Since elected as Mayor of Raleigh in 2001, Charles Meeker has done much to attempt to increase the quality of life in the state capitol.

But when Meeker’s fifth term comes to a close, someone else will fill his seat as Mayor of the “City of Oaks.”

According to Chancellor Randy Woodson, Meeker fostered a positive relationship with the N.C. State community.

“I think Mayor Meeker has been a great partner with N.C. State,” Woodson said. “The relationship between the University and Raleigh couldn’t be stronger and that’s because of the mayor. He was hugely instrumental in Hillsborough Street and getting that project to completion. A lot of us associated with the University are disappointed he won’t continue [to be] mayor, but we certainly appreciate what he’s done during his 10 years in office.”

Woodson continued to highlight Meeker’s dedication to serving Raleigh and the N.C. State community well, specifically mentioning one of the Wolfpack’s favorite fundraising events.

“The Krispy Kreme Challenge is a great example where the city has been a willing partner with us as we have grown that race in the last six or seven years to be as large as it is and that required a lot of cooperation with the city,” Woodson said. “There are just so many things that the mayor has been instrumental in that has involved NC State.”

To whom the baton will be passed is unclear, but Woodson said he anticipates working closely with Meeker’s successor.

“My responsibility is to work with whoever is elected mayor,” Woodson said. “I look forward to doing that.”

So far, one candidate has stepped up to the plate: city council member Nancy McFarlane.  Having lived in Raleigh for over 20 years, McFarlane said she is running to maintain Raleigh’s growing atmosphere.

“I’ve always been involved in the community. I’ve been on the council for four years and I love Raleigh. We’ve grown a lot, we’ve really changed a lot,” McFarlane said. “We’re anticipating a great deal more growth and I want to make sure that we continue to maintain all the things we love about [the city].”

Serving Raleigh since 2007, McFarland said her original inspiration to join city council stemmed from advocating for an issue that hit close to home for many citizens of Raleigh.

“[There] had been a lot of issues with storm water runoff from development that would continually flood people’s yards. Lakes would fill up, and we were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up all of the runoff,” McFarlane said.  “I was actively talking to the city council and I just didn’t think it was fair that the citizens were going to have to pay to clean up the mess. So that’s how I initially got involved. One of the things I did as a result of that was I implemented stronger storm water and silt runoff controls for construction sites.”

McFarlane also said she wants to continue fighting for improved communication channels between the city and Raleigh residents. 

“There are some things I’d like to see the city improve [upon] with communication. There are lots of ways to communicate now and I would like to see us step up and do a better job of letting people know what their city government does for them.”

Although McFarlane is starting to form her election campaign, she said she does and will continue to think highly of Meeker’s legacy as mayor.

“I have great respect for all of the things that [Meeker] has accomplished and I’ve learned a lot working on the council with him.  He’s very thoughtful [and] he brought a great demeanor to the council where everyone felt like they could be heard,” McFarlane said. “I think that’s important, [where] everyone on the council is respected and all the interactions with the citizens are respected too.”

Woodson also spoke of the mayor’s accomplishments, expressing his respect for all of Meeker’s dedication to Raleigh and the University.

“To be an elected official for 10 years, he’s seen the city through a lot of new projects and through a very difficult recession. It is a very long run for an elected official,” Woodson said. “At this point, it’s just good to step back and celebrate everything that Meeker has done for the city and for [NC State].”