some of the region's lesser-known industries, such as energy and biotechnology. McCrory started to do this in the last 18 months, touting the city's expanding energy-related economy in interviews.
Foxx said Friday he wouldn't discuss whether he would work with N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue to offer Bank of America incentives to stay in Charlotte.
"I will be laser-focused on keeping jobs in Charlotte," Foxx said.
Foxx said he also will appoint a group of civilians to review the city budget and look for savings.
Foxx will take office with something no Charlotte mayor has had: one party holding eight of 11 council seats.
The new council will have an 8-3 Democratic majority - the biggest advantage by either party since the council became partisan in 1977. The current council has a 7-4 advantage for Democrats.
Democrats David Howard and Patrick Cannon are replacing at-large council members Foxx and Republican John Lassiter, whom Foxx defeated for mayor.
McCrory said he's concerned about having one party in control of the City Council, County Commission and now the mayor's office.
"The big challenge is you have one dominant party - who will be the check on spending?" McCrory said. "The mayor's office was the only political balance."
Charlotte leaders working to keep Bank of America's headquarters
As Bank of America's directors search for a chief to replace Ken Lewis, local leaders wonder if the new CEO will have any ties to the Carolinas - and what it will mean for Charlotte if not.
Some bank insiders worry that the new commander might be less committed to keeping the base here. They fear that the corporate offices could be uprooted to New York or Boston or another city, perhaps because the new CEO wants to make a dramatic statement of change - or because the person simply doesn't want to live here.
Charlotte and state leaders say they're determined to keep the hometown bank in its hometown, especially after losing Wachovia's headquarters last year. Gov. Bev Perdue has been talking with bank officials, shareholders and community leaders about the bank's future since Lewis announced two weeks ago that he plans to retire by year's end, Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said.
Perdue has "let it be known that North Carolina will welcome its new leader with open arms," Pearson said.
Bank of America is one of the most important engines driving Charlotte's economy, employing 15,000 workers and supporting a raft of smaller businesses. It is the sole reason that Charlotte can still claim to be the country's No. 2 banking center, a title that has defined it for years.
If the headquarters were to shift, experts expect that the bank would keep a substantial presence and number of workers here, and that just a handful of top executives would move to the new base. But the city would lose prestige and decision-making power.
U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat and member of the House Financial Services Committee, said he hasn't heard anything about Bank of America leaving beyond the concerns of local city leaders - worries he attributed to insecurities from the Queen City.
He said the concerns might say more about Charlotte than about Bank of America.
"It's a reflection of how we sometimes view ourselves as a city - the poor little Southern victim," he said. "We forget the advantages Charlotte has. ... We just have to get over the victim mentality."
For most of this decade, Charlotte has worried that the bank would move to New York, the home to most of its big-bank peers. In 1998, the concern was over a switch to the West Coast, when the bank - then called NationsBank - bought BankAmerica in San Francisco.
CEO Lewis, born in Mississippi and educated in Georgia, has said multiple times that the headquarters wouldn't move under his watch - including the day last fall when he bought New York-based Merrill Lynch.
In 2006, when he unveiled plans for the bank's new tower across the street from its 60-story corporate center, he said the building would make it "much harder for the next CEO to move the headquarters."
At the start of Lewis' tenure as CEO in 2001, he took steps to bring a number of top lieutenants to Charlotte, but that management team has spread out again in recent months. In the latest structure, five of 11 top executives are based in Charlotte, including Lewis. Before the Merrill deal, five of nine were here.
Some experts said that a new Bank of America CEO might want to move the headquarters to make a statement - perhaps to signal that the bank is shutting the door on a troubled year and a half. Or the new leader might want to signal that the bank is not just a consumer bank, but a bona fide Wall Street firm, especially after its Jan. 1 purchase of Merrill Lynch.
The question now is whether the headquarters location is even an issue for the board of directors.
