From his downtown Raleigh campaign office, Myrick does not hold back his feelings about city hall.
"The city is poorly run from what I see," he told ABC11.
Myrick accused city leaders of subsidizing unaffordability with Raleigh's pro-growth re-zoning reforms. He blamed rising crime in downtown, in part, on Raleigh's "Sip & Stroll" outdoor drinking zones. As a resident of southeast Raleigh's historically Black Biltmore Hills neighborhood, the 52-year-old has become his neighbors' champion at city council meetings.
"I'm absolutely frustrated. Absolutely frustrated. And it's not even for me, it's that there are people that are hurting, that need help," Myrick said. "And I feel like no one is listening to them."
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This class of 1994 Shaw University graduate is running for Raleigh mayor on a platform of responsible development, community engagement and public safety.
He's proposing a new affordable-housing strategy by redefining affordable. He wants to force developers to factor in neighborhood median income rather than area median income.
"I'm not gonna say you give me 30% of the area median income, which is $116,000 for a family of four. Everybody doesn't have that," Myrick said. "(Working class residents) are concerned about the cost of rent: the teachers, the mechanics, they can't afford to live in Raleigh anymore."
ABC11 asked Myrick whether he considered himself to be anti-development.
"Not at all. I'm not anti-anything," Myrick replied. "But I'm more for the majority."
Myrick is now using his grassroots campaign to try to win over a majority of voters and ultimately win in November.
ABC11's series Raleigh's Next Mayor continues next week. Former State Treasurer Janet Cowell discusses the changes she wants to bring to city hall.