Steve Monks

Steve Monks, 45, is an attorney and former write-in candidate for district attorney. He's part of the group of three conservatives aiming to sweep the coming election. He is a former chairman of the Durham County Republican Party.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: "I'm tired of having Durham stepped on in the Triangle, in the state and nationally. You can either watch it go by and hope and pray for things to get better, or get out and do something about it."

TOP PRIORITY: Public safety. "It involves greater police presence, and giving raises to underpaid police officers. That's one of the few areas where additional spending might be warranted."

HOW HE STACKS UP: He thinks two things make him "uniquely qualified." Monks has two young children, giving him a personal stake in the future of the city. And his background as an attorney could provide needed expertise on the council, particularly when thorny issues such as the Duke lacrosse case arise, he said.

MAIN WEAKNESS: "Lack of knowledge and experience with the manner in which the City Council addresses economic development."

Melodie Parrish

Melodie Parrish, 59, is chairwoman of the Durham County Republican Party and part of the conservative bloc. A retired educator, she is making her first council run.

WHY SHE'S RUNNING: "The current City Council has dropped the ball on several issues. Lead in the water, landfill fire -- that's the air we breathe -- cost overruns on city projects. It seems that everything is managed in a crisis fashion."

TOP PRIORITY: Public safety. "I'd start, of course, with making sure we're adequately staffed with law enforcement officers." To pay for them, she said, "I would scrutinize the current budget ... and cut out the waste and contract overruns. I believe there would be enough money there without raising taxes."

HOW SHE STACKS UP: Spent more than 16 years in management and administrative positions with two school systems, dealing with thousands of students. "You've got to feed 'em, transport 'em, provide instruction. From that experience alone, you gain the expertise in working with individuals and managing projects that involve a lot of people."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I try to do too much. I'm involved in a lot."

Laney Funderburk

Laney Funderburk, 68, is part of a three-person conservative bloc running for City Council. He was chief of staff to Republican Gov. James Holshouser in the 1970s, and went on to serve for many years as head of alumni relations at Duke University. Endorsed by the Friends of Durham and the N.C. Sheriff Police Alliance. This is his first run for council.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: "City Council and city government sorely need reform. We careen from crisis to crisis. I frankly am tired of hearing from my neighbors in Wake County and other places that say, 'Poor Durham.' Durham doesn't deserve that."

TOP PRIORITY: To launch an independent performance audit of city services. It's an idea championed by mayoral candidate Thomas Stith III, whom Funderburk supports. "I think there's cronyism, and if there's not, there's a perception of it. I think an audit would clear the air and give people more confidence in city government."

HOW HE STACKS UP: "I've had to manage a fairly large staff and a fairly large budget. I do know something about managing people, I know about managing money and I know about solving problems."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I don't take criticism very well. But I no longer feel I have to please anyone but myself. I'm willing to sort of call 'em like I see 'em and try to make things better for Durham."

David Harris

David Harris, 58, a software engineer at Nortel, has been a leader in Partners Against Crime, the Inter-Neighborhood Council and other grassroots groups for years. He believes it's time to take it to the next level with his first council bid. Harris was endorsed by the Durham People's Alliance.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: He wants to use his extensive contacts among community activists to be a liaison between city government and citizens. "I just think now it's a very pivotal point in the Durham community."

TOP PRIORITY: Communication, from informing citizens better about city services and crime prevention to city officials directly lobbying the state legislature. "I think we need to do a better job of communicating within the Durham agencies, from department to department and also with the county and the state ... to get what we need."

HOW HE STACKS UP: "I see myself as a friendly guy and can bridge the gap between different interests or different races or different beliefs. I've been involved with the city departments, and I know a lot of the players there. I normally work well with them."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I guess I'm too passive, not stern enough. I tend to be laid back. I could stand to be a little more forceful than I am. At least that's what I've been told."

Diane Catotti

Diane Catotti, 46, a health policy consultant, is seeking a second term on City Council. She's a policy wonk who immerses herself in the finer points of many issues. Catotti, like her colleague Eugene Brown, has been endorsed by the liberal Durham People's Alliance, of which she used to be president, the conservative Friends of Durham and the N.C. Sheriff Police Alliance.

WHY SHE'S RUNNING: "Frankly we have come a long way. But there's lots of unfinished business." She points to her work on a new set of zoning laws she says protects neighborhoods and the environment, as well as efforts to increase funding for affordable-housing programs as two main accomplishments.

TOP PRIORITY: Rehabilitating "target neighborhoods." "I'll focus on partnering with the private sector and leveraging public funds to both clean up the neighborhoods and provide more home ownership opportunities and affordable housing."

