Mayoral candidates clash over finances, unity
Reggie Ponder, The Daily Advance Staff Writer Sep 20, 2023

Editor’s note: The Daily Advance’s coverage of 3rd Ward candidates who attended Tuesday night’s candidates forum will appear online Wednesday and in Thursday’s printed edition.

Mayoral challenger Christina Williams hammered incumbent Elizabeth City Mayor Kirk Rivers over fiscal control issues at a candidates forum Tuesday night as Rivers defended his record as one of unifying the city and inspiring progress.

Williams, who buttoned her answers to various questions by reading letters from citizens asking the N.C. Local Government Commission to take fiscal control over the city, asked rhetorically: “When did Elizabeth City become a city that has on-the-job training for its finance staff?”

She was answering a question posed to mayoral and 3rd Ward city council candidates attending The Daily Advance Candidates Forum at the Pasquotank County Courthouse asking whether they supported continuing to pay an outside accounting consultant up to $172,000 annually for fiscal assistance after having already paid some $500,000 to another outside firm for that service.

Rivers pushed back on the city’s critics, saying they have used the LGC’s scrutiny of the city and the city’s fiscal issues — which he said had begun before the current elected officials and current city manager took office — as a distraction from good things that are happening in the city.

He cited as examples of positive developments the growth that has taken place downtown and 10 new surveillance cameras that have been installed in neighborhoods and other areas.

The forum, which was moderated by retired attorney Mark Maland, also included City Council candidates from the 3rd Ward. But the exchanges between Rivers and Williams were especially pointed. Bennie Murphy, a third mayoral candidate, did not attend Tuesday’s forum. He previously had told The Daily Advance a family emergency might prevent his attendance.

Answering a question about funding for nonprofits, Williams circled back to incomplete city audits and lack of certainty about the city’s financial situation.

“We don’t know how many funds we have,” Williams said. There has to be certainty about that before any additional funds can be allocated for nonprofits or anything else, she said.

But Rivers said he is proud of investments the city has made in youth and proud of $15,000 that has been allocated to help people who are homeless.

Answering an audience question about unpaid invoices that were more than six months old, Rivers said the questioner should contact City Manager Montre Freeman and ask him directly about those kinds of things. Rivers said he is not the manager and does not get involved in those kinds of operations.

“As mayor my job is to be the big cheerleader for our city,” Rivers said. He said the focus on the city’s finances should not be allowed to be a distraction from positive things happening in the city such as increased enrollment at all three colleges and classes that are being offered in the city to help people become homeowners.

He went on to say that city officials want everyone to get paid for products or services they have provided.

Answering a question about communication with citizens about important matters, Williams described the city’s current communication with citizens as “abysmal.” She said she believes the current city council misuses closed sessions and is not transparent with citizens.

Rivers said he and members of the council are transparent by being in the community and being accessible to citizens.

“We are in the community to be accessible for all questions,” Rivers said.

Williams also accused Rivers of setting a bad example by returning property that had been stolen from the Northeastern High School Athletic Booster Club in 2021 without divulging the name of who had been in possession of the property.

Rivers defended his action, saying that his goal was to get the property back to the booster club. He said he was able to find out where the property was because of the trust that people in the community have in him.

Rivers said he is most proud of how city officials are working together in harmony.

“We need to talk about the ‘we,’” Rivers said. “We are working together.”

 

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/mayoral-candidates-clash-over-finances-unity/article_d454a47a-57a2-11ee-8fa3-db7c37d4e947.html

5 incumbents, 3 challengers file for EC October races
By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer Jul 7, 2023

Mayoral candidate Christina Williams has kept one of her campaign promises.

Williams announced her second run for mayor on July 1 at the Pasquotank Political Action Committee picnic, saying at the time she would be the first candidate to file for the Oct. 10 municipal election.

Williams kept that promise.

She arrived at the Pasquotank Board of Elections Office on Edgewood Drive at 5 a.m. Friday morning and was the first candidate in line when filing began at noon.

First Ward councilors Joe Peel and Johnson Biggs were the second and third candidates, respectively, to file, both arriving at the elections office in the first hour of filing on Friday. Both ran unopposed in 2022.

