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GREENSBORO — Nowhere has fundraising been more of an issue than in District 3.

That's because Zack Matheny , who placed first in the October primary, has raised $34,600 in his quest to become the district's city councilman, according to information filed with the Guilford County Board of Elections.

That's double the amount raised by the winning candidate in District 3 in 2005, 2003 and 2001 — combined .

Here's another reason people are talking: Much of Matheny's money has come from lawyers, developers and real-estate brokers, many of whom do business with the City Council.

Matheny's opponent in the Nov. 6 election, Joe Wilson , is himself a developer. He has raised $9,400 . And he said Matheny's campaign finance report "looks like a roll of people who have appeared in front of him" at the Greensboro Zoning Commission, of which Matheny is a member .

There you have the essence of the District 3 race: Wilson, 45 , spends much of his time chiding Matheny for his list of donors. Matheny spends much of his time defending his list of donors.

Both want to replace Councilman Tom Phillips , who decided not to run for re-election.

Matheny, 34 , called Wilson's concerns about contributions to his campaign "ridiculous." People have donated money to his campaign, Matheny said, because they have faith in his leadership skills.

Besides, Matheny said, he wouldn't sacrifice his integrity for a $500 donation.

"Let's get back to city business," he said. "Let's get back to what really needs to be done for Greensboro."

Matheny said he's running to bring about positive change in Greensboro. Instead of seeing his fundraising as a symbol of widespread support, "they break it down to a negative."

Wilson says he is beholden to no one and that if elected, he would do a better job of lowering taxes, streamlining government and fighting off special interests. According to Wilson, Matheny can't say bad things about city government "because look who is supporting him."

Matheny has "too many masters," Wilson said.

Wilson also criticized Matheny for spending about $4,400 on campaign materials with companies in High Point and western North Carolina.

Matheny said that he spent the bulk of his money in Greensboro and that he hired printers outside of the Triad only because of some contacts with friends.

They disagree on other issues, too. Wilson has been critical of City Manager Mitchell Johnson's handling of recent problems in the police department.

Former Police Chief David Wray resigned in 2006 after allegations that the special intelligence unit targeted black officers for unfair internal investigation. That, coupled with accusations of mismanagement, prompted Johnson to ask the city's legal office and a private consulting firm to find out what, if anything, ailed the department under Wray.

In September, two former members of the special intelligence unit were indicted on felony charges, culminating a yearlong investigation into alleged abuses of power.

Wray's supporters say Johnson kowtowed to black leaders and overreacted in disciplining Wray. Some members of the black community say Johnson waited too long to discipline Wray, letting unfair treatment of African American officers fester.

Wilson said that "things don't add up" in the city manager's office and that those issues need to be brought into the light.

"Mitchell Johnson is going to have to answer questions, and the answers are going to have to be the right ones," Wilson said.

Matheny is more supportive of Johnson, who has received the support of all nine City Council members during the Wray controversy. He hasn't talked much about the controversy, saying he hasn't had access to complete reports on the issues, as has the council.

Instead, he has focused his campaign on job creation, increasing the tax base and helping small business owners. And, of course, his campaign donations — though not by choice.

According to Matheny: "I'm not the first candidate to raise a lot of money."

Contact Margaret Moffett Banks at 373-7031 or mbanks@news-record.com