Voters from Mecklenburg County's most Republican district returned county commissioner Bill James to office by a healthy margin in 1998, when other conservatives in the county lost.

This year, members of the board's Democratic majority hope candidate Rita Arundell has a shot at removing the lone voice of the far right.

"It's going to be uphill," said Arundell, knowing Democrats make up less than 30 percent of the district.

The publisher of Senior Directions newspaper is running largely on an anti-James platform, saying the district needs a more moderate voice on the board.

"I'm running because I was asked by the Democratic Party to run," Arundell said. "I felt that the public needed a choice. I don't think he's representing the majority of District 6 residents."

James, an accountant, is known for his number-crunching around budget time, when he revives his annual call to cut welfare spending and keep taxes steady. He relishes the role of watchdog of Democrats such as District 4's Lloyd Scher, who was defeated in the May primary, and school board Chairman Arthur Griffin.

But the evangelical Christian is also vocal about his socially conservative views on issues such as homosexuality.

Stephen Burr, the Libertarian candidate, said he agrees with James on fiscal issues, but is running because he thinks James is wrong to bring up social issues.

Here's a closer look at the Democratic challenger and the colorful incumbent she hopes to unseat.

Rita Arundell

Arundell, the widow of a New York city police detective and mother of five, came to Charlotte 32 years ago to work as director of religious education at St. Gabriel Catholic Church.

She has taken on a significant role in advocating for the elderly, publishing a monthly newspaper on the topic.

Aside from her objections to James, Arundell talks most about senior issues.

She said she'd like the county to take the lead in building the ranks of certified nursing assistants, who help care for the elderly in their homes. She suggests the county could help pay for free or reduced-cost certification courses at Central Piedmont Community College.

She said she'd also like the county to find a way to shorten the two-year waiting list of seniors wanting to enroll in programs offering them a hot meal every day.

"There should not be a waiting list for seniors to get meals, period," she said.

Bill James

James makes some Republican moderates cringe when he embraces debates on touchy topics such as offering benefits for same-sex partners of county employees (he's against that) and requiring county-funded counselors to get parental permission before advising school-age children on sex (he's for it).

The last remaining member of a group of commissioners who stripped the Arts & Science Council of county funding because they were upset by a play with gay themes staged by an ASC-sponsored group, James has not been cowed by the defeat of other conservatives.

He doesn't shy away from addressing racially charged issues such as student assignment, and his blunt talk has offended some.

"OK, maybe I'm not the most careful wordsmith," he admits.

As one of two Republicans on the nine-member board, he has tried to pin other commissioners down on topics such as the county chipping in tax money for a basketball arena (he's against that).

James said his primary concerns are fiscal. He has criticized the county's funding of groups such as the Community Building Initiative, formed in 1997 to help ease racial tensions.

"The only people showing up for those things are the people who already agree with them," James said.

"I for one don't think we should be putting money into those programs when we have so many other serious needs."

District 6 Voters:

Republicans: 47,823

Democrats: 28,732

Unaffiliated: 21,525

Libertarian: 135

Reform: 3

Total: 98,218

Bill James:

Party: Republican.

Age: 43.

Home: Matthews.

Occupation: County commissioner, freelance certified public accountant.

Elected offices held: Mecklenburg County commissioner, 1996 to present.

Family: Wife, Julia; three daughters, one son.

Education: Bachelor's degree, business, Florida Atlantic University, 1978; master's degree in business administration, Nova-Southeastern University, 1980.

What U.S. president would you most like to have lunch with? "Theodore Roosevelt. He seemed to understand that governments should act morally and ethically."

How to contact: (704) 846-6527; wjames@carolina.rr.com.

DISTRICT 6 CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES

1. County commissioners raised taxes for the last two years, but kept the tax rate steady this year. Would you vote for a budget that increased taxes next year?

3. What new initiatives, if any, would you introduce, if elected? What issues do you want to focus on?

Bill James

1. I have pledged to the voters and I will repeat again: If elected I do not intend on raising property taxes for the next two years. There is no accountability in the county's budget process.

2. What I have said is that I am not going to actively campaign for the bonds as long as suburban children are being treated as second-class citizens. But I recognize that we need to fix up inner city schools.

3. For four years in office I've been trying to require accountability in the budget process. I think we need to have a discussion about whether we want to continue with some of these make-work welfare programs. If education is the highest priority and criminal justice is next and libraries and parks are third and fourth, then why are we spending so much money on extraneous pork?

Rita Arundell

1. That would depend on what we're funding. I hear people saying they want better air and water quality and better schools, but if you want to see these services you either have to raise taxes or cut other things.

2. Absolutely. I don't know how you can have children going to school in rooms that are totally inadequate.

3. I think we have to get stronger zoning requirements. I think there should not be seniors on waiting lists to get just one meal a day.