Nov. 1--Burlington voters will choose a mayor and two council members Tuesday.

When they make their decisions this year, they will probably rest as much on many of the candidates' public records as on 2009 campaign promises.

Three of the four City Council candidates -- Celo Faucette, Stephen Ross and Larry Sharpe -- have held or run for high profile public offices before. William R. "Buddy" Baker was Burlington's city manager for nearly two decades.

In the mayoral race, Ronnie Wall is seeking re-election for another term as Burlington's leader. Challenging him is Wade Preston Salmon Jr., a newcomer to local politics. In conversations about why they want to hold office in

Burlington, the local economy and state of Burlington's job market figured most heavily. And everyone seems to agree that some form of mass transportation here is inevitable and necessary for growth. The prospect of a west Burlington police and fire department substation, and more attention to public safety, also ranked high on candidates' lists of issues important to Burlington's future.

Beyond that, some of them say they have personal reasons for putting their name on Tuesday's ballot.

MAYOR RONNIE WALL

has spent the last two years at Burlington's helm. Reviewing a checklist of his and the City Council's goals from early 2008, he believes those years have been successful. He listed eliminating the most costly portions of the state's Jordan Lake Rules, which passed the General Assembly in an amended form this summer and will require the city to further limit nutrients in its wastewater and stormwater runoff, as one of the chief priorities of his term.

Wall -- employed as an assistant superintendent of Alamance-Burlington Schools -- feels the city and council have become more approachable and communicative in his two years, through the Connecting Burlington Communities hotline program, Web casts and archives of meetings and a series of well-attended neighborhood meetings last summer.

It's what remains unfinished that holds his attention now.

When he took office, his council seat was left vacant. That vacancy led to questions about what methods the council should use to fill vacant seats. Some believed the next-highest vote getter ought to have claim to an empty seat following an election. Others on the council felt it's the council's duty to appoint who they choose.

Former councilman David Maynard was appointed to fill Wall's seat at the time, edging out third-highest vote getter (and current candidate) Celo Faucette for the position.

Unfortunately, the vacant seat issue returned twice during Wall's tenure as mayor; both after senior members of the council fell ill and died. In October 2008, Don Starling passed away. Current candidate Larry Sharpe was appointed to fill his seat in December. Maynard passed away in July and his vacant seat will be filled Tuesday.

"I still want a policy regarding vacant seats. That issue keeps coming up and I think we can get that done," Wall said Friday. "I do think the community and citizens want to know the process or procedure the council will use to fill vacancies."

Wall believes public safety is a more pressing issue recently, highlighted by an increase in home invasions and robberies during the last few months.

He touted the council's efforts to retain experienced officers by giving them pay raises and improving their dependent benefits last winter as proof that he's serious about Burlington's police force. He wants the council to look more closely at building a substation in west Burlington to improve response times there, and thinks the city needs to continue to address gang and drug problems.

In the meantime, Wall has set up an e-mail account for residents to ask questions or respond to city business. He's already received several questions in the inbox at MayorWall@gmail.com, including one asking him to continue neighborhood meetings and to pay more attention to areas near Glen Raven and in south Burlington if he's re-elected.

"I want to be mayor again because I can see progress being made. We're not where we want to be but I feel like we're getting there,"Wall said. "I don't want to be a career politician or be mayor forever and ever, but when you see progress, it feels good."

WADE PRESTON Salmon Jr., 43, said earlier this year he chose to run for mayor to represent east Burlington and bring a different point of view to city hall.

Salmon made no secret of his run-ins with law enforcement during his campaign, but believes people should judge him on his ideas for the city and not his misdemeanor record. In August, he was sentenced to a maximum of 30 days in jail and two years probation for shoplifting and concealment of goods stemming from a March arrest.

Salmon was unable to be reached for comment for this story, but faxed a list of campaign goals to the Times-News on Friday afternoon.