Bill Bell (mayor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Bell
Mayor of Durham, North Carolina
In office 2001–2017
Preceded by	Nick Tennyson
Succeeded by	Steve Schewel
Personal details
Born	William V. Bell 1941 (unconfirmed) Washington, DC
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Judith C. Bell
Children	William V. Bell II Tiffany Anne Bell Anjanee Nicole Bell Kristen Vaughn Bell
Alma mater	Howard University, New York University
Profession	electrical engineer

William V. Bell is an American politician and engineer. He served as the mayor of Durham, North Carolina, for many years. Before becoming mayor, he worked as a senior engineer for a big company called IBM.

Mr. Bell started his public service in 1972. He was first elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners. This group helps run the county government. He served there until 1994, and then again from 1996 to 2000. From 1982 to 1994, he was the chairman of the Commissioners. He was first elected mayor of Durham in 2001. He was so popular that he was re-elected seven more times!

Today, Mr. Bell is an Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He works for UDI Community Development Corp.. This is a non-profit organization, which means it works to help people rather than make money. He is also part of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. This is a group of mayors from different political parties. They work together to make communities safer by getting illegal guns off the streets. Mayors from Boston and New York City helped start this group.

Mayor Bell's 2007 Re-election Campaign

In 2007, Mayor Bell ran for re-election. His main opponent was Thomas Stith, III. They had different ideas about how to solve problems in Durham.

Debate Over City Safety

One big topic was safety in the city. Mr. Stith said that crime was a major issue. He pointed out that the number of serious crimes had gone up. Mayor Bell tried to calm the public. He said that the city was safe. He also explained that some crimes were not random. Mr. Stith wanted more police officers on the streets. Mayor Bell believed the current police force was well-equipped. They both wanted Durham to be a safe place.

Concerns About Drinking Water

Later in 2007, a problem came up with Durham's drinking water. Small amounts of lead were found in it. Mr. Stith sent out a campaign message. It said that Mayor Bell knew about the water problem but did not tell people. Mayor Bell strongly disagreed with this. He said the message was "a complete lie." He also said that Mr. Stith lacked leadership experience.

Election Results

The election was held on November 6, 2007. Mayor Bell won the election. He received 58% of the votes. Mr. Stith received 42% of the votes. This showed that many people in Durham supported Mayor Bell.

More About Mayor Bell's Elections

• 2001 Durham mayoral election
• 2003 Durham mayoral election
• 2005 Durham mayoral election
• 2007 Durham mayoral election
• 2009 Durham mayoral election
• 2011 Durham mayoral election
• 2013 Durham mayoral election
• 2015 Durham mayoral election