Amiya NealDurham mayoral candidates incumbent Leonardo Williams and challenger Anjanée Bell met to debate for the first time before an audience of 200 on Tuesday at N.C. Central University.
The Miller-Morgan Building auditorium was filled with NCCU students, faculty and administrators, public officials and community members who heard the candidates’ remarks on topics regarding housing security, rising youth crime rates, and city leadership, among others.
The debate, which was organized by NCCU’s Political Science Club, Students in Public Service, and the Campus Echo, was moderated by the Campus Echo’s co-editor-in-chief, Ronni Butts.
The two faced off just one week before the general election on Nov. 4. Williams won the primary mayoral election with roughly 55 percent of the votes, beating out Bell, who received more than 29 percent, by more than 25,000 votes.
Durham’s Progress
Williams boasted the city’s second-place ranking for the most educated populace and second-fastest growing city but said there was room for more growth.
Bell said that she empathized with Durhamites’ frustrations with city leadership over what she said are tendencies to prioritize profits and revenue over the needs of its people.
She also said that she is concerned that Durham is losing its culture and historical landmarks as developers come in to construct new buildings that do not reflect Durham’s history or have Durham’s people in mind.
Williams, however, said that Durham has “a lot more to be proud of than not” and said that people should not complain about issues if they are not willing to contribute to a solution.
Student Housing Security
Bell addressed student frustrations with housing access on NCCU’s campus and said Durham had some building vacancies that could address housing issues. She ended with general remarks about engaging with students and her hopes to ensure the education and future career prospects for students.
NCCU achieved a housing rate of 38% for fall 2025, higher than most UNC system institutions. But many students have struggled to secure affordable, off-campus housing.
“NCCU has a challenge in terms of housing students,” Bell said. “I think it is important to consider how we support our students in their living.”
Williams said he was working closely with building developers and contractors to provide more housing for NCCU students.
“There are actual apartments, there are landlords, there are apartment management companies that actually want to partner with the university,” Williams said. “If we can actually broker relationships with people who provide housing. The funding becomes that much more secure.”
Youth Crime Rate
Durham’s overall violent crime rate has seen a decrease of almost 20% in the last year, but youth crime has risen, according to Durham Police Chief Patrice V. Andrews.
Williams said he is actively working with nonprofits like the United Way Greater Triangle and the Triangle Community Foundation to engage with youth and keep them off the streets.
He also mentioned his recent launch of the Bull City Future Fund, which raises funds for youth organizations and to find positive and safe ways for youth to engage in the community. The fund has already reached $300,000 of a $1 million goal.
She also said that though she saw the Bull City Future Fund as a “good gesture,” it was not as concrete as a city policy or budget designation that would make a more significant difference.
“First thing I’d do is be in the neighborhoods, which is what I’m doing now,” Bell said. “Stay in the neighborhoods, stay on the block with those who are doing the work, have been doing the work, and are affected by the work.”
Bell’s comments got a rise out of the audience as it was the first time one of the candidates took a dig at the other.
Student Engagement
Williams said he proposed a designated bus line that would go through NCCU, Duke University, and Durham Tech, and all the way to downtown, so students can easily access all parts of the city.
He also mentioned wanting to sponsor one of NCCU’s homecoming concerts in the future after responding to what he felt was unwarranted backlash from people when NCCU changed its homecoming rules in response to a shooting last year.
Bell said she wants to create a city-campus council have a representative for NCCU on the council to vocalize the school’s needs and to increase student voting at the polls, citing this year’s low turnout.
Bell also said she wanted students to have more opportunities for paid fellowships and internships to gain work experience and widen their career prospects.
Budget
Durham passed the largest budget in the city’s history for fiscal year 2025-2026 in June, raising the budget by eight percent.
Williams said that he was “really excited” about the new budget and felt “good” about getting what was missing in the first phase of the budget for the second phase, like the city’s harm reduction and safety plan and economic plan.
Williams praised the city’s increase in minimum wage for city employees and said that he hopes to continue raising it.
Bell said she would incorporate fine arts into the budget if she were elected mayor, a point that both candidates agreed on.
Housing and Development
“When we talk about addressing homelessness, we need to figure out how to keep our people in a home, and our resources in Durham,” Bell said. “People included.”
Williams said the city government was trying its best to combat homelessness, but that its resources were stretched thin.
“We have a continuum of care that’s at capacity. We have beds that are at capacity,” Williams said. “We can’t even respond to emergency shelter situations half of the time, so it requires us to get really, really, really innovative.”
Bell responded to a question about Durham City Council’s controversial Heritage Square development proposal and said that she felt those developers were “building over” residents without considering their needs. The developers unexpectedly pulled their proposal and the council removed the opportunity for community members to publicly speak on the proposal.
“I would have not allowed the developers to walk away after holding what felt like hostage the people, [our] elders who were there to use their voices,” Bell said. “We are not accounting for the voices that are here day in, day out…We are trusting voices from the outside.”
Williams said there was some “performative theater” about the issue of what the government is actually able to do about housing and said most of it fell on the property owners and the developers.
“It would have been an additional 2500 square feet, then it was 5000 square feet designated for women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses on site,” Williams said. “It would have been a historical marker for Hayti.”
The candidates now have just five more days until the general election to find out who will lead the city.
