The race for the Southwest Ward seat on the Winston-Salem City Council, which pits two lawyers against one another, has generated more interest than the other city-council races. Democrat Dan Besse, running for a third term, faces a serious challenge from Republican Ted Shipley, who makes an argument for change in the wake of questions about the Dell Inc. and ballpark deals. We believe that Besse, because of his record of effective service, especially in protecting the environment, is better for the city.
Both men deserve recognition for running civil campaigns and intelligently debating the issues. But neither has shied away from some gentlemanly jabs. In doubting that Dell, which will close its plant in January, will repay the city some $15 million in incentives, Shipley said last week: "A lot of the rosy projections I heard coming from my opponent and the folks who helped put this deal together, I think they're going to end up eating those words."
On Thursday, Dell confirmed in a letter that it will repay the amount owed. But, Shipley said, "it is of note that Dell ‘acknowledged' the amount owed, but not that it would ‘repay' that amount."
Besse, in talking about a Republican "contract with the city" that Shipley signed that includes the potential for lifting some zoning regulations on business, said that Shipley is capable but "doesn't really understand the caution and care you need with that kind of issue." Lifting those regulations could adversely affect neighborhoods, he said.
Shipley, 31, is a lawyer who specializes in contracts. He says he believes that the city council should have given more scrutiny to the Dell deal and the downtown baseball-stadium project.Incentives are necessary to be competitive in business, he said, but the agreements must protect the city.
Besse, 54, said that more incentives should be given to homegrown businesses, with protections for the city. That happened with Dell, he said, noting that it has already paid millions of dollars in property taxes.
The ballpark will be beneficial in the long run, he predicts. But he, the rest of the council and Joines didn't catch mistakes in the early stages of the deal, he said. They should have mandated that improvements to the project "could only be authorized after the additional private financing was locked in."
Besse has taken a leading role in developing ordinances to regulate storm-water runoff and preserve trees. In the latter effort, his negotiating skills were crucial in finding common ground between environmentalists and developers. Besse also pushed an ordinance requiring better record-keeping by pawn shops so that those who try to sell stolen items can be more easily caught. And he has advocated for more bike lanes and walking trails.
We endorsed Shipley in the Republican primary, and we hope this isn't his last run for elected office. But Besse's experience and record of effective constituent service tilt the scale in his favor. The Winston-Salem Journal endorses Dan Besse for another term as the council member for the Southwest Ward.
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