The split since Stith: A council drawn on (mayor's) race lines?

As Barry noted yesterday, the Herald-Sun has reported that the attempt by Councilfolk Brown, Catotti, and Woodard to expand Patrick Baker's purchasing authority beyond his current level has stalled. In case you're new to the issue, Baker's ability to sign purchase orders and contracts without Council approval is limited to $30,000 for service contracts, or $100,000 for item purchases and construction contracts.

These levels are significantly below neighboring cities, and the City's capital projects advisory board has noted that this lower authority level contributes greatly to the slow progress of many bond-funded initiatives.

Let's step away from the issue per se, though, and look at the broader question it points to -- namely, a noticeable divide on the newly constituted City Council into at least two factions, with a couple of seats up as swing votes -- or, perhaps, waiting to be more clearly allied.

A Council that seemed relatively 'us v. him' with the number of 6-to-1 votes ("Councilman Stith votes no") in the past two years, you see, increasingly shows fracture along some interesting lines including, just maybe, the next mayor's race.

In the few short weeks since the Nov. elections and the reconstitution of the City Council, we've seen divides among them in a number of areas:

• How to use funds from the two-thirds bonds towards City projects, including notably whether the American Tobacco Trail or the ADA savings fund would get some of the proceeds.
• The nature and pace of Durham development in the midst of a drought (with confusingly variable signals coming at times from Mayor Bell and the group of Woodard, Catotti, and Brown.)
• Most recently, what Ray Gronberg describes as an averted 'showdown' over this increase in spending authority for Baker.

We've seen some of these divides before, notably in budget negotiations last spring, but somehow Thomas Stith's presence always seemed to help others close ranks.

Since the fall election, however, Eugene Brown, Diane Catotti, and Mike Woodard have continued to solidify as what I'll call the progressive wing of the Council -- a nod not to the term's usual use as a synonym for modern liberalism (though I suspect none of the three would object to that meaning), but instead to hearken back to the early-20th c. Progressives on the national scene, who focused on good-government topics with a liberal tint like the marginally-graduated income tax and direct election of senators.

Which really fits the Brown/Catotti/Woodard wing to a tee: pride for Durham, belief that government can do good, but sharpened pencils to crunch the numbers and challenge the status quo often at hand. All three are also new to Durham officeholding, with four or less years' experience on Council (though with significant volunteer and community experience between them.)

A second wing of the Council has formed around Bill Bell and Cora Cole-McFadden. I'm more at a loss for naming rights here, but the terms 'traditionalist' and especially 'institutionalist' come to mind.

Both have been involved in the operation of local government for many years -- Bell via County Commission and now city government, and Cole-McFadden via her position as a longtime City department head -- which I suspect gives them a very different outlook on the operation of the city and its local government, and on the various interest groups and stakeholders who come to roost at times.

For his part, Howard Clement seems likely to relish his next couple of years on Council as an iconoclastic voter able and willing to make up his own mind on... well, on just about any issue, as the wavering Clement's shown on the question of the spending authority has demonstrated. Farad Ali remains a question mark in terms of voting record -- it will take a few more Council sessions to have a better idea of where he stands on issues.

...

So, what is the impact of the progressive and institutionalist wings? I mention in my title that there's a racial component involved, and there is on a couple of different levels.

The obvious, but mostly misleading, level relates to ethnicity, with today's progressive wing comprised of all three white members of Council, though this could change if Ali comes to lean more in that direction.

But there is a second, and more interesting dimension I mean by race -- namely, the likelihood that the two leading candidates in the 2009 Durham mayoral election will come from the progressive and institutional wings of Council, as Woodard and Cole-McFadden are rumored to be the two most likely members of the body to stand next for the mayor's post.

Of course, any such race for mayor in 2009 is only likely should Bell not run for re-election, but there's indications that this campaign just ended may have been his last run at the top city office.

Cole-McFadden has reportedly shown interest in succeeding Bell as mayor, though her interests may also run to other elected offices. For his part, Woodard's seemingly been on the path to a mayoral run for years, given his deep involvement in civic and neighborhood organizations and his responsiveness to citizens' concerns.

Both Cole-McFadden and Woodard have Council terms ending in 2009; should Howard Clement not run for re-election, a mayor's race between these two would also set up the potential for significant change within the Council to boot.

As you watch Council deliberations to come, then, keep an eye on the bodies forming within the body politic -- but also on at least these two members.

Comments

[Ginny]

Wonder if this press conference, called just a few minutes ago by city officials, has anything to do with your observations:

For Immediate Release: December 11, 2007
City of Durham News Conference Today To Announce Personnel Changes
What: Announcement Regarding Key Personnel Changes in City of Durham Leadership
Who: Durham City Council
When: Tuesday, December 11, 2007, at 3:30 p.m.
Where: City Council Chambers
First Floor, City Hall
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, N.C. 27701

[Kevin Davis]

Well now, isn't _that_ interesting? Thanks for the tip, Ginny.

UPDATE: H-S is reporting Baker to take City Atty. position vacated by Blinder, with a search for manager. More to follow.

[william tell]

one has to wonder if durham's council's interest in not giving the manager authority on par with other localities is to make sure friends of some of the council can get large contracts to their friends?

[seth vidal]

Mike Woodard for mayor? I don't know if it is in Mike's goals to run for mayor but his interaction on this site, participation in neighborhood mailing lists and responding quickly to problems causing a lot of noise and angst certainly gain him my support.

full disclosure: He was my next door neighbor for 3 years; it's difficult to dislike him.