DeDreana Freeman, candidate for Durham mayor, takes your questions
A pivotal election is underway in Durham, with voters choosing a new mayor and filling three City Council seats this fall.
There are eight people competing for mayor.
Early voting in the primary runs through Oct. 7 and Primary Day is Oct. 10.
The top two mayoral candidates will proceed to the general election in November, and the winner will have a two-year term.
We collected questions from residents across Durham to help readers get to know the candidates.
DeDreana Freeman
Name: DeDreana Freeman
Age: Not provided
Occupation: Consultant
Website: DeDreanaFreeman.com
Are we paying people competitively and keeping our promises to our workers?
- East Durham resident Aidil Ortiz
No, we are not! We conducted a reclassification and pay study in 2017 and voted on a step pay schedule in 2019. Understandably, these pay steps were paused during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bonuses were awarded from federal ARPA dollars.
Regrettably, the plan put forward to address it in March by the city manager was not pushed forward and the mayor’s request failed in a 4-3 vote, of which I voted to support an increase for all city workers in June. Instead, employees received a 2% overall increase and 4% to 6% merit increases.
We can, and should, be fiscally responsible while also taking care of our city employees, who play an essential role in ensuring that residents receive the best possible city services. Offering a $5,000 bonus to our nonmanagement workers is a step in the right direction. We can come together to find a balanced approach that honors our fiscal responsibility while providing fair compensation to our dedicated workforce.
Do you have any experience that helps you understand development in Durham? How do you plan to get more affordable units in the city?
- Planning commissioner Zuri Williams
Yes, I served on the Durham City/County Planning Commission before being elected to Durham City Council almost six years ago. I had the opportunity to visit hundreds of sites, and spent thousands of hours in public hearings. Creating more affordable units for me means layering in more rental units, and homeownership options in coordination with all developers and having naturally occurring affordable housing, offering subsidies, and offering incentives to landlords to maintain affordability. For the homeownership layer, one opportunity is implementing the second mortgage program, underwriting the loans and disbursing up to $80,000 in loan funds.
As Durham grows more dense, how do we get away from the classic American model of car-oriented development? Are there any policies that you support that can keep us from becoming another Atlanta or Dallas?
- Downtown resident Nirav Patel
In a people-first model of development, we need adulting or downsizing options for single individuals that are walkable and bikeable to become a priority for future development, along with retrofitting infrastructure for existing housing that builds Durham’s collective resilience. For future development, an immediate way is to make up to 8-plex cottages an option by right with subsidies offered for infill that keeps housing affordable and new development that is less car-oriented. Creating a city zoning friendly tiny house to multiplex building plan database for developers to cut costs with adjustments allowed based on site difficulty for remaining infill lots. Other things we can do include creating expedited innovative diverse housing solutions for smaller and recreational vehicle communities, discounted fees and tiers of subsidies, including expedited zoning for upzoning from single family to a triplex or above.
What policies do you support for implementing safer streets and reducing car dependency locally and regionally?
- Stadium Heights resident Nick Roberts
Vision Zero has to be fully implemented so there is no loss of life walking or biking. Through my work with the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Federal Advocacy Committee, I have advocated for policies like the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The act is providing $3 billion in funding through USDOT grants designed to build and repair community connections through safe, equitable pedestrian, bicycle, and transit improvements. Now that this work has been done nationally, municipalities like Durham, need to take advantage of this opportunity to do community planning projects to create an equitable community-centered transportation plan that includes safer streets and reduces dependency on cars. This work would complement what has already been done with the Capital Improvement Plan to shore up my efforts to include equity as a factor in scoring infrastructure projects.
What will you do to support the mental health needs of everyday Durham residents, especially thousands of young people in our public school systems?
- Hillside High School senior Isaiah Palmer
Though one of the county’s primary functions is to address mental health with health and human services, I continue to foster and support programs with the county, DPS and other stakeholders throughout the city and county with initiatives like the Early Childhood Action Plan which created Grown in Durham to provide services in the recreational facilities throughout the city. Additionally, the city has implemented a pilot program called HEART (Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams) with unanimous council support that needs to move to the county and operate county-wide.
In your vision for the city, what role does public education play and how does that connect to economic development, public safety and community health?
- Fayetteville Street corridor resident Erika Wilkins
Public education is part of the ecosystem that prepares children for college and/or career. There must be a pipeline of support beginning with birth to ensure they are prepared to take advantage of the economic opportunities via a skilled workforce for upward mobility. Public education also has a role for adults, providing quality skill-building opportunities. As businesses continue to move into Durham, partnerships across sectors, including higher education, will be essential to building employment pathways for youth and adults. A skilled workforce also draws additional businesses into the area and encourages the growth of small businesses. Education is a foundation, not only for workforce skills and having financial resources to get what you need, but also health literacy. It’s important for the wellbeing of our community, building a sustainable future where everyone has an opportunity to succeed, and creating a more socially, economically, and environmentally just Durham.
On the subject of alleged Clean Water Act violations in Falls Lake and its tributaries: How did we get here and who should be held responsible? Who is going to pay for the creek restoration and environmental damage?
- Southeast Durham resident Pam Andrews
We know that taxpayers are on the hook for the restoration cost, but we as a city need a better site-level evaluation of equity concerns around air, water and land quality, along with social aspects of who is harmed in the context of community engagement. How are people who live on fixed income, those who have historically been discriminated against, those trying to age in place, and those whose first language is not English being impacted? As Durham continues to develop without a sustainable plan for infrastructure, the concerns of residents around traffic, police, fire and EMS are going to continue to come up.
How have you seen Durham evolve in your time here and what’s one thing you’ll have the power to change if elected?
- The News & Observer
I have seen Durham evolve into a vibrant city with some equity challenges to overcome. I want to continue to find ways to weave the local elements and people in with the new, just as we do in my Golden Belt neighborhood. As Durham’s next mayor, I will have greater convening power to address issues like violence, poverty and hardship. I would focus on our needs as a city around infrastructure, public safety and shared prosperity. I would harness the creativity of the community to uplift what works for Durham in order to create a more socially, economically, and environmentally just and fair community we can all thrive in.
To find polling places and full details on voting, visit the Board of Elections at dcovotes.com or 919-560-0700.
