Surprise, surprise: Mayor Brown seeks reelection
He may be a chiropractor, but Mayor David Brown isn’t backing out of politics. As first reported here yesterday, he is seeking another four-year term on City Council.
Brown formally announced his intention to seek a second term this morning at a press conference outside City Hall. Emphasizing his hope to “expand cooperation between the city, county, and university,” he hit the usual city government themes: the environment, education and kids, growth, and poverty.
Brown was joined at the press conference by former mayors Mitch Van Yahres, David Toscano, and Blake Caravati. City Councilor Kendra Hamilton, who is not seeking reelection, also attended in support of Brown. A Democrat, Brown will seek the Democratic Party’s nomination at the mass meeting on Saturday, June 2.
Brown’s announcement means that at least five people are now seeking the three open City Council seats. The other four are former planning chief Satyendra Huja, attorney Jennifer McKeever, nurse/activist Holly Edwards, and former city School Board chair Linda Seaman. All seek the Democratic nomination.
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That’s just great. We can look forward to 4 more years of the Charlottesville police refusing to enforce traffic laws. We can look to 4 more years of Charlottesville police breaking the traffic laws on Emmett street. We can look forward to 4 more years of a stagnant city government who thinks progress is building one small city park. We can look forward to 4 more years of no solution to the parking problem downtown. OR we can look forward to something else by voting for a different mayor.
Easy there. David Brown has done amazing things for Charlottesville, like trying to foster actual dialogue between the city and the county, as well as trying to foster a more dense, more sustainable city.
Ever wonder why there is a parking problem downtown? I would respectfully suggest that it comes, in part, from less-than-adequate public transportation links between the city and county. And it comes from the fact that people don’t live downtown but want to shop/eat/work/etc there; it’s a functional and vital urban center, and it becomes more better day by day. Believe what you will about Mayor Brown, but recognize that he’s trying to make Charlottesville a better place.
Trying to foster dialogue is great so long as it brings results. In this case, I must ask “Where are the results?” The solutions to downtown transportation lies with the government. I certainly can’t fund any improvements. My bank account just isn’t big enough. The people who can create adequate public transporation links are city council members and the mayor. For instance, the mayor could study the feasability of implementing a shuttle bus system; whereby, people could park at designated places and jump on a shuttle bus to go downtown.
Additionally, there seems to be no accountability or effectiveness in those agencies that report to the mayor. For example, the police department seems to be afraid to enforce any traffic laws on Emmett street (speed restrictions, reckless driving, improper turning/lane change, etc.) Even the police officers themselves speed down highway 29 and drive recklessly on a consistent basis. I have yet to see any selective law enforcement on that road. Have you ever tried to call the police to file a report. They may or may not come and take it despite what the dispatcher says. That is just one example of a failed agency. Its time for someone that can provide for the citizens of this city by holding city agencies accountable and by effectively managing the many duties the mayor has.
Well, we do have BRAND NEW TRANSPORTATION CENTER on Water Street. Or do you not consider that a result? (True, it was Maurice Cox who initiated it, but D. Brown has made sure it happened).
As for a shuttle bus system “whereby people could park at designated places and jump on a shuttle bus to go downtown,” you should read the following article that appeared in the Hook a few months back:
http://readthehook.com/stories/2007/02/22/COVER-streetcar-salzman-G.rtf.aspx
It concerns the effort to create a streetcar along Main Street with the eventual goal that streetcar network be created, a network that reaches a set of “designated places” people could park. And, yes, Mayor Brown has certainly supported a discussion of this.
Finally, as for your dismay over highway 29, are you aware that CITY police can enforce only the portions of that actually within the city? In other words, they can enforce only the area south of the 29/250 interchange. All points north on the 29 corridor in the C’ville metropolitan area fall within the jurisdiction of Albemarle County.
Where do you think I see City police blatantly violating the law? It sure isn’t in that part outside of city limits. Additionally, the mayor can hardly claim credit for creating a street car system that will branch out away from downtown. Encouraging discussion = no action.
[…] Kleeman needs to collect 125 signatures by June 12 to get on the ballot, and he’ll face three Democrats, who will be chosen at the party’s June 2 caucus. So far, no Republicans have entered the race. # […]