Outgoing Charlotte mayor: ‘There's still work to be done'

By Jim Bradley

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the fifth time in the last three years, Charlotte is getting a new mayor.

Jennifer Roberts takes over for Dan Clodfelter, who she beat in the fall Democratic primary election.

In a one-on-one interview Monday with Eyewitness News, Clodfelter said he’s had little interaction with Roberts since she won the general election last month, and said the two have only exchanged pleasantries in passing.

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When asked if he’s given her any advice on being mayor, Clodfelter said “Well, I’m not sure my experience has much to offer. I came in in a fairly unique set of circumstances.”

Those circumstances revolved around the arrest of former Mayor Patrick Cannon on corruption and bribery charges in March 2014.

Ten days later, Clodfelter was appointed to replace him. The night he was picked by city council for the job, Clodfelter said he was “a little bit overwhelmed” by the honor.

Now, as he leaves office, he said the city faces several difficult, but important, challenges in the days ahead.

“I think there’s still an awful lot of work to be done on building the bond of trust between the police and community,” Clodfelter said.

He admitted the same can be said about the city’s rocky relationship with the North Carolina Legislature.

“I think we have to get over this mindset that everybody else needs to be like us and go out and meet the rest of the state on its own terms where they are,” he said.

Clodfelter said finding permanent and dependable funding to execute the city’s transit strategy will be critical.

“I’m afraid we may try to do that in bits and pieces and with baling wire and string and it’s just not going to work," he said.

He also said he’s disappointed with the lack of progress in reviving east Charlotte, and especially the old Eastland Mall site.

As for his own future, the former city councilman, state senator and now former mayor is non-committal.

“Don’t close doors and don’t make promises,” Clodfelter said. “You never know.”

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