Candidates offer closing arguments on their mayoral bids

By now, you know the two men vying to be Charlotte's next mayor. Councilmen Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter have been out in front of the city trying to get your vote. But do you know why these men actually want to be mayor of Charlotte?

Over the last few months, Creative Loafing has spoken with Lassiter and Foxx about how they'll tackle issues like crime, education, the economy and transportation. Now it's time to find out why these two men want to give up the power they have on the city council to become head honcho of the Queen City.

Creative Loafing: So, why do you want to be mayor?

John Lassiter: We need to take the ideas and investments of folks all over our city, combined with experienced leadership to craft the right solutions to today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities. Charlotte has felt the brunt of the economic downturn as hard as any city in America. Too many of our neighbors are unemployed. Too many hardworking families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Too many folks continue to live in neighborhoods that feel the daily impact of crime. Difficult times call for experienced leadership matched with a record of accomplishment and a vision for where we need to go. Charlotte needs a mayor who knows how to build an economy and work effectively with business leaders, who can engage public servants from all parties and who can reach out to committed citizens from all walks of life and all neighborhoods to attract and retain the businesses that will bring jobs, stability and growth back to our local economy.

Anthony Foxx: Charlotte is at a crossroads, and we need leadership that has demonstrated the resiliency our city needs right now. My family and the Charlotte community gave me an exceptional gift -- the gift of reinforcing within me that I could accomplish whatever my talent and ambitions led me to do. Charlotte needs that optimism supported by a vision and the courage to take bold steps to implement that vision. Charlotte also needs a mayor who will work for the people of Charlotte at all times -- and not big developers.

Why should voters elect you over your opponent?

Lassiter: Charlotte needs a mayor who can reach out to financial services, energy, health care and technology sectors for new investment and well-paying jobs that track the talents of our workers and the skills of the students our colleges are sending into the workforce. Charlotte needs a mayor who is committed to putting the resources into the hands of our police and our criminal justice system so that we can get the repeat criminals off our streets and keep our homes and businesses safe. Charlotte needs a mayor who has a renewed focus on job training for our young people, creating positive options, not negative outcomes. Charlotte needs a mayor who understands how we can provide adequate housing for all its citizens and build a pathway from dependency to self-reliance. Charlotte needs a mayor who appreciates the diversity of a growing city and is devoted to bringing people together to find common solutions. Charlotte needs a mayor who believes that government does not have all the answers and cutting waste and operating efficiently rather than raising taxes will attract investment and create jobs we need to grow our economy. Charlotte needs a mayor who is an experienced leader with a vision for the future. To meet all of those needs will require a record of experience and proven leadership; a record of public service and success in private enterprise; a leader that has balanced family, professional life and commitment to this city. I promise we will take to every street, every neighborhood, every precinct and every district in Charlotte, a campaign that will focus on the issues and the critical challenges facing our city. I offer my experience, my record and my commitment to be the next mayor of Charlotte.

Foxx: I understand the challenges facing our community because I have lived them. My pathway to becoming a lawyer and public servant has been peppered with many challenges -- growing up with my mother and grandparents, living in a part of Charlotte that was challenged, working my way through public school and so on. The most important things that propelled me to succeed are the same things our city needs now: optimism, hard work, responsibility and determination. Our city must regain its footing again. Jobs are important, and I will work on retaining and growing them. Safety and infrastructure is important, and I will work to improve both areas. Right now, we need a mayor who will lift our civic spirit, return us to the ethic that drove businesses and families here and never let us stop working for a better tomorrow.

If elected mayor, what is the one thing that you would like to see changed in the way city government is run?

Lassiter: As a small-business owner, I have to make a payroll and stay within a budget. We need to become more businesslike in how we make decisions facing our community, especially during the economic downturn. In order to provide critical services like police and fire, we have to set our priorities and spending on our most pressing community needs. As the city, county and schools move into the same administrative buildings, we need to find ways to functionally consolidate human resources, IT, accounts payable and a variety of back office services that can free up resources to meet many unmet needs in our city and our schools.

Foxx: I will pull a page from former Mayor Richard Vinroot and put together a task force of citizens to review the city budget outside our normal budget process. Rather than a politically charged review, I think a methodical approach like this will yield good results. I would like to apply savings to support an expanded housing program, to help us keep up with police hires and return some of it back to Charlotte taxpayers.