Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1417018
8 UCW OCTOBER 6-12, 2021 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM OPINION You can't grow and become a great city if you leave entire seg- ments of the community behind. I remember those words from our city council's budget mes- sage for the 2012-2013 City Budget. Sadly, we have continued to see that the current structure with nine single-member dis- tricts has precisely done that over the past twenty years. By only focusing on the needs of nine individual districts, not enough attention is given to the major issues that face our entire city. Some are often more complicated and expensive. And increasingly, the issues that only face a few of our districts, mak- ing it even more difficult to gain support from other districts that fight for their own issues. Fayetteville's growth is not keeping pace with the rest of the larger cities in the state. At the same time, this structure leaves entire segments behind, often our poor and powerless. e continued shortage in sworn police officers, still over 50 officers or more than 10% of the staff, threatens our citizens. But especially the ones in those neighborhoods that aren't get- ting the coverage they deserve. ese citizens are more likely to have an encounter with a police officer who is tired and stressed from overtime. In a city with 45% black regis- tered voters, why are 81% of the murder victims this year black? We have identified over $100 million in stormwater needs to protect us from the next Hur- ricane Matthew or Florence. Again, this year the city council failed to add to the stormwa- ter fees to help address these significant issues. What parts of our city are likely to be impacted by a flood? It is most often those living in the low-lying lands, often our poorest and most powerless. ere is no better example of this failure than Shaw Heights. Stuck right between our city, our state university, and the most significant economic engine in southeastern North Carolina, Shaw Heights con- tinues to be an unincorporated area. Shaw Heights residents are deprived of essential city servic- es like sewer and urban police protection. If Shaw Heights had a differ- ent demographic, it would have been annexed years ago. But it doesn't, and we should be ashamed to perpetuate a system that continually overlooks the least of us. Ironically, some defend a sys- tem of nine single members dis- tricts as better for the vulnerable and poor in our community. e facts tell a different story. Let's have six city council members directly accountable to those who fear the next flood. Let's have six city council members directly accountable to those who worry about the crime in their neighborhoods. We can't become a better city by continuing to leave people behind. Suppose you would like to vote for 6 members of the City Coun- cil instead of the current 2. In that case, I encourage you to sign the Vote Yes Fayetteville petition and give every citizen the opportunity to vote on this critical issue. Editor's Note: Bobby Hurst is a former five-term City Council member and former business owner. Our city council is failing us by BOBBY HURST T H A N K YO U , P I N W H E E L M A S Q U E R A D E B A L L S P O N S O R S T H A N K Y O U , B E N E F A C T O R S ! By par ticipating in the Pinwheel Ball, you will be helping the CAC ser ve more than 80 0 child abuse vic tims each year. GOLD: Up & Coming Weekly•Saam's Party Tents SILVER: The Law Office of Robin Weaver Hurmence BLUE: Berkshire Hathaway All American Homes•Callahan & Rice Insurance Group Clerk of Court–Lisa Scales•District Attorney Billy West Firehouse Subs Glensford Drive location•Gift of Dance & Photography Healing Minds Therapeutic Services PLLC•James H. Cooke, Jr., Attorney at Law TRP Sumner, PLLC•Valley Auto World•Valley Radiology Valley Regional Imaging•Williams Printing & Office Supply INSIDE PHOTO BOOTH SPONSOR: Timothy D. Edwards, Attorney at Law OUTSIDE PHOTO BOOTH SPONSOR: Hardin Law Firm PLLC AUCTION PADDLE SPONSOR: Beaver Courie Law Firm CHAMPAGNE TAG SPONSOR: Hatley Law Firm COFFEE & WATER SPONSOR: Le Bleu Central Distributors MASK COMPETITION SPONSOR: Keller Williams Realty SIGNATURE DRINK SPONSOR: Movement Mortgage SPIRITS TASTING SPONSOR: Cape Fear Distillery TRIP SPONSOR: HEROES: ARRAY Publishing & Marketing, LLC•Cape Fear Valley Health Timothy D. Edwards, Attorney at Law•Joyce & Howard Loughlin Mike & Ann Morketter STARS: BB&T, now Truist•Cape Fear Eye Associates Fayetteville Area Plumbing Contractors Association•Player McLean, LLP Robin & Debbie Jenkins•Lucy & Wes Jones•Systel Business Equipment CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN: THE DEERING FAMILY R PLATINUM: A New Leaf Thank you to our Corporate Benefactors and Pinwheel Masquerade Ball Sponsors! BOBBY HURST, Former Fayetteville City Councilman, COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200.