The urban mayors have their wishlist ready.

The N.C. Metropolitan Mayors Coalition released a list today with $2.8 billion in infrastructure projects they said could be started immediately.

The list includes new buses for the city of Raleigh, fire stations in Greensboro and Cary, light rail enhancements in Charlotte, a public library renovation in Chapel Hill, and repairs to sidewalks, water and sewer lines and parks around the state.

The group said it hopes to persuade the state and federal government to direct some of a planned economic stimulus package to local government.

"Our goal in releasing this list is not to advocate for individual projects, but to show cities' ability to deploy the stimulus money quickly on important local infrastructure projects," said Rocky Mount Mayor David Combs, co-chair of the coalition's economic development committee.

The nonpartisan coalition was founded in 2001 and represents the state's 26 largest cities.

Update: The list does not include a request for $20 million in Community Development Block Grants for a "minor league baseball museum" in Durham that was included in a wishlist from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

That project and others have been criticized as pork by some critics.

Correction: The group recently changed its name from the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition. 

It's not exactly signing up with the enemy.

But the former deputy campaign manager for unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Moore has taken a new job with some unusual connections.

Julie White, best known among reporters for her hard-driving persuasive efforts and her fact-finding efforts at work, is joining the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition.

The advocacy group was founded in the late 1990s, but was notably revitalized in 2000 by Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and others.

Who, it almost goes without saying, is running for governor against Moore's old rival, Beverly Perdue.

"Ms. White's energy, enthusiasm, and experience will be of great benefit to the Coalition as we advocate for livable, environmentally sound, and economically viable urban areas," said Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy in a statement.

White starts Aug. 18. 

Pat McCrory has a rhetorical technique to beat the Queen City Curse.

As the longtime mayor of Charlotte, one of his biggest tasks in the Republican gubernatorial primary will be to convince people in the rest of the state to vote for him.

In his campaign speech and again in his opening statement at the WRAL debate tonight, he stressed that he grew up in Jamestown, went to college in Salisbury and served in office in Charlotte.

Later, in response to a question about his priorities, he said it would be to create jobs statewide.

Where? Rocky Mount, Greenville, Charlotte, Boone and Asheville.

A few minutes later, he talked about the problem of gangs in the state.

Where? Charlotte, Salisbury, Monroe, Hickory and Durham.

Later, he talked about his work with mayors in the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition.

From where? Asheville, Burlington, Boone, Wilmington and Greensboro.

He even threw in that North Carolina has to compete with cities in the rest of the United States: Dallas, Houston, Columbus and Denver.

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton's thoughts on the recent meeting of the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition:

"In a way the most interesting thing was watching Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory in action since the rumors were swirling around about his [running for governor]," Chilton said. "He certainly struck me as a level-headed guy."

Pat McCrory says he has a speaking engagement.

The longtime Charlotte mayor said he's leaving the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition of Mayors meeting early because he's speaking at the Moore County Republican Men's Club in Pinehurst.

He said the group invited him a month ago, and the timing has nothing to do with a potential gubernatorial announcement.

"We anticipate a decision will be coming pretty soon," he said.

Also, McCrory said that while Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy has been billing the meeting as a summit on global warming, he plans for it to also focus on transportation, criminal justice and economic development.

McCrory said he's "very proud" of the coalition, which he founded in 2002.

"It's a very effective group ... very bipartisan," he said, adding, "Right now, I'm about the only Republican left on it."

Pat McCrory founded the N.C. Metropolitan Coalition of Mayors in 2002.

But when the group meets Thursday in Chapel Hill to tackle the issue of global warming, McCrory will be leaving early.

Mayors of some of the 25 biggest cities in the state, including Bill Bell of Durham, Allen Joines of Winston-Salem, Tony Chavonne of Fayetteville and Bill Saffo of Wilmington, will meet Wednesday and Thursday.

McCrory, who is the immediate past chairman of the group, will be there all day Wednesday, but he'll head out after just a half hour Thursday morning.

The mayor's office told Dome that McCrory has "other meetings" that day. They would not say whether that includes, say, a trip to Jamestown.

Beau Mills, director of the Metropolitan Coalition, said that he did not know why McCrory was leaving early.

"I'm not sure about that," he said, laughing. "You'll have to ask him."

Dome left a message for the mayor to call us back.