Fourth Ward Councilor Johnnie Walton, Third Ward Councilor Katherine Felton and Second Ward Councilor Rose Whitehurst also field for re-election later Friday afternoon. Ronnie Morris also filed in the Fourth Ward while Moe Moore joined the Third Ward race.

Williams said she sat in her car and did some reading “on different things related to the city” while waiting for filing to open.

Williams is expected to face Mayor Kirk Rivers in October. Rivers announced in May that he plans to seek re-election.

Williams finished third in the 2022 mayor’s race, receiving 361 votes, or 13.37%. Rivers won the race with 1,364 votes, or 50.50%, while former city councilor Jeannie Young finished second with 972 votes, or 35.99%.

“This is the first step for Elizabeth City getting from the red to the black,” Williams said. “Obviously, we are in a bad financial situation and that is not going to change until we have new leadership, and probably qualified management.’’

Peel, who served three terms as the city’s mayor from 2011-17, was first elected to City Council in May 2022. He said he believes his experience in city government is needed on City Council.

“I’ve got experience and council is at a point where it needs some level heads and some people with experience,” Peel said. “I would hope that the voters will look at my past record and consider me as someone to vote for.”

Biggs, who is also serving his first term on City Council, said it has been a pleasure to serve the First Ward and the city. He believes his experience as a banker is beneficial to the city.

“We have accomplished a lot” in my first term, Biggs said. “We have had a lot thrown at us in the last year. I feel I have done my best to serve the citizens of Elizabeth City as a whole, but in particular in the First Ward, to the best of my ability. We have completed a (past-due) audit and we are well on our way to completing another past-due audit.”

Candidate filing for the city’s Oct. 10 municipal election ends at noon on Friday, July 21.

Early voting for the city election for mayor and eight council seats starts Sept. 21 and the deadline to request an absentee ballot for the Oct. 10 election is Oct. 3. The deadline to register to vote in the election is Sept. 15.

Candidates will file at the Pasquotank Board of Elections office and the filing fee for mayor and City Council is $10. After Friday, candidates can still file from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 10-14 and July 17-20. Filing on the final day, July 21, will be from 8 a.m. to noon.

 

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/5-incumbents-3-challengers-file-for-ec-october-races/article_b7efb406-3255-5001-a577-59bafc6e4ddf.html

It’s official – I filed at noon today to run for Mayor of Elizabeth City! I have read many letters from our citizens already and I wholeheartedly agree with the concerns about our city’s financial health, absent transparency, mismanagement, and lack of direction.

Make no mistake, “it ain’t all good” in Elizabeth City – in spite of what our city leaders are telling us! We are being lulled into a dangerous complacency. We are being lied to. We are being misled. We need new leadership and qualified management immediately to turn things around. I vow to take our situation seriously and work tirelessly until we are moving forward as the Elizabeth City and Harbor of Hospitality I know we can be!

If you would like to reach me to discuss your concerns regarding the city, or to share ideas, my cell number is 757-286-9073. Please feel free to call me anytime to chat.

If you want to see your city run properly, please tell your family and friends to actually show up to the polls to VOTE for me on October 10th, or during early voting that begins September 21st.

~ Christina Williams, July 7th, 2023 Facebook Post

PAC founder Williams to make 2nd bid for EC mayor
By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer Jul 3, 2023

Christina Williams is seeking a rematch with incumbent Mayor Kirk Rivers in Elizabeth City’s non-partisan municipal election in October.

Williams, who run unsuccessfully for mayor in last spring’s delayed city election, announced her second bid for the city’s highest elected office at the Pasquo-tank Political Action Committee’s annual picnic Saturday afternoon at Journey Christian Church. Williams, a registered Republican, founded the PAC in 2021 and is the group’s executive director.

Rivers told The Daily Advance back in May that he would seek a second term as mayor in the city’s Oct. 10 election in which all eight city council seats will also be up for grabs. Filing begins Friday at noon and ends July 21 at noon.

Williams finished third in the 2022 mayor’s race, receiving 361 votes, or 13.37%. Rivers won the race with 1,364 votes, or 50.50%, while former city councilor Jeannie Young finished second with 972 votes, or 35.99%.

Williams said she is running to improve transparency in city government and to fix the city’s financial troubles. To improve transparency, Williams said one thing she will do if elected is hold regularly scheduled town halls.

