It looks like there will be a new sheriff, I mean mayor in town in the Bull City with current mayor, Elaine O’Neal not seeking a second term. Even prior to her announcement I have asked myself what my platform and primary issues would be I would showcase to enhance the quality of life for the city of Durham. As a resident of Durham since 1996 I have seen the untapped potential of Durham being wasted, the image of Durham being negatively portrayed and the plight of an educational system that needs to be improved. I am not a politician, but I do believe I have common sense solutions to help move the Bull City onward. I will discuss a few problems & propose solutions.
Truancy of Students from Durham Public Schools
Statistics demonstrate that about 15% of students statewide are chronically absent throughout a typical school year. Those numbers were higher during the Covid years. Students can only learn and be successful when they are present in school with highly effective teachers. For those that know me, I am a high school math teacher with Durham Public Schools (DPS) and have been a harsh critic of the School Board and the curricula being taught. Outside of this dilemma, I am addressing the truancy in many of our middle and high schools across the district. During school hours there should never be a reason for non-homeschooled aged children to be walking the streets of Durham. Some of the crime in the city is committed by juveniles that are idle instead of being in the four walls of a school building receiving instruction.
I propose that a greater partnership with DPS and the Durham Police Department (DPD) be established to diminish and eventually eliminate truancy in our schools. School Board policy dictates that students may be retained or lose credit for a course after a certain number of absences. This policy is not being enforced and students are being “promoted” to the next grade or “passed” to the next course. Unless it is a chronic illness, confirmed family problem or bereavement, students and parents must be held accountable for the whereabouts of their children during school hours.
After 7 unexcused absences schools must be mandated to have truant officers contact the parent or guardian on record so that efforts can be made to address the truancy to avoid further educational deficits. Parents must be involved I the process. Several years ago, my home was invaded when I got home from school. Not much was taken but when the culprit was caught a few weeks later, it was a teenager wearing the class ring I had given to my wife as a token.
Keeping students in school and off the streets will lower crime, lower youth gang involvement, and improve educational outcomes for them, too.
North Carolina is one of the few states that allow students as young as 16 years old to drop out of school before graduating. They don’t need to get their parents’ permission or meet any other requirements for leaving school. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-378.) If elected mayor, I would ask for the DPS School Board to propose raising this age to 18 and lead the state to making this universal.
Housing
About 70 people per day move to Durham each day. With Apple and other companies moving into the region, the number of affordable housing options is depleting. Although there is a lot of building being done, it is not keeping up with demand and is often not affordable for a lot of our citizens. The cost of living in Durham is 6% higher than the state average and 0% than the national average. Durham housing is 9% more expensive than the nationwide average.
Durham needs to zone some residential area with “tiny homes” as part of its effort to provide affordable home options. They can be spread uniformly throughout our city. Opponents that fear property value hits should think more about quality of life for all the citizens of Durham and the benefits that all citizens receive when they own a home versus renting.
To piggyback off the tiny home concept, as mayor, I would propose rezoning some commercial areas that have properties that do not have a current tenant either be purchased by the city so that they can be redeveloped into dwellings. Preferably these dwellings would be for low-income residents but open for anyone. Rents would be paid back into the city for upkeep and to payoff of the properties, much like a landlord at an apartment complex. One benefit of this design is that the property is already close to commercial entities so that these residents can shop near their home.
As an over 23-year resident of Durham, I love how the different communities flow into one another unlike many cities where affluence and lower affluence are isolated from one another. As developers build new apartment complexes and townhouses, they should be mixed with housing options that lower-income people can afford.
The City of Durham should also connect with agencies that work closely with addressing the homeless problem. For instance, the Durham Rescue Mission does a great job of not only sheltering the homeless, but it also provides job and life skills to give our vulnerable citizens the second chances we all deserve. If I was mayor of Durham, I would propose having the city allocate funds to agencies like the Durham Rescue Mission as a partnership to advance their mission and to advance the lives of Durham residents. Working a job either with the City of Durham or elsewhere would be a requirement for a citizen to partake in the program. Residents could perhaps live rent free or prorated allowing time for them to build up savings to rent on their own elsewhere or go into home ownership.
Change the Image of Durham
As mentioned earlier, several years ago I was a victim of crime here in Durham. I still love living here in Durham despite this unfortunate event. However, I am sure you have family members that question why you live here. I get it but Durham is not that bad. Efforts must be made to reimage Durham by reimagining the city.
Our city needs to get tougher on crime and not allow repeat offenders to walk in our streets. Concerned citizens need not be afraid to walk in their communities nor play on their playgrounds with their children. An increased police presence in high crimes as shown by police reports and citizen surveys. The Durham Police Department will not be racial profiling but profiling only in the sense of being where the data says they should be using force only when necessary. All police officers will wear bodycam. All police officers will deserve the respect that is due the uniform but any police officer that discredits the uniform will be appropriately reprimanded.
Finally, improving the image of the soul of Durham needs to go in tangent with the aesthetic image of soul. Having a clean city free of litter along our streets and byways will restore community pride as node by node looks pristine over time. It will take time and some funding from county commissioners to allocate a Department of Aesthetics. The Department will have a paid staff and crew that works year-round maintaining the beauty of our city with trash debris details and planting flowers and shrubs. Although I hate increased taxes, littering is against the law. Increased ticketing for drivers that litter would be a start to funding part of the Department but why have laws in the books if they are not going to be enforced.
Working with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) we can help increase the number of businesses or civic organizations that participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program. Having citizen volunteers, including myself, participate will develop and encourage more pride in the Bull City for both the residents here and for visitors that come here to enjoy.
Next Steps
November 7th will be here soon. One day I might run for Mayor of D
urham in God’s timing. Until then, I ask for every citizen of Durham to research the candidates that are running and make an informed choice. Do not rely on political action committees (PACs) to tell you who the vote for. God gave us a brain and a measure of intellect. Use it.