Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Vilma Leake is facing a primary challenge from Monifa “Mo” Drayton. The winner of this race will face Republican Angela Edwards in November.
Leake did not respond to our candidate guide. We will update the guide with her responses if we receive them.
Monifa (Mo) Drayton (D)
What is your occupation? Principal Consultant
What is the top issue and how do you plan to address it? In District 2, public safety is a major concern, and the data is clear: our area carries a disproportionate share of the county’s homicides. That reality cannot be separated from the rise in homelessness, untreated mental health needs, substance use, and lack of stable housing. These are not isolated issues—they are interconnected failures that show up as violence, instability, and trauma in the same neighborhoods again and again. As County Commissioner, my focus is on addressing homelessness and crime together by investing in housing stability, behavioral health services, prevention, and community-based solutions—because we cannot arrest our way out of this, and we cannot ignore the conditions that keep people and neighborhoods stuck in crisis.
Are you in favor of raising property taxes?
I am not in favor of raising property taxes on District 2 residents who are already struggling and being priced out of their homes. In District 2, many longtime homeowners—especially seniors and working families—are seeing their property values rise faster than their incomes, and property tax increases hit them hardest. People should not lose their homes simply because their neighborhood is becoming more valuable.
That said, the County does have a responsibility to fund public safety, housing stability, and mental health services—but that burden should not fall on those least able to pay. My priority is to protect existing homeowners, fully use tax relief programs, and ensure that any budget decisions are equitable, targeted, and data-driven, not one-size-fits-all.
What should Mecklenburg County do about the stalled Brooklyn Village project?
The stalled Brooklyn Village project represents both a broken promise and an opportunity to do better. I’ve learned a great deal about the history, complexity, and significance of this site from my mentor, Arthur Griffin who was a resident of Brooklyn, and I have also championed the efforts of the now-closed Brooklyn Collective, which worked to preserve the legacy and voice of the original Brooklyn community. After years of delays and unmet commitments, I believe Mecklenburg County should dissolve the current contract and reclaim control of the project. The County must reset the process, re-engage the community most impacted by the original displacement, and move forward with a plan that prioritizes affordable housing, cultural preservation, and real community benefit—rather than allowing this critical site to remain stalled indefinitely.
What separates you from your opponent(s)?
What separates me from my opponents is that I’m a Swiss Army knife—I bring an extensive, real-world career in, health care, mobilizing communities and politics, not just one or the other. I’ve spent decades working inside complex systems, managing budgets, navigating regulations, building coalitions, and turning policy into outcomes that actually impact people’s lives. That dual experience allows me to add immediate value to conversations about the public health of our community, from mental health and substance use to housing stability and reentry, while also understanding how those issues move through county governance, funding decisions, and implementation. I don’t just talk about problems—I understand how to connect health, safety, and policy to deliver results, which makes me uniquely prepared to serve and lead on the County Commission.
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