“I think there is a total disregard for transparency in Elizabeth City,” Williams said. “If you google City Council Elizabeth City and you pull up the monthly cash balance report it still has not been updated since 2018. We shouldn’t be hiding financial information from the citizens.’’

Williams said she is concerned that Rivers and some other elected officials are ignoring directives and advice from the state’s Local Government Commission regarding the city’s financial state.

Elizabeth City is on the LGC’s Unit Assistance List mainly because of not submitting audits on time. One past due audit has been completed but the 2021-22 audit still has not been completed. The city and the LGC entered into a financial accountability agreement last October.

“We are, obviously, in a lot of financial trouble,” Williams said. “The city is not complying with the state, they (city) still haven’t explained where a lot of missing money has gone and we have extreme infrastructure needs.’’

PB Mares, the private accounting firm that completes the city’s annual audits, did not report that the city was missing any funds in its past-due 2020-21 audit. The firm is currently completing the city’s also late 2021-22 audit. The city is on the LGC’s Unit Assistance List because of the late audits and because of its failure to reconcile its monthly bank statements for a 15- to 16-month period.

Williams believes that because of her work with the PAC and with local and state Republican party leaders, she has built connections that will benefit the city if elected.

“I also have the connections with local and state officials to effectively bring ideas and solutions to Elizabeth City,” Williams said.

The May 17, 2022 municipal elections were scheduled to be held in October 2021 but were delayed because needed U.S. Census data from the 2020 census was not available for the legally required redistricting of the city’s four wards. That May city election also coincided with Republican and Democratic primaries which featured several contested state and local races.

In the last contested October mayoral election in 2017, fewer than 12% of the city’s voters cast ballots. Williams believes the key to victory is getting voters who want a new direction in the city to the polls.

“There are a lot of differences in this race,” Williams said. “For one, we don’t have a primary so it is just municipal. Voter ID is in place now, we have felony voting restrictions in place now. The Democrat Party chair, who did a fantastic job for them for a long time, has retired so they are without an organized, seasoned chair. The Republican Party has an organized chair for the first time in a long time.”

Williams said she intends to be the first candidate to file at the Pasquotank Board of Elections on Friday. For the last municipal election, Williams filed on the final day.

“I don’t want to be accused of splitting the vote and I want to make sure everybody knows that I want to do the job,” Williams said.

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/pac-founder-williams-to-make-2nd-bid-for-ec-mayor/article_56fc0cdc-a715-5c69-b4b5-706d4f46e842.html

Pasquotank GOP censures Overman, pulls support for his re-election bid
By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer Oct 5, 2022

The Pasquotank Republican Party has voted to censure and cease all support for GOP at-large Commissioner Barry Overman in his bid for re-election next month.

The censure resolution, passed by the local GOP Tuesday night, claims that as a commissioner, Overman has repeatedly voted “against conservative values” while showing “indisputable support” for liberal values.

“The Pasquotank County GOP formally censures Commissioner Barry Overman for his failure to support conservative Republican goals and policies for Pasquotank County during his tenure as a member of the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners and his failure to participate with and support other Republican members of the Pasquotank County Commissioners and the Pasquotank County Republican Party,” the resolution states.

GOP executive board member Robert Newell said one person at Tuesday’s meeting voted against the resolution while the rest of the 38-40 party members in attendance approved the measure in a voice vote.

Overman is seeking a second term on the Board of Commissioners in the Nov. 8 election and is one of three candidates seeking two open at-large seats. Democrat and fellow incumbent Commissioner Charles Jordan and fellow Republican Wayne Parker are the other two candidates. Voters can vote for two of the three candidates in the election.

The local GOP’s resolution caught Overman by surprise. Interviewed Wednesday afternoon, Overman said the local GOP party had “never reached out to me” regarding his voting record. He said to be attacked as a sitting Republican commissioner without having an opportunity to respond was disturbing.

“Not once has anyone from that group reached out to me and asked me for my stance or for my reasoning,” Overman said. “It’s a shame because quite a bit has been taken out of context. It’s a shame this is the route that they have chosen to take. I have been in some type of service my whole life, my career, my volunteering. That is what my life has been about.’’

