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.
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26 NOVEMBER 1 - 7, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Toni Stewart District 6 UCW: Elected city officials and Cumberland County Commissioners have not been able to agree on who would operate a joint 911 emer- gency center and continue to be at odds over which sales tax distribution method the county should implement. And now, the county seems to be pushing back on how much money it should devote to the city's baseball stadium. What will you do specifically to create better communication and cooperation between the two governing bodies? Stewart: Unfortunately, the city and county have had a reputation of being unwilling or un- able to agree and communicate on matters that ultimately affect the citizens. What all the members of the county and city must keep in mind is everything that they do is about those that we serve and not about personal agendas, special interest groups, political advancement or who's coming out on top. Ef- fective productive communication with the best interest of the citizens should be at the forefront of each and every endeavor that requires a joint effort. To ensure that effective and productive communication takes place, I would use the teammate approach. It must be understood that on joint endeavors, we need to operate as a team. We all have a role to play, but our ultimate goal is for Fayetteville to win. Listening to our teammates, understanding what contribu- tions each member brings and being willing to compromise will ensure a WIN for Fayetteville. UCW: The city's tax base is more dependent on residential properties than any other major city in North Carolina. This is primarily because of Fayetteville's lack of economic development and our continued failure to attract large corporate headquarters, technology companies and manufacturing firms. What role do you feel the city plays in local economic development? Stewart: When a business looks to expand or open in a new city it considers everything from the tax rates to the quality of life, therefore our city has played a major role in the lack of economic development in our city. As a city we have not done well in marketing our professional workforce. If we are going to at- tract large corporate headquarters, technology companies and manufacturing firms we must do better at marketing our workforce, providing incentives for businesses and improving our quality of life in order to attract the businesses that we so desperately need. Trevone McNeill District 7 UCW: Elected city officials and Cumberland County Commissioners have not been able to agree on who would operate a joint 911 emer- gency center and continue to be at odds over which sales tax distribution method the coun- ty should implement. And now, the county seems to be pushing back on how much money it should devote to the city's baseball stadium. What will you do specifically to create better communication and cooperation between the two governing bodies? McNeill: I believe that we are responsible to the people when elected. The thing that will bring both governing bodies together to agree and make the progress needed will be both parties coming to the table with one goal in mind- the quality of life for those who elected us. I've stated many times since being on this campaign trail that I'm a firm believer of being a voice for the people. I believe that the people make the decision we are just the voice for the the resource to help push the decision that best benefits the progress of our communities. In the end, I must remain true to my constituents and my convictions which hold me accountable to every individual who'd vote me into office. Doing so keeps me in position to help see our governing bodies work together for the benefit of all the people. UCW: The city's tax base is more dependent on residential properties than any other major city in North Carolina. This is primarily because of Fayette- ville's lack of economic development and our continued failure to attract large corporate headquarters, technology companies and manufacturing firms. What role do you feel the city plays in local economic development? McNeill: I believe that our city not only plays a major role, but the primary role in our economic development. It should be the goal from this moment forward of our city government to provide economic security for families in our com- munities. We should focus on providing economic growth that will allow single parents to be secure in their ability to financially care for their families, build promising futures for their children, and bring to our communities a greater investment than they were first able to make. Our city should focus on paving avenues of opportunity and preparation for our citizens to be positioned for career focused economic development and expansion. Election 2017 Fayetteville City Council Candidates