Leo Williams, the current mayor of Durham, is running for re-election this November. The incumbent received 55.47% percent of the votes in the primary, with over 20% more votes than the next closest candidate, Anjanée Bell. 

Williams’ platform attempts to balance achieving affordable living for all residents while also promoting innovation and growth. He’s no stranger to the areas of need that Durham should prioritize, having served on the City Council in 2021 for Ward 3 before winning the mayoral election in 2023. And as he sees it, Durham has a unique problem. 

“Durham is struggling from its success,” said Williams.

Williams doesn’t mean that Durham doesn’t have its struggles; rather, he wants Durham not to lose sight of its wins. 

“We brag about having the coolest restaurants, the best culture, the black story of success – Black Wall Street – we talk about all the cool things about Durham, how we’re getting the best jobs. Our economy is stronger than most places,” said Williams. “We’re the second most educated populace in America. We are the second fastest growing populace or region in America, and we have all those things, and yet we complain about the fruits of that labor.”

The “fruits of that labor” garnering the most complaints are those of development: rather, who it benefits, how much, and what, if any, say the community has in it. Williams has his thoughts on development, or, those fearing its prevalence. 

“How do you complain about development when you have somewhere to live? When I look at the people who come and fight us on development when we have development on our terms,” said Williams. “That means we have an opportunity to house more people that we’re currently zoned for. So we have people who already have a place to live who actually try to stop us from going and it’s going to take me some time to understand that logic.”

Williams names one group that, in his eyes, is particularly peculiar: Preserve Rural Durham. 

“The whole Preserve Rural Durham thing, it’s just the news picks it up: ‘The community is against this,’” said Williams. “No, nine people who live in rural Durham, one of which lives on 17 acres of land, has two homes on it, theirs and their children on a septic – they are fighting this. So we need to start being honest about what the actual preferences are.”

The issues of development, preserving rural Durham, and warring factions of pro and anti-development is paramount in Durham voters’ minds. Sterling Bay, a nationally prominent developer, sought to redevelop the historic Hayti District but withdrew its rezoning application, which required city council approval. 

Members of the community discussed and protested for months. Those in favor of more community benefits attempted to leverage more benefits for the local community from Sterling Bay to prevent what many say could be another attempt at urban renewal gone wrong in one of Durham’s most historic black-owned communities.

Williams didn’t see it that way. 

“When it came to the actual development, certain community leaders got involved (saying) ‘Oh, now you want to come to the community?,’” recalled Williams. “I was like, ‘Whoa. They’ve been there. I was there.’ But even my voice wasn’t trusted enough among some, and it was like, they’re not doing the right type of communication.”

In conversations about Hayti redevelopment, and in general, Williams doesn’t hide what he wants for Durham: more. More housing, more safety, more innovation. In his eyes, adding more housing allows Durham to achieve more affordable living (he prefers not to use the term ‘affordable housing,’ as he feels it’s too limiting). 

“I look at our sales tax revenue, we make about $100 million a year. I have a plan to increase the sales tax revenue by 25%,” said Williams. “You know, we are the third largest city in North Carolina now, and we have the smallest Convention Center. I would like an innovation center where every company in RTP has a micro-footprint in downtown Durham.” 

Williams has his bona fides, proof he’s invested in Durham’s future. He touts his investment in the Bull City Future Fund on his campaign website, a partnership that he claims “raised over $1 million to directly invest in local nonprofits tackling youth violence and promoting positive engagement.” 

Williams, along with Mark-Anthony Middleton, the current mayor pro-tem running for a City Council seat in Ward 2, wants to focus on what the city can do rather than what people say it won’t. 

“We have the votes to stabilize everybody’s tax rate and to pass a progressive tax system. We’ve had those votes for years from the City Council,” said Middleton. “What we have not had is the legal authority to do it, the ability to do it. We do not have the legal authority.”

Instead of passing progressive tax systems, the plan is to increase sales tax revenue by 25%. It’s not the shiniest path forward, but according to Middleton and Williams, it’s what can be done. One can either expand the tax base or raise the taxes, and the current plan appears to be expanding the tax base (adding more homes). Anything else, and Middleton says, “If any candidate tells you that they’re going to get on council with their one vote and make it happen, I’ll pass out flyers for you.” 

Plans like improving the Durham Convention Center to spotlight large companies like Dell Technologies and other Fortune 500 companies further illuminate the tightrope Williams and the Durham City Council have to walk. 

For every Fortune 500 company, there are 500 people dealing with an economy that makes it harder to build a business. One of those business owners is Shea Ramirez, owner of Sh’Bella Recreation Center. 

“Being an entrepreneur, black business owner, I see a lot of black businesses that are not making it just because of the economy, they can’t afford it,” said Ramirez. “I’m not the only one that has lost their space, and I lost my space not because of me, but because I wasn’t wanted in a community, which was very disheartening.” 

Ramirez is a supporter of Mayor Williams and said that she’s rooting for him to win the mayoral race. Her challenge to the Mayor, should he win re-election, is, simply put, to bridge the gap as he promised to do. 

“I would recommend, if it is a new council, to have some type of session where the councilmen and women can get to know each other, understand their policies and their views, and have a clean slate and a fresh start,” said Ramirez.

After a contentious two years on council that involved verbal and physical spats, everyone seems ready to put their best foot forward, regardless of who’s filling what seat. For Ramirez and small business owners in Durham, a step forward means prioritizing all sizes of business.

“We’ve got to do more to help these business owners that are trying to do the right thing in the community,” said Ramirez. “And they’re not able to successfully have a property that they can own, not rent and not be at the mercy of the damn developer.”

Durham’s mayor has no stronger a vote than that of their fellow council members. Williams, should he be elected, will have to work with the council to do what’s best for the Durham community. In the process, he simply wants people to be involved. 

And to be realistic. “Innocent ignorance is the greatest value of currency when it comes to political manipulation,” said Williams. 

Incumbent Mayor Williams progressed through the primary and moved onto the general election. Election day takes place on Tuesday, November 4th.