Newell said the tipping point for those who supported the resolution was Overman’s recent vote to sell a county-owned tract in Dare County to the town of Kitty Hawk for $4.1 million.

Overman joined Democratic commissioners Jordan, Cecil Perry and Lloyd Griffin in approving the sale in August. GOP commissioners Jonathan Meads and Sean Lavin opposed the sale, saying the county should do a new appraisal of the property, which has a tax value of $5.1 million, before selling it. Meads also advocated for a $4.8 million selling price.

“The final straw was when (Overman) voted with the Democratic county commissioners to sell the property in Dare County for $1 million under its tax value,” Newell said. “Everybody but the one ‘no’ vote voted yes (on the resolution).”

Overman called the $4.1 million sale price for the Kitty Hawk property a “reasonable” offer, noting that a new appraisal could have come in “higher or lower.” He said he was also concerned about not knowing how commercial property sales would go in the future because of the economy.

“It was a great opportunity to sell a property that was costing us money to keep,” Overman said. “It was common sense.”

Former mayoral candidate Christina Williams, a registered Republican, said she was the only party member who voiced opposition to the resolution. Williams, who is also the founder and executive director of the conservative Pasquotank Political Action Committee, agreed that around 40 people attended the meeting but said that a lot of people “chose to stay silent” on the voice vote for Overman’s censure.

“I didn’t want to go along with that, it was inappropriate,” Williams said of the resolution censuring Overman. “A lot of people didn’t seem to understand what they were voting on when they voted.’’

Williams believes that the intent of the resolution is an effort to hold an “elected official accountable.”

“But this close to an election, I don’t think this is the appropriate time to do that,” she said.

The resolution also indirectly references the removal of the Confederate Monument from the Pasquotank County Courthouse to private property in Nixonton. Overman was one of four commissioners — and the only Republican — who voted in favor of the move that passed the board on a 4-3 vote in July 2020.

The censure resolution states “the party supports a unified strategy to stop the removal of our historic monuments, make fiscally responsible choices, provide fair election processes and keep the citizens of Pasquotank County safe.”

Williams said the Pasquotank GOP had never taken an official stand on the removal of the Confederate Monument until Tuesday night.

“The Pasquotank Republican Party itself as a group has never discussed the Confederate Monument,” she said. “We have never had any votes to say as a group we are for keeping the monument or against moving the monument. They did include that in the resolution and that is one of the reasons I also voted ‘no.’ The political party’s purpose is to get a candidate elected and not to worry about those other things.’’

Williams thinks the resolution will have little effect on the election, saying she believes Overman and Jordan will be re-elected by the voters. She noted the PAC has not endorsed any candidate in the at-large race.

“I don’t think this really does anything except do a disservice to our sitting county commissioner,” Williams said, referring to Overman. “No disrespect to Wayne Parker, but I did not see the point of a political party coming out against a sitting county commissioner.”

Newell acknowledged that Jordan is likely to be re-elected and that ceasing party support for Overman is an effort to get Parker elected.

“We know that Charles Jordan will win re-election anyway because of the demographics of the county,” Newell said, an apparent reference to the large number of Black voters in the county. Jordan is Black.

“Our main focus is getting Wayne Parker elected,” Newell said. “Hopefully, this will be enough for people to vote for Wayne Parker only. Therefore, Barry Overman will lose re-election and Wayne Parker will take his seat.”

Overman said the local GOP’s censure resolution won’t affect how he votes as a county commissioner.

“I try to vote for what is best for everybody,” he said. “I don’t pay any attention to what party member voted for what. I don’t think that is how you do good business. You vote for what is good for the entire county and not for what is good for just one party.’’

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/pasquotank-gop-censures-overman-pulls-support-for-his-re-election-bid/article_3e7d2737-e2c3-5bf0-a0b8-c808e183b39c.html

“Anyone who spends $12 each on campaign signs is totally frivolous with their donors money. This is why our city has lost 24mil in 4 years and the current administration (including Young) is doing everything to avoid answering questions about bleeding city taxpayers money. The office of Mayor requires fiscal responsibility and professionalism which my opponent is not demonstrating. Conservatives understand that it’s important to get good value for money spent. Professionals don’t jump to conclusions and blame innocent people. Does anyone really want a Mayor that makes false accusations without any proof and runs to the newspaper pointing fingers??” ~ Christina Williams

—-

Mayoral candidates say campaign signs going missing

By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer

All three candidates running for Elizabeth City mayor say they are finding that hundreds of their campaign yard signs are disappearing across the city.

