Residential address: East Avondale Drive (map)
Incumbent or challenger? Incumbent
Age: 63
Campaign website or blog: maryrakestraw.com (link), Facebook (link)
Endorsements: Conservatives for Guilford County, Joe Guarino and Rhinoceros Times
Occupation and employer: Retired agent/broker, Prudential Carolinas Realty
Previous elective
experience (including election campaigns): Greensboro City Council, 2007-present (at large, 2007-2009; District 4,
2009-present); Guilford County Commission, 1996-2004
Civic and volunteer
experience (including service on city commissions and boards): Currently serves as city liaison to the Piedmont Triad
Council of Goverments, Friends of the Library Advocacy Committee, Guilford
County Agricultural Advisory Board, Summit House Board of Directors, Red Cross
Board of Directors, NC Association of County Boards of Social Services State
Board, Courtwatch Advisory Board, Sunday school teacher at First Baptist
Church, Housing Partnership Coalition board member; member, Kiwanis Club of
Greensboro; Paul Harris Fellow, Crescent Rotary Club; Leadership Greensboro;
Other Voices; adopted a 5th grade class at Cone Elementary
Education (highest degree
attained and name of institution): Certificate
in French, University of Brussels
Party registration: Republican (nonpartisan election)
Where were you born? Reidsville
When did you move to Greensboro? 1969
Paid consultant working
on campaign: Bill Burckley
Campaign manager: Undetermined (as of July 15)
Treasurer: Phyllis P. Gibbs
Do you favor or oppose reopening the White Street Landfill for household waste, beyond the small amount of sewer sludge currently accepted? Briefly explain your position.
I support use of the White Street landfill.
Where do you stand on the “strong manager” form of city government and why? The city manager is one of our employees.
The working relationship between council and manager has been a good, working professional relationship. To my knowledge there has not been an effort to change this.
Should the city of Greensboro place more or less emphasis on maintaining a healthy water and sewer fund to plan for future growth? Why or why not?
We have a healthy fund balance. We have a strong capital program with projects in place.
The city’s tax base has remained flat for the past two years in a row, and the foreclosure crisis continues unabated. As a member of city council, how would you balance the need to fund services such as police patrol, fire protection and park maintenance that citizens care about with the reality that the revenue picture remains bleak?
We have maintained police and fire protection as well as library services. We will continue to spend the taxpayers’ dollars wisely.
Do you believe that city staff deserves council support to implement a program to spend federal grant money to improve the energy efficiency of residences and businesses, or does this program warrant additional oversight from council? Briefly explain your position.
We voted that this funding should be available city-wide. The council will receive updates in order to keep our constituents alerted to developments.
How would you assess the value and effectiveness of Greensboro’s Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy program, which is now prohibited by state law?
The state has a plan that we should work with.
How should the impasse over management and operation of the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market be resolved?
This issue has reached a resolution.
What, if anything, should be done to resolve racial tensions, and to enhance professionalism, integrity and fairness within the Greensboro Police Department?
I believe that Assistant City Manager Michael Speedling and Chief Miller are working to address these concerns.
What would you change about Greensboro’s land use patterns if the decision were yours to make? Please answer the question in terms of places people live, work and shop, in terms of the modes of transportation people use to get from point to point and the vitality of neighborhoods and commercial corridors?
People choose where they wish to live on the basis of affordability, transportation, their desire to be near their jobs, schools, churches and friends. We may need to look at bus stops so that waiting passengers can be protected from the elements.
What is Greensboro’s greatest asset? What is Greensboro’s most pressing problem?
Our location as it deals with highways, airports, and other modes of transportation. Our most pressing problem is unemployment which is why we must keep water fees and property taxes low in order to be competitive when recruiting employers and maintain present businesses, large and small.
Articles about this candidate:
Taxes and spending: Where Greensboro City Council candidates stand (link)
Greensboro primary: District 4 analysis (link)
Mayoral challenger Perkins swamps incumbent Knight (link)
2011 primary election endorsement & voter guide (link)
Wade, Knight make no apologies for landfill decision (link)