Recently revamped under the government's watch, the board has more financial expertise and no members with strong Carolinas ties except Lewis. Three of the current 15 are holdovers from Boston-based FleetBoston Financial, which the bank bought in 2004.
Directors have not returned calls for comment.
Boston could be in the running because one of the front-runners for the CEO job, Brian Moynihan, is based there, and came to Bank of America when it bought FleetBoston. In August, when he was named head of the bank's consumer banking unit, he stayed in Boston even though the unit is based in Charlotte.
But New York, where the bank's One Bryant Park tower looms near Times Square, is also a possibility. Some observers say the bank will have to go there to find the talent to run such a large and complex financial firm.
"There's only a few places you can go to find people with the breadth and depth of experience that the board may be looking for," said James Post, who teaches corporate governance at Boston University. "...You have to go to New York."
On Tuesday night, The Wall Street Journal reported that the bank had hired search firm Russell Reynolds Associates Inc. to assist in the CEO search - which could be a signal that the new leader is more likely to come from outside the bank.
From her conversations with bank and community leaders, Perdue has heard that the four items the bank is focused on are searching for a new leader, boosting profitability, repaying the federal government $45 billion in aid and "focusing on its enterprise," Pearson said.
Bank of America spokesman Bob Stickler said last week, "As of now, it's here and there are no plans to move," noting the bank's just-opened Ritz-Carlton hotel and other commercial developments.
"The people here are very proud of the fact that we grew up a Southern bank," Stickler said. "The hotel just opened. Our new office building and the new Founders Hall will be opened in the next year."
But if the new CEO did want to move, the paperwork wouldn't be too onerous. The bank would probably notify the N.C. Secretary of State that it had changed its "principal office street address" at the time of its next annual report. It would also have to change the address listed on its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but wouldn't need to make a special filing about the move.
Behind-the-scenes campaign
There's been no public campaign to keep the bank headquarters here. But local officials say they're working hard behind the scenes, and state leaders say they've been brainstorming the issue since the financial meltdown struck last year.
Everyone's main objective: Make it as easy as possible to do business in Charlotte, they said.
"We've got a good team of people working together to ensure that we're supporting Bank of America," Mayor Pat McCrory said. He declined to provide further details, other than to describe it as a public-private effort that involves a combination of strategies.
McCrory said officials would be in contact with the bank's new CEO as soon as the new leader is announced, and that they would "strive for continuing investment" from the bank.
In the meantime, he said, local leaders are trying to give Bank of America time to work through the process. McCrory said he feels confident that the bank will remain a strong presence in Charlotte.
N.C. Sen. Bob Rucho of Matthews said he's worried that other states could try to lure Bank of America with tax incentives and other breaks. When it comes time to make a decision about headquarters, Rucho said he hopes the bank will approach legislators with any concerns and give them a chance to address them.
"In essence, we need to be brought up to speed," he said. "We need them to let us know what their status is."
Congressman Watt, asked about the possibility the bank could move to Boston, said he didn't think there was "any rationale for them moving to Boston."
"I'd be more concerned about them evaluating the merits of New York than Boston," he added.
Job losses insignificant
It's difficult to predict the effects of such a move, because there aren't a lot of exact comparisons. But most examples indicate that the effect on rank-and-file workers is negligible.
When Charlotte lost Wachovia's headquarters last year, it was a slap in the face to a city that defines itself by banking. The job cuts, however, have netted about 500, leaving about 19,500 Charlotte positions. Wells Fargo, which bought the bank, has even said it expects to add jobs here.
But that change wasn't strictly a headquarters move; that was one company being bought by another.
One of the best-known examples of uprooting headquarters is Boeing, which moved from Seattle to Chicago in 2001. The company wanted to make a statement about how it had expanded beyond just building airplanes and into fields like aerospace. It also wanted to be in a location that was more central to all of its divisions, after spreading across the country.
A net of about 150 employees, all in corporate functions, were moved, said spokesman John Dern. An additional 70,000 remained in the Seattle area.
