Big change in store for the political scene this year

Even if you're not a newcomer, it's possible you don't remember a Charlotte mayor other than Pat McCrory.

The Republican has been in office for 14 years. A third of the city's population – more than 236,000 people – has never known another mayor.

That's about to change.

After losing the governor's race last year, McCrory decided to step aside. City council members Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, and John Lassiter, a Republican, are fighting to succeed him.

So Charlotte will finally have a new mayor. If you want to know about local politics, that's the easy part.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

For 32 years, Charlotte has elected a city council with four at-large and seven district members. In 1977 the district system was lauded as a way of providing more representative government. It has.

But gerrymandering has locked up districts for parties and incumbents. Over three decades, only a handful of incumbent district members have lost re-election. And only one district – eastside District 5 in 1999 – has switched party control. That's one reason for generally dismal turnout, especially in primaries.

Because Republicans hold only two districts (6 and 7 in southeast Charlotte), the real contest to determine control of council is the at-large race.

These are generally the city's most competitive – and most expensive – council races. If patterns hold, Republicans will have to sweep the four seats to control council.

Mecklenburg County's nine commissioners run next year. But six of nine school board members are on the ballot this fall.

Departures guarantee at least three new members. And with incumbent Molly Griffin stepping down, the board will have a new chairman.

Unlike most other races, by the way, school board contests are nominally non-partisan. But look for the parties to make it clear who their candidates are.

The school board you elect can do a lot of things for schools. Setting the budget is not one of them.

The board and Superintendent Peter Gorman recommends a budget to county commissioners, who have the final say. Any effort to give the board taxing authority has been a non-starter, not unlike the question of city-county consolidation.

If you like stories of politicians-gone-bad (see disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black or misbehaving ex-Sen. John Edwards or lusty S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford) you'll be hard-pressed to find it locally.

Since a former elections director pleaded guilty to taking bribes and kickbacks in 1998, local politics has been blandly clean.

For all that the city and county governments can do, there's a lot that they can't.

In North Carolina, state government has the final say about a lot of local issues. When the city wanted to levy a new sales tax for transit, for example, it had to get permission from state legislators.

If you want to go to school on local politics, check out the League of Women Voters.

On its Web site (www.goleaguego.org) you'll find a “Multimedia Crash Course” on local government.

There are also instructions on signing up for Civics 101, an annual five-part seminar that introduces you to city and county government, school board and courts system. You might become one of the graduates who's gone on to hold public office.

Jim Morrill: 704-358-5059

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