With three spots up for grabs in the Charlottesville City Council election in May, City Democrats and Republicans both are engaged in the process of selecting potential nominees.
City Democrats will hold a caucus Feb. 7 to nominate candidates for Council. The four potential candidates include local doctor David Brown, University graduate student Kendra Hamilton, current Council member Kevin Lynch and Vice Mayor Meredith Richards.
Republicans will hold their caucus Feb. 9, but have not yet released the names of any potential candidates.
Brown, who graduated from the University with a history degree in 1977, said it is imperative that the University and City cooperate on important issues.
"I think Charlottesville is a great place to live and I think that the University is a great place," Brown said. "Both the University and the City face some similar challenges, which require thoughtful and creative planning, as well as involvement from all the stakeholders. It becomes imperative that this is done well."
Several current and prospective members said growth will be a major issue in the coming term.
"I think that the current Council has developed a framework for the orderly and sustainable development of Charlottesville through the new zoning ordinance," Charlottesville Mayor Maurice Cox said.
Cox also said anyone running for a spot on Council should understand that there needs to be a balance between preservation and growth.
Hamilton, another Democratic candidate, is working toward obtaining her doctorate in English at the University. Hamilton said her neighbors inspired her to run for Council.
"I am a neighborhood activist," Hamilton said. "So the issues that are important to me are affordable housing, better police and community relations, workforce development and the school achievement gap."
The school achievement gap -- between children from higher-income families and the children from lower-income families -- also will be an important issue during this election, Cox said.
"I think closing the achievement gap is an issue that the current Council is committed to and I would anticipate that any candidate that hopes to receive the nomination will also be committed to it," he said. "Education has continued to be the number one priority of Charlottesville residents and I don't think that you can get elected without supporting what is the popular consensus."
Lynch currently is a City councilor and will be running for re-election if nominated by his party. He graduated from the University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1985.
Lynch has worked toward several goals during his time in office, including increasing neighborhood security, improving the transportation system and preserving parklands for neighborhoods, according to the City's Web site.
The proposed construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway likely will be a controversial issue during this election.
"It is important to remember the Democratic Party has been a party of people, not roads," Hamilton said in reference to the proposed parkway.
Richards currently serves on several Council boards including the Audit Committee, the Court Square Task Force and the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Lynch and Richards could not be reached for comment yesterday.
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