Another manufacturer, Goodrich, decided to move its headquarters from Richfield, Ohio, to Charlotte in 1998, though that decision came only after Goodrich bought a Charlotte-based company. At the time, Goodrich said that about 150 jobs would be lost as the companies consolidated headquarters - a tiny fraction of the combined 27,000 total workers at the time. The Ohio-based manufacturing employees were not affected.
But the move to Charlotte was "very emotional," spokeswoman Laurie Tardif said. Goodrich was founded in nearby Akron, Ohio, in 1870 and was "a source of pride."
There was also an effect on company philanthropy in the Akron/Richfield area.
"With our headquarters moving here, our community involvement was now focused here as well," Tardif said.
Tax hit would be small
Although the bank contributes a major portion of local property tax revenues, Mecklenburg County tax officials say they're not that worried. Even if Bank of America declared a new home base, it would still contribute millions in property taxes because its buildings would still be here.
A chorus of local officials see Bank of America entrenched here because of its vast business operations, deep talent pool and relatively low cost of doing business
The bank occupies about 5.5million square feet of office space in the Charlotte area, predominantly in buildings it owns, said Peter Conway, managing partner at Trinity Partners, which handles leasing for Bank of America Plaza.
For the year ending June 30, the bank paid about $8.3 million in property taxes, making it the county's No. 2 taxpayer behind Duke Energy, whose taxes come to is $14.6 million, county tax collector Neal Dixon said.
The buildings Bank of America owns, valued at $979 million, could be assessed for less if they sat vacant, which is unlikely, Dixon said. The county could lose some revenue from business personal property if the bank moves some employees, although that isn't likely to be significant, Dixon said.
He said not much has changed since Charlotte lost the Wachovia headquarters last year. That bank was still the No. 3 taxpayer last fiscal year at $7.3 million, Dixon said.
The financial-services sector accounts for the largest chunk of Mecklenburg's private-sector payroll, paying nearly $5.2 billion to almost 52,000 employees last year, government data show.
Bank of America makes up almost 30 percent of the sector's workforce. It's unclear how much of the payroll the bank dominates, but if it's proportional, it would be almost $1.5 billion.
Bank of America also pays corporate income taxes, state taxes based on how much a company earns. The N.C. Department of Revenue declined to disclose the amount the bank pays.
Blemishes dot candidates' pasts -- liens, bankruptcies, spotty voting records
One candidate nearly lost his home last month after filing for bankruptcy a year ago.
Two have run into trouble with city code enforcers.
And another never votes – not even for himself.
Those are among the findings from a check of state and federal records on the criminal, civil, bankruptcy and voting histories of the 31 candidates in Charlotte's Sept. 15 primaries and Nov. 3 general elections.
Most candidates had clean slates. Others had minor blemishes such as an occasional speeding ticket. Here's a look at the more notable findings.
Raphael Basisa
At-large Democrat
The real estate broker and landlord blames bad luck and a bad economy for a series of financial setbacks.
A native of Congo, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1998 after the shipment of clothing he'd taken back there to sell was stolen. And in 2007, he paid $12,472 in back property taxes and fees to avoid foreclosure on at least two tracts off West Boulevard.
“You do the best you can and things hit you in the face,” he says. “You just have to be the kind of person who brushes off and keeps on going.”
Basisa, 48, owns rental properties. He has a pair of outstanding city citations, including one for allowing a single-family home to be used as a boarding house. The city also has threatened to demolish one house. And he has twounpaid liens with the city totaling more than $500.
“The tenants play a game,” he says, “if you go to evict them they call the city inspector.”
Martin Davis
GOP mayoral candidate
In 2003, the District Court canceled a 12-year-old judgment involving a credit card bill after Davis finished paying $3,950.
“I wasn't making any money,” says Davis, 52. “I had to pay them off monthly.”
In the late 1980s, he was arrested four times while picketing abortion clinics.