Kirk Rivers, Christina Williams and Jeannie Young are running for mayor in Tuesday’s nonpartisan municipal election. Early voting is underway and ends Saturday.

Young said Tuesday that around 200 of her campaign signs have been stolen over the last three weeks.

Williams said Tuesday afternoon while greeting voters at one-stop voting that several hundred of her campaign signs have also been stolen.

Rivers said his campaign has seen yard signs disappear but he did not describe the missing campaign signs as being stolen.

Most of the signs that Young claims to have been stolen have been taken from public rights of way in the city. But several have also been stolen from supporters’ homes, she said.

Young, who currently represents the First Ward on City Council, did not directly accuse anyone of stealing her signs. However, she indirectly pointed the finger at Williams’ campaign.

She said her signs have been stolen twice at some locations. Shortly afterward, yard signs promoting Williams’ campaign have appeared at the same locations, she said.

“This is the catch and the funny thing is, when my signs come up, Christina Williams’ signs replace them,” Young said. “I find that odd that all my signs have been taken up and all her signs have been put down in the same spot where mine were. It’s almost like they are leaving a calling card.”

Williams flatly denied Young’s assertion that her campaign is responsible for Young’s missing signs.

“I’ve had absolutely nothing to do with any signs disappearing,” Williams said. “I’ve had nothing to do with it and I have had a lot of my signs removed.”

Williams said she went to the N.C. Department of Transportation and the city’s Public Works Department to see if they had removed signs but found none.

“The grass-cutting people are taking them as far as we can tell,” Williams said. “It is just not my signs, it’s just not her (Young’s) signs, it is everybody’s signs.’’

Rivers said his campaign is trying to stay positive and moving forward when it comes to missing campaign signs.

“Some people may have picked them up and taken them to their house,” Rivers said. “Some of the places we have placed them, they are not there anymore. Everything will work itself out.”

Young estimates that most of the yard signs she has put out on public rights of way have been taken. Young said she has not filed a police report and doesn’t plan to because it would be hard to prove who took them.

“If they are not in someone’s yard, they have been taken,” Young said. “I have to assume they are being destroyed. I think it is childish and it shows the type of character that they (the persons taking them) have. I think it is petty to file a police report because I don’t want to follow a bad action up with another bad action.”

Young said her campaign is not replacing the yard signs that have gone missing. She said each sign costs around $12. Williams said her signs cost around $5 each.

“Those signs are expensive,” Young said.

Young said she believes that having signs stolen is a compliment to her campaign.

“Someone must think I’m doing something right,” Young said. “The only reason someone would take up my signs is because they feel I am going to win.”

Williams has a different take on the election, saying voters she has talked with are dissatisfied with the direction of the city.

“I think she (Young) is a little nervous,” Williams said.

 

The Daily Advance Article Link:

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/mayoral-candidates-say-campaign-signs-going-missing/article_c69b2cf7-62b6-533b-bf6f-743cff7527fe.html

 

By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer

 

With early voting getting underway this week, Elizabeth City voters are already casting ballots for who will serve as the city’s next mayor for the next two years.

Three candidates are vying in the May 17 election for the right to succeed Mayor Bettie Parker, who is not seeking a third term. They include City Councilor Jeannie Young, former councilor Kirk Rivers and political newcomer Christina Williams.

Williams, 44, is the executive director of the Pasquotank Political Action Committee. This is her first run for elected office.

Young, 57, is the owner of several local businesses and she currently represents the First Ward on City Council. She has served a total of eight years on council.

Rivers, 48, is entrepreneur and a former city councilor that served a total of 10 years.

The Daily Advance recently submitted questions about key city issues to each of the three candidates. Their answers follow each question.

TDA: Why are you running for mayor?

Williams: “I am running for mayor because I want to be proud of my city and I want others to be proud to call Elizabeth City home. There needs to be changes to get to where we should already be. I can bring about a new era of prosperity and growth and opportunity.

