CharMeckVotes.org

Patrick D. Cannon – City Council At-Large (D)

Website URL: http://www.PatrickDCannon.com

E-mail: CannonCampaign09@gmail.com

Phone Number: 704-376-5559

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Patrick-D-Cannon/107081426142?ref=ts

Education–Highest Degree: 4 year Bachelor Degree

Please share with us a short personal/professional biography:

Elected in 1993, Cannon, a native Charlottean, served 6 consecutive terms in the capacities of a District and At-large/Mayor Pro Tem representative for the City of Charlotte, bringing a perspective that distinguishes him from the field.

A very strong advocate of Economic Development, Public Safety, and Community/Neighborhood Development, he has instituted policy leadership by functioning as a parliamentary legislator setting the vision for Charlotte in a progressive and proactive manner. Cannon’s proven leadership can be perused by going to www.PatrickDCannon.com.

Cannon has served as Chair of Public Safety Committee, Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee, and member of the City’s Intergovernmental Affairs, Housing, and Restructuring Government Committees.

Cannon received his Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Communications with a concentration in Business Marketing. He also received Completed Certification from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s – Institute of Government.

As a small businessman, Cannon is owner of a parking management firm he founded in 1998. He also is a Managing Partner for a business development and consulting firm.

He is married to Trenna H. Cannon and through matrimony they have a daughter, a son and Poncho, a lab.

Three (3) most important organizations you belong to:

- Hospitality and Tourism Alliance
- Park Ministries
- Jack and Jill

Three (3) most important political/civic accomplishments in the last five (5) years:

Public Safety
- As Chair of Public Safety, the “Gang of One” became fully operational under my leadership with your support to work to curtail this type of negative behavior.

Economic Development
- Under my leadership with your support, and as Vice Chair of Economic Development, the city exceeded its goal by 168% of the number of small businesses registering with the Small Business Development Office where the target was only 262 versus the total of 437 that registered. The aim is to create business development for companies which translates into more jobs for our citizens.

Community/Neighborhood Development
- Under my leadership with your support, combined were Housing Code Enforcement and the Community Improvement Divisions to rid neighborhoods and communities of dilapidated structures that lower the values of our neighborhoods.

Why are you running for the office of your choice?
I’m running for this office because we are in a pivotal time where experienced and proven leadership is needed to solve our most pressing concerns. I’m running because this post is one of the most important legislative authority positions where we need one with a working knowledge of governance.

Additionally, as a native Charlottean, I have a love, a passion, and a willingness to push to make things happen for our community overall. I’m running because we need an official that will represent balance and can work across the aisle to get things accomplished for the greater good of Charlotte.

We need one who is accustomed to hitting the ground running in such a time as this. With there being a void in leadership on the At-large level with two individuals vying for Mayor and vacating this post, with your support, we can fill that void to address our issues.

What makes you the most qualified candidate?
• I posses twelve years of actual governing experience on the city council level.
• I’m the only candidate that has served as a City Council District and an At-large representative to bring a different perspective on what it takes to get things done in separate parts of the city as a whole.
• I have pioneered innovative policies concerning public safety, economic development, and housing related matters to name a few areas.
• I bring a business perspective by being a small businessman.
• I’m sincere about providing a good service and representing good government
• I’m a team player when it comes to working with other officials to make something happen in the affirmative.
• I’m result-oriented as my works and deeds provide that testimony

In this challenging economy, if elected, what do you see as your role in improving the quality of life in Charlotte for all its residents?
I see my advocacy role in this economic downturn to be being the following:

Maintain Positivism
- While it is certainly understandable that the current times may encourage a pessimistic view, focusing on the positives of a better day to come for our community and families must be a priority. If we can look at negative situations as opportunities for personal growth and as challenges to work to the best of our abilities, positivism will withstand any recession.

Encourage Patronage
- Even though we are watching our pennies, where we can find the opportunity to be supportive of our area businesses, churches, and non-profits, this can help us to sustain our economy as we reinvest back into it. The more we are able to make the sacrifice to invest in our economy the better off our quality of life can be as we support those causes. This allows jobs to be either maintained, created, along with possible business development finding its place again in Charlotte.

Consolidating
- The best way to create a better quality of life should also mean consolidating services and other efforts to realize a savings to have additional monies for other capital initiatives to be met.

What role do you see residents playing in improving the quality of life in Charlotte?
I see residents coming together better where neighborhoods reach out to neighborhoods for community events for them and their children to enjoy festive activities through recreation and other involvement.

I also see, or would at least hope, that the faith community would come together and combined there ministries of outreach to serve the residence of Charlotte. Doing so would allow for them to touch more families and improve the quality of life status for us locally. If at the end of the day we are believers in one, what can be the harm of coming together to meet the needs of many? Doing this can help in the way of stabilization and allow for more to be done in a time when we have less.

So area Charlotte residences doing more through an organized consolidated effort to reach out to not just the neighbor but to another neighborhood like what the Charlotte East Community Partners and the West Boulevard Coalition does, could help our quality of life improve, along with the leadership of those representing the faith community doing the same, could make a difference.

How can residents get involved in your campaign? Please include campaign manager or volunteer coordinator’s contact information.
To get involved in the campaign residents have several options and they are as follows:

- Go to www.PatrickDCannon.com, click on the volunteer button and register there.
- Go to CannonCampaign09@gmail.com and leave your interest there
- Contact Co-Campaign Managers Annetta Watkins-Foard at 704-451-1362 or Charvetta Ford-McGriff at 704-560-3143

We welcome you interest, would appreciate your support, and would love to have your vote!