Tariq Bokhari
At-large Republican
As a student at Virginia's Radford University, he pleaded guilty in 1999 and 2000 to underage possession of alcohol, and in 2000, to failing to obey a court order. A year later, while lead singer and guitar player in a local band, he pleaded guilty to violating a noise ordinance.
“I definitely take full responsibility,” says Bokhari, 29. “Nothing like that has ever happened after college.”
Darrell Bonapart
District 5 Democrat
He filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in June 2008, with liabilities of nearly $124,000. The case remains open. But even before the bankruptcy, records show he'd had to stave off efforts to foreclose on his single-story home near Eastland Mall.
The mortgage holder began four attempts to foreclose, first in 2006 and most recently this summer. Attorneys who filed a “Notice of Sale” in July say it has since been canceled.
“My home is completely intact,” Bonapart says. “I have no issues with my home whatsoever right now.”
In March 2007, a Superior Court judge ordered him to pay CitiFinancial $7,767 to resolve a loan dispute. Bonapart, 40, says he'd borrowed the money “trying to help other people.”
A disabled veteran, Bonapart says his setbacks would not impede his ability to serve.
“My sacrifice of working hard on East Charlotte hasn't changed … and it's not going to change,” he says, adding that the problems have “no bearing on my leadership as far as the community is concerned.”
Patrick Cannon
At-large Democrat
From 2003 to 2008, Cannon faced a total of $193,553 in IRS liens between 2003 and 2008. He satisfied all the liens, which were eventually canceled. His issues with the IRS were detailed in Saturday's Observer.
Darrin Rankin
At-large Democrat
In March, the city filed a lien against him for $125 after it cut grass and weeds on rental property he owns on Sheringham Way.
Rankin, 37, says the city sent notices to the tenant, not to him. He says when he finally got the bill, he promptly paid.
He also has two outstanding citations from the city involving a broken roll-out container at a rental property on LaSalle Street. He says the city failed to respond to calls to fix it.
Jack Stratton
GOP mayoral candidate
For more than four years, Stratton and his wife were at the center of a much-publicized controversy when social workers, citing neglect, took custody of their 10 children.
He lost a series of battles in state and federal courts and in 2002 was jailed for violating a gag order.
Records show an IRS lien for $5,045 filed in 2003 remains unpaid.
“I didn't know about it,” says Stratton, 54. “I don't believe I owe them that money.”
Voting records
Three years of N.C. voting history are available online, so the Observer checked candidates records back to 2006. Most voted fairly regularly in the off- and presidential-year elections of 2006 and 2008 and the local elections of 2007.
Others did not. Some lived out of state, but some were here and for a variety of reasons didn't always go to the polls.
Georgia Belk
At-large Republican
Since 2006, voted only in the 2008 general election. She says she was often out of the country on business related to a telecom company she worked for and tending to family property issues in the Caribbean.
“Due to business obligations I was out of the country for extended periods of time,” she says. “… Career demands do not always accommodate election dates.”
Anthony Castrillon
At-large Democrat
Voted twice in 2008, but not at all in 2006 or 2007.
“I'm not going to make any excuses,” he says. “I feel bad I haven't engaged as much as I should have.”
Jack Stratton
GOP mayoral candidate
Despite running for county commissioner in 2004 and for Congress last November, has not voted.
“There's nobody worth voting for,” he says. “Every politician I've seen is corrupt. I didn't even vote for myself.”
Owen Sutkowski
District 1 Democrat
Since moving to Charlotte in mid-2006, has voted only in 2008 primary and general elections.
“At that point I did not know enough about the candidates and chose not to vote,” he says. “Voting is not the only way you can get involved in the community.”
Bob Williams
At-large Democrat
Voted only in 2008 primary and general elections.
“I don't know why I didn't vote,” he says. “I was probably working too hard.”
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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Whitehouse.gov, Charmeck.org, Bank of America, Anthony Foxx.com, Youtube, Google Maps
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