“Elizabeth City is in dire need of stable and honest leadership without motive. I constantly talk to people from all walks of life and hear the struggles many of them face. I want to help residents meet those challenges. I want to see confidence and faith in city leadership replace the hopelessness I hear from long-time residents.

“I’ll work hard to get us back on track financially and demand better budget planning to keep us there. We can beautify our city and we can make our city safer. My job doesn’t end with attending City Council meetings and participating in committees. The biggest part of my job is talking to people and listening to everyone.

“I believe in trying to incorporate people’s ideas and wishes into plans we make for the future of Elizabeth City. I intend to ensure that Elizabeth City sets goals and works toward them.”

Young: “I have served the city of Elizabeth City for eight years on council. When I’m not on council, I continue my service to this beautiful city, through multiple programs that my husband and myself have implemented to help provide a stable environment for the youth. Also, to help provide the best quality of life for our entire community.

“In performing these different tasks, I believe I have proven myself to be a very strong and capable leader. The accomplishment that I’m most proud of is the ability to foster and grow amazing relationships with all people. My greatest hope as mayor is to unite our community.

“I will work with the help of council and community to create a stable environment not only physically but financially. I want to create a community of one.”

Rivers: “I am running to provide visionary and experienced leadership to all citizens of the city and to steward growth, ensure safe neighborhoods, encourage programs for youth and be a champion for small businesses, Elizabeth City State University, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, College of The Albemarle and U.S. Coast Guard.”

TDA: Former interim manager Ralph Clark, in a farewell memo to council, said that the “divisiveness” and “constant bickering” is keeping City Council from more important work. Is Clark right? If not, why? If he was, how can City Council better work together on issues facing the city and what role would you as mayor play to get council to better work together?

Rivers: “I am not here to judge past councils. There are nine persons on each council. That is nine different opinions from different walks of life, economic backgrounds, work experiences and nine ways of expressing their views. We are not always going to agree and we have to not take differences personal but respect the opinions of each councilor and not judge anyone.

“The mayor must treat every councilor the same and with respect. Mayor (Bettie) Parker does an amazing job with this; I have big shoes to follow. I am going to encourage that the mayor and council have team building excises throughout the year.”

Williams: “I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments Ralph Clark expressed in his outgoing remarks. As mayor, part of my responsibility would be to ensure that City Council meetings are conducted responsibly and represent our citizens appropriately. I will not allow council members to argue, or leave early because they don’t like what is being discussed.

“City Council needs to act in a more professional manner towards its constituents and city businesses. Each council member should have the opportunity to present their differing viewpoints uninterrupted and without fear of criticism by the rest of the team. I will use proper Parliamentary Procedure to move discussions forward in a manner that ensures a productive meeting environment.

“I believe that everyone who is running for City Council cares about the city, so there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t sit down and have a grownup conversation at every meeting about what we each believe will be in the best interests of our citizens.”

Young: “Yes, Mr. Clark was correct in making the statement that the bickering was keeping the council from more important work. The way that I would promote the council to work together is I would lead by example and would not make issues personal. Second, I would educate myself on the policy and procedures of the city, the personnel policy and the city charter. I would encourage the council to do the same.

“But if needed, I would make sure that while conducting and presiding over the meetings that they would be run with respect. We need to respect each other, conduct ourselves in a professional manner and concentrate on the business of the city in order to move the city forward. We don’t need to concentrate on the personalities of each individual on council. Put the city first, not personal agendas.”

TDA: The city has faced numerous crises and problems the past 18 months including the deadly shooting of Andrew Brown Jr., the hiring and firing of a city manager and the subsequent hiring of different short and long-term interim managers and problems with the city’s financial books among others. As mayor what would you do to instill public confidence in city government?

Young: “To say that the city has been through a lot in the past 18 months is an understatement. We need to instill confidence back into city government and into the community from the top. I believe it will take a candidate such as myself that has a proven track record of being a strong and stable leader, a leader who can always make the right choices when faced with the most difficult vote to accomplish this.

“When I am mayor the first order of business will be to have a townhall meeting where I can share as much information with the community as possible without divulging any of our confidential information. This will dispel some of the false narratives that has been put out into the community and have a dialogue to inform and educate ourselves together on issues and ideas that hopefully will be bringing forth solutions.

