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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COMMENTARY Mayor Chavonne Weighs in by ANTHONY CHAVONNE I have been blessed to help lead our city over the past eight years, and flooding. What would you do to address these long-standing storm while much was accomplished, there remains work to be done to continue to water issues in the community? move Fayetteville towards the great city we all want it to be. • Development Standards. City Council adopted the Unified As we approach an election of both a new mayor and a significant number Development Ordinance, which put in place higher development standards of new council members, our city has an exciting opportunity. The issues for new commercial and residential construction in the city. A local PAC have never been more important, the stakes has formed to lobby against these higher never higher. Candidates should focus their development standards. Do you support the attention on articulating a vision for our city current development standards? If not, what and convincing us that they are the ones specific standards do you propose be changed? to lead us there. Citizens should remain • Shaw Heights. Shaw Heights continues engaged and informed so that we, together, to be a blighted area, left behind during can achieve our vision. the growth of the city. Going forward, the I've identified some of the major city would work with the current residents challenges and opportunities that we face to ensure their needs are met in the overall and encourage our candidates to consider plan. Do you support exploring a joint them as they seek office to lead Fayetteville development agreement with Cumberland forward. County, Cumberland County Schools system • Public Safety. Fighting crime and and Fort Bragg representatives that would ensuring security for our citizens continues result in significant reinvestment in the area? to be the major focus of the City Council. • Murchison Road Corridor. What steps would you take to reduce crime Ongoing studies continue to call for the levels in Fayetteville? We expect Chief redevelopment of the Murchison Road Medlock's police staffing recommendation corridor, but real economic investment in the next few months. If additional officers has not occurred. What would you do to are warranted, will you vote to add them? promote development of the Murchison • Transit Plans. The city made a Road corridor? commitment to improve our transit system • Sidewalks. We currently construct and has invested heavily making significant 2-3 miles of sidewalks per year and still progress. Our Transit Development Plan see the lack of sidewalks on many of our identifies additional needed improvements. most traveled streets. What is your level What is your level of financial commitment of commitment to sidewalks and where to transit? would you find the funds to increase the • HOPE VI. We are nearing completion construction rate? of a successful HOPE VI project, which • Fragmentation. Years after the large replaced the Old Wilmington Road public annexation, the city continues to experience housing project with attractive newer differing citizen priorities and concerns facilities, improving the quality of life for about the equitable delivery of municipal our citizens. Would you be willing to seek services. What steps would you implement to a similar program to replace Grove View Mayor Tony Chavonne has declined to run this election, but urges citizens address this divide? Terrace? • Downtown Development. What is your to engage the candidates on important issues. • Local Business Support. City Council position on the continued development of approved a plan to promote local businesses the downtown area? Do you support the with an emphasis on minority, women-owned and veteran-owned new Renaissance Plan, and which of the projects do you believe are the businesses. It focuses on improving communication, promoting businesses most important? What would you support being done with the Prince and on tracking performance. What would you propose to increase local Charles site? business participation in government contracting and spending? • City and PWC Relationship. The city received a report recommending • Unemployment. Unemployment in Cumberland County, hovering changes in the relationship between the city and PWC. In light of the around 10 percent, is above the state average. What would you do in recommendations, what steps would you take to benefit the taxpayers and leading the city to help reduce the unemployment rate in our community? ratepayers of Fayetteville? • Employee Compensation. A recent evaluation of the city's • Parks and Recreation Facilities. Our community has identified more compensation plan indicates pay ranges are below market by 5-10 percent, than $80 million in additional Parks and Recreation facility needs. What resulting in difficulty in recruiting and maintaining a quality workforce. efforts would you support to address the glaring shortage of Parks and What steps would you take to address this shortfall and where would you Recreation facilities in Fayetteville? find the necessary funds? • Citizen Review Board. This board would provide an objective outside • Homelessness. The city participated in the collaborative 10-year appeal process for citizen complaints regarding police investigations and Plan to End Homelessness, with marginal impact on the total number of is endorsed by our Police Chief, Police Department, City Council and City homeless in the community. What plans do you have to make a positive staff. The board's implementation has been stymied by the N.C. General difference? Assembly. What is your position? • Resurfacing Streets. Poor road quality impacts our citizens through The decisions each of us will make in this upcoming election are higher vehicle maintenance costs and lower property values. We currently critical. The right leadership can help us develop solutions for our spend $3.6 million per year in street resurfacing, resulting in a 37-year community and with our community. This election is an opportunity for paving cycle. Best practices call for a 20-year paving cycle. Do you believe citizens to stay informed, get involved and to have a say in important we should invest more in street resurfacing? Where will you find the issues that affect the community. necessary funds? As the outgoing mayor of Fayetteville, I urge citizens to • Storm water Issues. The city has identified $42 million in unmet let their voices be heard in the ANTHONY CHAVONNE, Mayor, storm water repair needs. The current storm water fee does not upcoming election — the quality City of Fayetteville. COMMENTS? generate adequate revenue, resulting in continued problems with of our future depends on it. Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 6 JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2013 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM