The new Raleigh City Council encountered some turbulence Tuesday afternoon during its first regular meeting, which started with a disagreement over the next Mayor Pro Tem and ended nearly three hours later with a group photo in the lobby of City Hall.
One thing was clear: There will be some interesting dynamics with this new council. Maybe a few bumps should have been expected, given that this was the first time in 10 years a mayor not named Charles Meeker was in charge. As she labored through a long list of proclamations and awards, Nancy McFarlane joked that it would take her a little while to get the hang of the new gig.
It was like the first day of school, as council members checked the name plates in front of the dais to make sure they were seated in the right places.
The drama started shortly after everyone got seated. McFarlane nominated at-large representative Russ Stephenson to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the two-year term. (The backstory: These two line up on many issues, such as water conservation and the need for controls on development. Stephenson supported McFarlane from the earliest stages of her mayoral campaign, and stood prominently with McFarlane at her big campaign kickoff in May.)
Hold on just a second, at-large representative Mary-Ann Baldwin interjected. The role ought to go to Eugene Weeks, the council's lone African-American who represents southeast Raleigh's District C.
"There is a feeling that diversity needs to be celebated in terms of leadership on our council," Baldwin said. "...This is not an affront against him (Stephenson) but simply a reflection of constituent wishes."
The move seemed to put McFarlane on the defensive. The new mayor said Stephenson has experience and relationships with all segments of the community.
"He is certainly a longstanding member of this council," McFarlane said. "He's worked hard in all communities."
McFarlane added that her record shows she embraces diversity, and her decision to nominate Stephenson wasn't meant as a slight to anyone else.
(Once again, there is some history here. Baldwin considered running for mayor before opting to hold onto her council seat. Baldwin's husband, Jim Baldwin, served as finance director for Billie Redmond, one of McFarlane's opponents in the mayoral race.)
Before the back-and-forth went any further, a compromise solution emerged. Let's appoint two Mayor Pro Tems, an arrangement that has been used in the past, the council decided. Stephenson will hold the post for a year before giving way to Weeks. In case you were wondering, the Mayor Pro Tem presides at meetings and civic functions when the mayor cannot attend. McFarlane and Baldwin shared these duties last term.
This wasn't the only topic of disagreement. In one of her first proposals, McFarlane called for the creation of a technology and communications committee to explore ways to better use social media and strike up dialogue and interaction with residents. She asked Councilman Bonner Gaylord, the council's tech guru, to serve as chairman, and asked the council to meet for a technology retreat early next year.
Hold on, please, Councilman John Odom interjected. Our staff is already stretched thin, our budget is hurting and this is not the time to be adding more responsibilities, Odom said.
"I know this is going to come across as, 'I'm the old geezer here on council,'" Odom said. "I just feel like we can accomplish the same things with the commitees we have now."
But better use of technology can help the city save money in the long-run, Gaylord responded. "We're missing opportunities," he said.
A different concern came from Weeks, the future Mayor Pro Tem. Will this committee wind up running the city's technology initiatives, a role better left to the staff? "I'm kind of concerned about us getting back into micro-managing every department," he said.
Again, a compromise emerged when Baldwin suggested doing a six-month review to determine whether the committee should continue.
The council moved through a lengthy agenda, including a humorous moment between Baldwin and Councilman Thomas Crowder, known for his strict positions and occasional unwillingness to bend.
Crowder agreed to go along with an incentives package for Red Hat, the technology company that recently agreed to reclocate its headquarters in downtown. The city will provide $100,000 per year over 10 years to help Red Hat offset its parking costs.
"I said I would fall out of my chair if he said the words 'I compromise' and 'I will support,'" Baldwin said.
Crowder gave a slight grin, though he didn't exactly seem enthralled by the humor as Baldwin gave him a playful pat on the shoulder.
In other news, McFarlane nominated former mayoral opponent Randall Williams to a seat on the Human Relations Commission, a panel that seeks ways for the city to embrace diversity and inclusive policies. Williams and Billie Redmond lost to McFarlane in the Oct. 11 election.
One last item that warrants mention: The seating arrangement of a council can sometimes illuminate the various rivalries and alliances, who's in and who's out of favor. McFarlane's two choices for the "wings," the seats furthest from the mayor: Odom, the council's lone Republican, and Baldwin, the top at-large vote-getter in the last election. It bears watching to see how these choices affect the course of upcoming council debates.
When the meeting was over, McFarlane turned to congratulate the newest council member, Randy Stagner, elected to fill McFarlane's former District A seat.
"I see you survived your first meeting," McFarlane said, and she could have been speaking for both of them.