“Some of the topics would be city management, community policing, budgets and audits and infrastructure. Along with council, I would promote round table discussions. This would give the community an opportunity to provide input that would give the mayor and council an opportunity to seek solutions to problems within their communities. The most important value I will bring to the table will be to listen. Let the community be heard.”

Rivers: “Transparency and communication are the key to solving these problems and allowing the council to make the decisions. As mayor, I will consistently put forth ideas and policies. Then, council shall debate each issue thoroughly and then vote on it.”

Williams: “Communication goes a long way towards earning back trust once it’s lost. I would issue a quarterly report made publicly available on what the council has accomplished, where we have spent taxpayers’ money, and what plans are in the works.

“I will ask that controversial issues be brought to public forum or by referendum to the voters. I will seek a forensic audit of where money has gone for the last two years and make that information available to the public. I will host regular public forums to allow all citizens the opportunity to speak about issues that come before us.

“I will vet our staff better before they are hired. We are paying enough for various positions to not settle for employees who are not the best candidates. In my personal life, I ensure I get my money’s worth. I want the same thing for Elizabeth City. If we are paying well for a job, that job needs to be performed well. There is always someone looking for an opportunity that will do a better job than a person who doesn’t take pride in doing their best work. With a good staff working hard for all citizens comes improvement.”

TDA: Elizabeth City is a diverse city with a lot of different points of view. Because of that, it’s important that the city’s mayor be able to work with many different types of people. Can you name a project or activity that you worked on that involved people of different races, political points of view, or other differences and what was the outcome?

Williams: “Before coming to Pasquotank, I had a successful and award-winning career in radio where I reached people from every walk of life. I trained many interns of all backgrounds for over a decade in radio, web design, and marketing. In Pasquotank, I started a political action committee in which I invited speakers that have engaged citizens throughout Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County. With the many speakers, we’ve brought Democrats, unaffiliated, and Republicans together to learn about North Carolina’s political history.

“By bringing these groups together we’ve been able to discuss many points of view with positive outcomes. I look forward to creating more opportunities for everyone to come together.”

Young: “I have worked in multiple settings that has afforded me the opportunity to work with numerous diverse groups. Those include the Visit Elizabeth City Tourism Board, Downtown Elizabeth City, Inc. board, E.C. Frightnights, American Legion, Connect EC, Police Athletic League and the Fraternal Order of Police.

“All of these different organizations have been very successful in their fields. The division in the city, I think this is one of our hardest problems facing Elizabeth City with one of the simplest solutions. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Show someone else’s family the love and respect that you would want your family to be shown. If we all live by these rules it will transform Elizabeth City into one community.”

Rivers: “I reflect upon when I was on council when a hurricane hit our area and the community had needs not being meet. I organized a hurricane breakfast where the Elizabeth City councilors and candidates cooked and served the food, cleaned up and had fellowship together. The money from the ticket sales went to provide monetary assistance.

“It showed that we may disagree on issues but we all love serving our community. We had all the councilors from all of the wards and mayor, males and females, white and Black, Republican and Democrat and old and young serve our community.”

 

The Daily Advance:

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/mayoral-candidates-discuss-ways-to-move-city-forward/article_76698fbe-6db9-5bf6-a185-3ab1a2ec53c3.html

By Paul Nielsen The Daily Advance Staff Writer

The three candidates for Elizabeth City mayor discussed four-year terms for councilors, the city’s financial condition, and the city’s denial of a parade permit on the one-year anniversary of Andrew Brown Jr.’s shooting death, during a candidates forum sponsored by the Pasquotank NAACP Tuesday night.

Mayoral candidates Kirk Rivers, Christina Williams and Jeannie Young took several questions from forum moderators as well as questions from some of the 75 people in attendance at the Pasquotank Courthouse.

The city’s municipal election is May 17 and early voting starts April 28.

The candidates were provided with a list of possible questions before the forum that could discussed but only a handful were presented to the candidates.

Three of the questions asked of the candidates included the city’s financial condition, the denial of the NAACP’s request for the Brown parade permit, and possible four-year terms for councilors.

