Republican candidate for Charlotte city council at-large Matthew Ridenhour responds to our candidate survey.

Question 1 — Based on the facts as you now understand them, do you believe the Mecklenburg district attorney’s office should charge C.L. McClure with a crime in connection with the recent shooting death of Marcus Fluker?

Ridenhour: The DA’s office is continuing to investigate this shooting, and it will be interesting to watch this unfold as the investigation continues. McClure states that he thought Fluker was armed, and considering that his home had just been invaded, and he and his wife were bound and robbed, it is entirely possible that he felt his life was threatened. While I do not believe in vigilante justice, I do believe in the concept of “innocent until proven guilty”. Unless facts are revealed to the contrary, I believe McClure was justified in shooting, and that the DA’s office is correct in not charging him.

Question 2 — Do you believe Mecklenburg County should seek state authority to levy an additional half-cent sales tax dedicated to transit? Would you support additional dedicated revenue of any kind for CATS, such as car licensing fees, parking surcharges, etc.?

Ridenhour: No, I do not. Earlier this year I helped organize several protests at City Council and County Commission meetings against this possible tax hike. I believe we have to work with what we have. And if that means that we do not expand our transit system at this time, then so be it. I will not support dedicating any additional revenue streams towards transit, or anything else for that matter.

Question 3 — Do you support the construction of a $500m. streetcar line across Charlotte? How would you pay for it?

Ridenhour: I’m all for a comprehensive transit solution, and I understand that it involves a number of modes of transportation. Roads are my number one priority when it comes to the transit question. Until we take proactive steps towards fixing our $12B road shortage, then I will be against exploring rail lines and street cars. One big concern of mine regarding the street car is the cost. If the South Boulevard light rail line is any indication of cost overruns for the street car, then we can expect the street car to be completed at close to $1B, not $500M. That is just insane, and will absolutely mean higher taxes for, at a time when we’re already paying an 8.25% sales tax.

Question 4 — Has the city’s 311 system been a success? Explain.

Ridenhour: The answer to this question is determined by what benchmark one uses to define “success”. Is it convenient? Yes; I have used it numerous times and found the operators friendly and knowledgeable. Does it limit the size and scope of government? No, it does not. 134 people staff that department, and it expanded the City Manager’s budget to $15.8M in FY09.

I believe that the success of this department will be better judged in the next 2-5 years. On January 1, 2010, the Utilities Billing Center is going to transfer the primary billing center to fall under 311, which will streamline the customer service experience for. If, over the long term, 311 creates a more efficient local government and is cost-effective, then I believe it will be judged a success.

Question 5 — Given what has transpired in other cities in recent months, with pro sports franchises winning more advantageous lease conditions as part of ownership changes, would you support changing the terms of the city’s agreement with the NBA in order to entice a new owner to replace Bob Johnson as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats?

Ridenhour: I think the real heart of this question is “should government be involved in determining who runs a company?” I am opposed to it on the federal level, and I am opposed to it on a local level. The city should not be involved in trying to bring a new team owner to Charlotte just because it could mean a better deal for the city. The more we entangle ourselves into these matters, the more burdensome these teams will be for the taxpayers.

Question 6 — Should the city help pay the construction costs of a new baseball stadium for the Charlotte Knights?

Ridenhour: Wasn’t this question, just a few years ago, “Should the city help pay the construction costs for a new arena for the Charlotte Hornets?” My answer was no then, and it is still no. Call me naive, but it seems that if building a new arena/stadium/street car were such a worthy investment, then the private sector would step up to assume the risk and build it themselves.

Question 7 — Do you support or oppose raising garbage collection/recycling fees on city residents?

Ridenhour: I do not support raising taxes or fees. Government’s solution is always to either:
1. Raise taxes/fees or,
2. Eliminate Police Officers/Firemen/Teachers, as if those were the only answers to budget shortages. I am a proponent of zero-based budgeting, and until we institute that, we will never know where the waste is, or where we can create a more efficient system.

Question 8 — Does the city have any responsibility to the contractors who have not been paid for their work on the EpiCenter, a city-backed and supported development?

Ridenhour: Without knowing the details of the contracts, it is impossible to answer whether the city has a responsibility to the contractors. As a rule, I am wary of the city involving itself in developer/contractor disputes. For too long the city has been focused on uptown development, at the expense of other parts of the city, and the city’s long term health. According to a recent Charlotte Business Journal article, there are nine years worth of vacant condos in uptown Charlotte. That’s not good for business, it’s not good for economic development, and it’s not good for.

Question 9 — Do you support or oppose the full and complete disclosure of all financial activity by all city funded non-profits, such as Center City Partners?

Ridenhour: I absolutely believe in transparency in city funded non-profits. If the taxpayers’ money is being spent, then the taxpayers have a right to know to whom the funds are going.

Question 10 — Should the city extend its option agreement with CMP Carolina Theatre past mid-October? Why?

Ridenhour: No, it should not. An extension has been granted seven times already, and the developer is having another of his properties foreclosed upon. The deal is to renovate the Carolina Theater, and attach a luxury condominium. Charlotte has plenty of vacant uptown condos already; let’s not create more of the same problems.

Question 11 — Please identify one city department which you believe spends too much.

Ridenhour: It is not necessarily a matter of which department spends too much, but a question of how the money is being spent. Is the money being spent effectively? Are the needs of being addressed? Are the City Council’s focus areas being prioritized? Without initiating zero-based budgeting, these questions cannot be fully answered. I have poured over the FY09 and FY10 budgets looking for exactly these answers, but without knowing the specifics of how the money is being spent, and whether the funding is justified, I cannot say what department is spending its funds unwisely. Some say that zero-based budgeting is impractical. It is not impractical. Municipalities across the country have used it to effectively eliminate wasteful spending. Is it difficult? Certainly, but Charlotteans will reap the benefits of the city’s efforts.