1. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Election 2013 Candidates – City of Charlotte
Office
Mayor
Candidates
Patrick Cannon
Edwin Peacock
# seats in election
1 candidate will be elected
High school students surveyed all candidates for office in Election 2013. Candidates who completed the questionnaire are included in
this guide. * = The candidate did not provide the requested information.
Return to the Student Candidate Guide for other Election 2013 candidates, information about local government, how to participate in
GenerationNation’s Kids Voting election, Youth Leadership Alliance, educational tools and more.
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2. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Charlotte
Mayor
Patrick D. Cannon
Website
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Occupation
Education
www.cannonformayor.com
info@cannonformayor.com
www.facebook.com/VoteCannonForMayor
cannonformayor
Political viewpoint
Favorite news source
Community involvement and
leadership experience
First issue I will tackle
CEO of a Property Management Company
Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Schools (Irwin Elementary, Piedmont
Middle, Carmel Middle, and South Meck High), BA ‐ North
Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Institute of
Government Certification ‐ UNC‐Chapel Hill
Fiscally and socially responsible which would categorize my views
as moderate.
CNN
Community Involvement
•eNOugh ‐ Domestic Violence organization
•Men Who Care Global (MWG) – Faith‐based organization
geared toward positive change in young men
•Little League Assistant Baseball Coach Leadership Experience
•16 years of city governance experience
•8 years bringing a City Council District perspective
•8 years bringing a City Council At‐Large perspective
•8 years bringing a Mayor Pro Tem perspective serving in the
absence of the Mayor
Without the ability to address physiological needs to be met, a
person is left with desperate measures to make ends meet. Job
creation will be the focus. So that those desperate attempts are
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3. Student Candidate Guide 2013
How I will impact…
Young people
Economy
Community growth and/or
transportation
Community safety
Housing and
neighborhoods
not illegal job creation must be addressed.
Encourage them to take part in the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance
where I’ll seek more mentors. Engage more companies for
apprenticeship opportunities for our youth through the Mayor’s
Youth Employment Program, and expose more youth to the Law
Enforcement Cadet Program I introduced that have a career
interest in it.
• Work with the Chamber of Commerce along with the Charlotte
Regional Partnership to recruit companies and corporations to
create jobs to stabilize the economy.
• Have a more fluid permitting process.
• Be a resource for businesses that seek access to capital.
• Provide logical incentives that will bring businesses to create
jobs
Community Growth
•Provide neighborhood improvements
•Support economic distressed corridors
•Provide public safety measures
•Address any other quality of life issues
Transportation
•Approve a comprehensive transportation plan that addresses
sidewalks, roads, bike lanes and alternative transit choices.
As chairman of Community Safety I’ve had the pleasure of
working with the Police Chief and the department to establish
historic record lows in crime. I would continue to provide the
needed resources and establish a joint communications center
with the Fire Department, and institute neighborhood police
divisions throughout Charlotte.
Housing
•Establish housing for seniors, veterans, disabled, homeless and
the least of those who can’t afford market rate housing through
negotiating land swaps to provide land to create affordable
housing.
Neighborhoods
•Ensure that landlords keep their properties up to code to not
create a soar eye in neighborhoods.
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GenerationNation
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4. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Budget
Most important …
Role of local government
Collaboration between
CMS, local and state
government
Biggest accomplishment will be
I would stress the importance of what the most pressing needs
are and ask those governing officials on those tier levels to
prioritize and find a way to address the greatest needs to move
our city, state, and country forward.
That it be accountable and transparent to all its citizens and
placing them along with their needs first and foremost. Secondly,
that it ensures that no one side of the city is left out of receiving
what it’s due in city services. Balance and equity are important.
The ability to simply agree to get along and work for the common
good of our youth, our city and state. I would convene the heads
of each governing body to discuss how we can get the governing
staff’s and bodies to agree to collaborate on all that affects us.
As a servant‐leader I would tell you that my biggest
accomplishment is whatever God would have had willed.
However, I would hope that it would have been to impact the
first issue question around what I would tackle which is job
creation. Why? Because it’s the greatest need.
www.GenerationNation.org
GenerationNation
@GenNation

5. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Charlotte
Mayor
Edwin B. Peacock III
Website
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Occupation
Education
Political viewpoint
Favorite news source
Community involvement and
leadership experience
www.edwinpeacock.com
edwin@edwinpeacock.com
Edwin Peacock For Mayor
@edwinpeacockiii
First issue I will tackle
How I will impact…
Young people
Economy
Financial Representative
Bachelor of Arts, University of Georgia
Republican
WFAE
Charlotte City Council 2007‐2011, Republican Member At‐Large
Blumenthal Performing Arts, Trustee 2011‐Present ASC Cultural
Task Force, 2013‐present
Internally‐ My focus would be to establish a strong rapport with
my newly elected City Council. It's important to build a good
rapport with one another early!
Externally‐ FOCUS: PRIVATE SECTOR JOB CREATION‐ Building a
stronger partnership with Chambers, the Charlotte Regional
Partnership, & the newly privatized Department of Commerce to
coordinate our efforts to make Charlotte and NC the most
attractive city/state to do business in the US.
I'd hope to impact young people by setting a positive example of
how public service is a noble endeavor that's necessary for our
democracy to be most effective. I'd also like for young people to
know that civility still exists in public office.
The Mayor must remain the Advocate in Chief of Charlotte and
why it's the best place to live, work, and raise a family in this
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GenerationNation
@GenNation

6. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Community growth and/or
transportation
Community safety
Housing and
neighborhoods
Budget
Most important …
Role of local government
country. I would do so by working in partnership with Chambers,
the CLT Regional Partnership and the NC Dept of Commerce to
help build on our strengths (banking/finance, energy,
motorsports) , but also encourage the continued diversification of
our economy towards healthcare, advanced manufacturing,
alternative energy, film and our expanding tourism industry.
The Mayor is a member the Metropolitan Transit Commission
(MTC) which is the regional authority established to prioritize our
transit projects and to address the needs a growing community
where mobility must include buses, light rail, hard rail commuter
and bicycles. I will continue to advocate for a multi‐modal and
fiscally feasible approach to transit planning.
The first responsibility of the City Council & Mayor is to PROTECT
and serve! As your next Mayor, I would understand that crime
statistics mean NOTHING if you're a victim of a crime. Despite
some very low crime numbers over the recent years, I'm fully
aware that these numbers can change very quickly. As Mayor, I
would remain visible & active with CMPD in the areas most
impacted by higher crime activity. To date, I've conducted 3
police ride alongs in some our most challenged divisions. (Metro,
Hickory Grove, and Eastway) . Again, our job is not done and
there's lots of work to both in crackdowns on gangs, drug activity,
but also in the areas of prevention.
As Mayor, I would continue to support addressing policies that
solve the identified need for over 17,000 affordable housing units
in Charlotte. The focus must return to "affordable". Charlotte's
reputation for being expensive is not far fetched, it's real and
impact many middle & lower income families. This means
ordinances that impact the cost of housing must be revisited &
revised as to not be tone deaf to the concerns of those in the
development & building industries who seek to lower, not
increase the cost & time involved in bring new product to the
marketplace OR in renovation/restoration of the built space.
I would work with Council and city staff to prevent further
increases in property taxes that have just occurred following the
County's botched 2011 property tax revaluation.
To PROTECT CITIZENS & provide SOUND INFRASTRUCTURE to
support our growth.
www.GenerationNation.org
GenerationNation
@GenNation

7. Student Candidate Guide 2013
Collaboration between
CMS, local and state
government
Biggest accomplishment will be
Other comments
The most important collaboration that must occur is one between
the Mayor's office & CMS schools. Start a tradition where at
least 7 City Council meetings each year are being held away from
the government center and at a CMS school in one of our 7
Council districts. Each district representative would recognize
excellent teachers and students and begin to build that
relationship between the city and her schools. Schools belong to
everyone!
Making an impact on reducing our unemployment rate while also
building a new path for the Mayor to help our struggling schools.
Thanks to GenerationNation! You are the future!
www.GenerationNation.org
GenerationNation
@GenNation