Best for city: Choice in mayoral race rests on vision of future

The new chant is simple in politics.

Out with the old, in with the new.

And perhaps when you look at the race for mayor of Goldsboro, you might be tempted by the lure of "the new" when it comes to the choice of a chief executive for your city.

You might be swayed by the innuendoes and rumors as well as the armchair quarterbacking of the last decade-plus of city politics.

And if it makes you feel better to think like that, to rail at the past and to look for a pair of shoes at which to lay the blame, have at it.

But when it comes down to what's best for the city, the qualifications of the candidates and the future, there is one choice in the cast of characters on the primary ballot this week during one-stop early voting and on Oct. 6.

Chuck Allen has been a member of the Goldsboro City Council for 16 years. That comes with some baggage to be sure, and some decisions that could be considered absolutely questionable.

He has not been a perfect council member, but we defy you to find someone who could claim that title -- in city council and beyond.

But there is one fact about Chuck Allen that comes across loud and clear when you talk to him about why he has decided to seek the job of mayor of Goldsboro.

He loves the city.

We have had our disagreements with Allen in the past, and we will likely have more of them if he is elected mayor.

But the bottom line is he has been there -- and he has put his name on a ballot line for more years than any of the people who are challenging him.

That shows that he is willing to stand up and say, "Yes, I will be my district's representative, and I will subject myself to the rigors of a campaign."

And he has been in his seat at Goldsboro City Council meetings and when he was needed to serve on committees and as a representative at community functions when he was called upon to serve. And that says something.

Goldsboro is at a crossroads. There will be some big decisions that will need to be made in the next few years about the direction in which the city will move.

Who is in charge will be a very important consideration, especially as the city does battle to ensure the future of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and as it manages the development and investment dollars that are sure to come with the new highway system right at the city's door.

We will have to make the right decisions, and we will have to make the right connections.

And, yes, it does matter who represents the city when that time comes.

Allen is savvy about the movers and shakers in Raleigh and in the military community. He has been on state committees that deal with everything from transportation and development to now, the military presence in North Carolina.

He has been involved in big ticket projects and been instrumental in pushing big ideas.

He has the vision necessary to see a bigger and better Goldsboro.

And he is the one you want in that mayor's seat.

He will be under scrutiny -- as the new administration would be anyway.

And we and others will watch to make sure city business is conducted fairly and intelligently. And when we disagree, we will say so, and he would expect us to, and he would expect you to as well.

Two of Allen's opponents, D.A. Stuart and Henry Jinnette, are running on the premise that the city has been mismanaged, with Stuart even insinuating that Allen is running the show and doing so dishonestly.

And it is fine to say that and it is fine to complain, but neither man has a realistic vision or a real idea of what it would take to run this city properly.

And this is not a job that can afford a learning curve, not this time around.

As for Allen's other opponent, a word.

Myelle Thompson is an impressive young man.

While we cannot say that he is even close to being ready for a job like mayor of Goldsboro, he is a voice worth listening to and someone who could be a leader in Goldsboro's youth community.

He would be worth considering as a player in the effort to help reach Goldsboro's youths and a potential future young city leader.

We cannot recommend him for mayor. But we can say that we hope to see more of him -- and soon.

The primary is only the first step in this race, but a vote is critical.

We think the choice is Allen.

Published in Editorials on September 27, 2015 12:08 AM