Former interim City Manager Ralph Clark in March denied a request from the NAACP to hold a “Journey to Justice” march on Thursday, April 21. Police Chief Larry James and Fire Chief Chris Carver signed off on the denial of the permit.

Brown was shot and killed by three Pasquotank sheriff’s deputies on April 21, 2021, as they attempted to serve warrants at Brown’s residence. The three deputies were later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by District Attorney Andrew Womble.

Rivers, who earlier in the forum called Brown’s shooting “an execution” and was active in the peaceful protests that followed, said that instability in the city manager’s position since the firing of former City Manager Montre Freeman last fall has created problems.

Like Clark, current interim City Manager Richard Hicks works part-time, which Rivers said he is opposed to. Hicks, who works 24 hours a week, is expected to serve as interim manager until the end of the year.

“We have had problems in the last 10 months, we have gone through four city managers,” Rivers said. “We only have a part-time city manager — that is a problem. Being denied the right for a ‘Journey to Justice’ march in Elizabeth City — that’s a problem. But we are going to bring solutions.”

Williams said she hoped the denial of the march permit, and earlier “lockdowns” following the shooting, were not made to “disenfranchise” anyone in our community. Williams is the founder of the conservative Pasquotank Political Action Committee.

“I think they were probably looking at all the outsiders coming into the community that didn’t have our community at heart or the best of interests here,” Williams said. “I don’t think our city denied anyone anything in our community. I think they were looking at the outsiders coming in and with the safety. I absolutely agree that we need a permanent city manager.”

Young, the only one of the three currently serving in city government —she’s a city councilor representing the First Ward — and said City Council has no role in approving or denying march permits. But she said she would have supported issuing the parade permit if the application “was legal and followed our policies and procedures.” She also the city had little choice in hiring Hicks to serve as interim because full-time applicants did not meet the criteria set by City Council.

“Everybody has the right to protest peacefully if it meets the criteria of my city — yes, I would support the march,” Young said. “We have to make sure we have a qualified (city manager) candidate, we didn’t want to make some of the same mistakes that were made before.”

The candidates were also asked about a recent revelation by Hicks that city is facing a $1.2 million shortfall in water and sewer revenue this fiscal year and what they would do about transparency in the budget.

Young said city needs to update its master plan so citizens know what priorities elected officials have.

“In doing that, we need to prioritize what we do first,” Young said. “There is so much of the infrastructure that has to be fixed. This is not a short-term fix, this is a long-term fix. We have to be cognizant of the taxpayer dollar because this is going to take a lot of money to do. We can get funds from grants.”

Williams said that if elected she would ask for a complete “forensic audit” of the city’s financial books.

“For the last year, no one has been able to tell us where our money has gone,” Williams said. “We have to get a handle on where our money has gone. I want to see every line and what is happening. We need to let the citizens know how we have spent their money and what we have done.”

Rivers said that if elected that on his first day he would lead a push to stop new spending until the city has a better understanding of its financial picture. The city has also not completed its audit of the 2020-21 fiscal year that was due Nov. 1.

“We have to stop spending and make sure we get our financial house in order so that way we know what we are spending,” Rivers said.

Williams and Young both voiced support for four-year terms for City Council while Rivers, who previously served 10 years on council, said that decision should be left up to the voters.

City Council terms were changed from four-year staggered terms to two-year terms after a successful voter referendum in 1998. The city’s mayor has always been elected every two years.

Williams said two-year terms means councilors are back in campaign mode after just one year.

“If you are in campaign mode every other year, you are actually not doing anything for your citizens,” Williams said. “You are thinking about yourself and not the citizens or the city.”

Young said she believes four-year staggered terms for City Council would benefit the city.

“That way you always have some experience left on your City Council,” Young said. “I am very much in favor of four-year staggered terms.”

Rivers was on City Council in 1998 and said the will of the voters spoke on the issue.

“Let the citizens vote for a four-year or two-year (terms),” Rivers said. “If you represent your ward, you will get elected whether it is (for) four years or two years.’’

 

The Daily Advance Article Link:

https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/mayoral-hopefuls-debate-parade-denial-city-finances-4-year-terms-for-councilors/article_e8e676b4-7118-5c7b-a066-6170a511b109.html