Share
If he didn't take pride in never having used his gavel to keep order, you could have said Mayor Pat McCrory gaveled his last City Council business meeting to a close Monday night. But he didn't; it wasn't his style.
During his 14 years as mayor, the city transformed itself. For starters, growth was relentless. But more than growth was shaping Charlotte. In 1994, when the NCAA Final Four came to town, Charlotte had to construct a string of fake bars in empty uptown buildings. By 2009, nightlife uptown was afire with restaurants, movies, bowling and, yes, bars.
The city changed from one where simply the mention of a tax for transit could bury any proposal within weeks, to one where voters twice approved a half-cent sales tax for transit, thus building the state's first light rail line.
"I'm not big on goodbyes," McCrory said, asked in a Monday interview whether any hoopla was planned for the council meeting later. "I get too sentimental."
And then he talked for a good half-hour, about his affection for the people he has worked with, his plans for staying involved with city and national urban issues, his disapproval of how the federal stimulus money is being spent (yes, he remains a political animal), his sadness at leaving and his pride at what the city has accomplished during his tenure.
That's all in keeping with McCrory's folksy and approachable demeanor - one reason the Republican maintained high popularity while in office and never confronted a well-funded, political heavyweight challenger from the Democrats.
During his years of presiding, McCrory used his mayoral veto often - sometimes winning his point, sometimes not - and used his temper as well, frequently chiding council members when their views didn't match his. Although he leaves plenty of folks looking forward to working with Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx, he also leaves plenty of admirers.
It's risky to try to proclaim anyone's legacy before history has a chance to weigh in, but it's a good bet that Pat McCrory's legacy will be felt for decades in the city's transportation system. McCrory's championing of the transit tax and light rail made a powerful difference. Just as significant, if less flashy, was his support for city policies that help pedestrians and bicyclists as well as automobiles, whether with sidewalks, greenways or stronger rules to ensure that more streets connect.
As McCrory said Monday, the long view is what matters: "A decade in the life of a city is nothing." And for decades to come, Charlotteans will be the beneficiaries of Pat McCrory's work here.
