David Howard, Charlotte City Council at-large

Charlotte Observer picks for at-large slots on Nov. ballot

| September 13th, 2009 | Newsroom

The prospect of two at-large Charlotte City Council seats being vacated by mayoral candidates Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter drew seven Republicans and seven Democrats, plus a Libertarian. Voters on Sept. 15 will whittle the choices to four from each party.

City Council members make key decisions about how Charlotte grows. They approve rezonings for developments and adopt policies and ordinances governing transportation, the environment and economic development. For instance, they’re being pressured to rescind key environmental provisions and weaken a proposed upgrade to the tree ordinance. They fund the police and fire departments, garbage collection, street maintenance and other essential city services.

So voters shouldn’t be misled by the low-key campaign. This is a significant election. Here’s how we see the race:

Democrats

Among the seven candidates, four stand out.

…

David Howard, making his first political run, has a lengthy resume of civic service, including six years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, two as chairman. He’s vice president of the nonprofit Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, which builds affordable housing. That and his community work give him a solid understanding of the need to look beyond simple solutions to the difficult problem of low-income housing.

See the original article on the Charlotte Observer by clicking here.