Observer endorsements: Our choices in Mecklenburg commissioner primaries | Opinion

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners has tackled a lot in the past couple of years, including property revaluation and putting a record $2.5 billion school bond referendum on the ballot. Education and economic mobility continue to be of top priority to commissioners as they look to keep up with the county’s growth, and we hope to see continued improvement to the long-rocky relationship between commissioners and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.

Here are our recommendations for contested Democratic primary races:

At-large

Five Democrats, including three incumbents, are running for the board’s three at-large seats. Current commissioner at-large Leigh Altman has grown into her role since she was first elected in 2020 and is now one of the board’s strongest commissioners. Most notably, Altman has become an important steward for public transit as chair of the Metropolitan Transit Commission, calling for greater accountability and oversight for Charlotte’s stumbling transit system. Through that role, she has also helped to strengthen relationships between the county and other municipalities in Mecklenburg County, which is vital if any regional transit plan is to succeed in the future.

Elected in 2022, Arthur Griffin is the board’s newest commissioner, but he’s also one of its most valuable voices. Griffin’s deep roots in the community — including a past stint as chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education — has made him a successful and respected commissioner, particularly on matters related to education and economic equity. He deserves another term.

Pat Cotham, the top vote-getter in the 2022 election, faces scrutiny about her political leanings that began even before her daughter Tricia switched party affiliations in the state legislature last year. Partisanship is largely irrelevant on a board whose work is nonpartisan, but Cotham has always been an independent voice. She continues to be highly visible in the community, but it’s not just lip service — she is perhaps more dedicated to constituent services than any commissioner on the board.

The other two candidates, community advocate Yvette Townsend-Ingram and entrepreneur Blake Van Leer, are both worthy competitors with strong ideas about how to lead the county forward. Both would serve Mecklenburg well if elected, but we believe Altman, Griffin and Cotham each deserve another term.

District 2

Longtime commissioner Vilma Leake faces a formidable challenge from entrepreneur and former CMPD officer Charles Osborne.

Osborne is a sharp candidate who has received support from current commissioners George Dunlap and Laura Meier as well as the Black Political Caucus. He is attuned to the needs of his community and is especially strong on issues related to economic development, which would be of benefit to this west Charlotte district.

Leake has had a long and admirable career in public service as a school board member and county commissioner, and she continues to be a strong advocate for Black communities and underperforming schools in her district. But some say that her presence in the community and responsiveness to constituent needs has waned, and she can make divisive comments that hurt far more than they help.

Voters looking for new leadership should feel confident in Osborne. If elected, he would be the board’s youngest commissioner, providing a perspective that the board currently lacks.

District 3

Incumbent George Dunlap continues to represent this northeast Charlotte district well. As chairman of the board since 2018, Dunlap has brought stability to a board that sorely needed it, and he has helped stave off much of the drama that consumed it in past years. He is an adept leader, especially on economic development and affordable housing, and he’s earned another term.

His opponent in the Democratic primary, Felicia Thompkins, did not respond to an interview request from the Editorial Board. We recommend Dunlap.

This story was originally published February 20, 2024 at 3:08 PM.