HOW SHE STACKS UP: "I think I've been a strong council member, and I would continue to be a strong council member. Both Eugene and I have worked hard. I think as incumbents we have a record to run on, which can make us unpopular. But it also illustrates that we're willing to make the tough decisions."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I get criticized for not being as outspoken or as vocal as some people would like. I'm not convinced it's a weakness. I do a lot of my work behind the scenes."

Eugene Brown

Eugene Brown, 63, president of Distinctive Properties Real Estate, is seeking a second term on the City Council. He's tough on city staff, often publicly criticizing them when they make mistakes. Most recently, he blasted the city for not enacting water restrictions before the city's water supply had dwindled to less than 80 days worth. Brown was endorsed by the left-leaning Durham People's Alliance, the right-leaning Friends of Durham and the N.C. Sheriff Police Alliance.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: "To continue working with the city manager to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of this public corporation we call the city of Durham. ... You do it by shaking hands and twisting arms, sometimes simultaneously."

TOP PRIORITY: Streamlining the development approval process, which he says is too cumbersome and sometimes makes developers decide to build elsewhere.

HOW HE STACKS UP: Takes credit for helping fight crime and for boosting downtown revitalization. He adds: "My style is a little different in that I try to speak truth to power. I'm a firm believer that sunshine is the best disinfectant, particularly when it comes to government."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I would love to have more time for this job."

David Thompson Jr.

David Thompson Jr., 35, is a newcomer to politics. He works as a BMW technician. He also spent eight years in the military, three years on active duty in the Army and the rest of the time in the Reserves and National Guard. (Photo not made available as of press time.)

WHY HE'S RUNNING: He read a newspaper article about the lack of citizen involvement in Person County. "I felt like that was a shame that nobody in their community was willing to serve their community." He wanted to be sure the same thing didn't happen in Durham.

TOP PRIORITY: Crime prevention. "I would tackle that by hiring more police officers. I don't know what [the funding source] is at this point. Maybe the only possible way to do that is to raise taxes."

HOW HE STACKS UP: "I'm single and I have more free time. Raising a family is very time consuming. I'm single so I have more time to do whatever it takes to do the job."

MAIN WEAKNESS: Lack of business experience. "I read a lot. Honestly, I just feel like you have to continue to educate yourself."

Victoria Peterson

Victoria Peterson, 53, who runs the nonprofit organization Triangle Citizens Rebuilding Communities, has run for state and city offices several times but has never won. She's a fixture at City Council meetings, often talking about the need for Durham to spend money to prop up local businesses that hire local residents, rather than using incentives to lure outside companies. She was endorsed by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.

WHY SHE'S RUNNING: "We need to start empowering not just some but all of our citizens. Also, we have people who are sitting on council who have not been truthful about the crime problem in this community."

TOP PRIORITY: Crime, particularly in the black community. "So many of our young African-American males are going in and out of the county jail."

She said the city needs to set up public-private partnerships to open vocational centers that would teach job skills like masonry.

HOW SHE STACKS UP: "I attend the meetings." She shows up at nearly every council meeting, unlike many of her competitors who have only been to a handful.

(Exceptions: David Harris attends about four or five a year, and Farad Ali has said he's been to between 10 and 20.)

MAIN WEAKNESS: "Speaking pretty fast. I guess learning more to be relaxed. I have a lot on my heart I want to share with the public."

Joe Williams

Joe Williams, 66, who runs a small construction company, is making his eighth bid for council. He has never been elected.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: "I understand the problems we have here in the city of Durham. I am a strong leader, and I understand people."

TOP PRIORITY: Crime. "I know the people who are causing crime. They come to me and say they need a leader." Williams says he has formed softball teams to give city youths an alternative to crime. He would want to expand those kinds of initiatives if elected.

HOW HE STACKS UP: "I've been running for a long time. I feel I have a lot of training during the time I have been running and have not won."

MAIN WEAKNESS: "I think my main weakness is the people, not trusting me to become a City Council member. They give their trust to all these other people they've never seen, they see me, and they give their trust to the other people. I'm asking them to give me a chance."

Farad Ali

Farad Ali, 40, is making his first run for council. He is the vice president of the N.C. Minority Business Development Center, which helps minority entrepreneurs expand their businesses. He has been endorsed by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.

WHY HE'S RUNNING: "I have experience serving in business and understanding the impact of good management. I think I add a unique and critical element to the city."

TOP PRIORITY: Spreading the wealth, which in part means investing city funds in places other than downtown. "You look at Durham, the community is growing, we're going though this kind of renaissance. But we need to do it outside of the city center as well. People all over the city need to share in this prosperity."

HOW HE STACKS UP: He's said it before, he'll say it again. "I bring a unique, independent, clear-thinking voice. ... I'm walking in fresh."