On Tuesday, January 08, 2001 current Charlottesville Mayor Blake Caravati announced his bid for a second four year term on the Charlottesville City Council. Caravati, a Democrat, was first elected in 1998 and his current term expires in June 2002. The Council election is on May 07th and the Democratic nominating convention is on February 23rd.

In announcing his reelection bid Caravati detailed his reasons for seeking a second term:

" I have been deeply honored to have been able to serve the people of Charlottesville for the last four years. We have seen some good accomplishments in our City with very positive growth and development in all segments of our community. However, the business of government is never done. We have many problems that need continued attention so that we may truly proclaim ourselves as a 'World Class City' and have an even brighter future. I believe that my experience in a leadership role, my vision of the future, my deep conviction to personal accessibility, and my desire to make Charlottesville a great place for all citizens has prepared me for a continued role in the leadership of the City. Accordingly, I will seek the Democratic nomination for City Council.

I will run a vigorous campaign based on issues and focused on reaching out to every citizen of Charlottesville. It is my hope that the Council election will be very competitive with many qualified candidates for our citizens to be able to consider."

Caravati further outlined his vision of the important issues that confront the City in the coming four years.

"My campaign, and my service on Council if successful, will be primarily focused on three issue areas that I feel are the key to a better City, a more sensitive government, and a more equitable and productive growth among all of our citizens.

First, Education, Education, Education. Although the public school system and the life long learning environment we have in Charlottesville have achieved great things in the last years, we have a long way to go to make it the best service for all children and learners. Too many children and adults are left behind in our fast changing work environment. I will work hard to achieve a new higher level in our learning environment by assuring that it is comprehensive in approach , fully funded, and institutes the best practice to reach all students no matter their situation.

Second, economic development is the life blood that allows our City to deliver world class services, serve our less prosperous citizens, and prepare for a more productive future for business and individuals. I will devote much energy in the next four years toward focusing development in the City through even stronger public private partnerships, guiding development that achieves a much more diverse and urban context, and increasing housing opportunities for our diverse population. Economically, our City is largely powered by small business and therefore we must also concentrate our energies and resources toward helping these businesses grow and prosper.

Third, as a City we cannot go it alone. The City, Albemarle County, and the University need to cooperate in increasingly deeper fashion in order for our community to maintain and enhance our quality of life. The key to this cooperation is trust and understanding of each others issues. In the past, we have often operated in our own best interest and been content to demand and proscribe. The old model is no longer relevant and it will be absolutely necessary that our leaders establish greater levels of trust and communication as well as develop formal methods for cooperation and more effectively sharing responsibilities."

Blake Caravati (Press Release, electronic mail, January 8, 2002).