Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide: Meet the Fayetteville City Council District 3 candidates

The Fayetteville Observer
·4 min read

Freshman City Councilman Mario Benavente faces a challenge from Michele Dillon for the Fayetteville City Council District 3 seat.

Here are their answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Fayetteville Observer. The answers have been edited for style and grammar.

Fayetteville City Council member Mario Benavente at his alma mater, E.E. Smith High School.
Fayetteville City Council member Mario Benavente at his alma mater, E.E. Smith High School.

Mario Benavente

Age: 33

Immediate family: Father: Miguel Benavente; mother: Insun Benavente

Occupation: Community organizer

Elected office held: Fayetteville, NC City Councilman for District 3

Contact information: mario@mariobe.com; 910-635-5458; facebook.com/MarioBe910; mariobe.com

For incumbents: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement or achievements in office?For challengers: What issue or issues compelled you to seek office?

Establishing an Office of Community Safety (OCS) to better respond to the 40% of 911 calls that don't require law enforcement. Right now, we do not address issues of Public Safety until a situation has erupted into a harmful emergency requiring Police intervention. In reality, there are dozens of opportunities to help citizens dealing with mental health crisis, addiction, or issues stemming from abject poverty, well before we get to that point. An OCS will be the way to address issues proactively and end our dependence on one department to address every public safety issue.

Initiating legislation to address gun violence and youth crime through a comprehensive study quantifying the economic and societal costs associated with this type of violence. Armed with this, we can move forward with innovative new policy options and strategies to advance prevention.

What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the city of Fayetteville and/or your district?

1. Improving public safety through restorative justice. 2. Redesign the city budget in the wake of the county's sales tax distribution created deficit.3. Making Fayetteville the best city to work and start a family in.

Although Fayetteville’s reputation has come a long way, there are many people who still see the city in a negative light. What are your ideas as to how to change that perception?

Recognize that while Fort Liberty is a significant economic base, we can not neglect developing other types of industry. For decades our economy has mostly served a transient community, which produces only chain restaurants, plenty of used car lots, and rentals that grow at the pace of BAH rather than what most people make per month in Fayetteville.

We must focus on creating reasons for all of our young people to want to stick around in Fayetteville. If we want to be perceived differently, we have to continue empowering our next-generation leaders to take the helm in order for us to arrive somewhere different.

What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the city, especially young families?

Invest in new opportunities for our graduates in the three institutions of higher learning in Fayetteville. When we create viable career opportunities and affordable housing availability for FTCC/FSU/Methodist students, we stop the brain drain that vexes our growth. I have introduced legislation to begin a pipeline to city employment analogous to "Teach for America" in order to address vacancies in Law Enforcement, Fire Department, IT and other areas. Additionally, working with our long-standing community members to develop Community Home Trusts in order to ensure affordable housing in areas that want to maintain a neighborhood's character and legacy for generations to come.

How have you or how will you engage with your constituents?

I never miss a community watch meeting in District 3. Receiving Certificates of Appreciation from Eccles Park Community Watch and Seabrook/Broadell Community Watch in my brief tenure as a councilman have been absolute highlights. I helped restart Cottonade's Community Watch, and there are two more in District 3 in the process of being established. These groups are the best way to ensure City Hall and the Police Department are addressing the needs of a community.

Michele Dillon is a candidate for Fayetteville City Council District 3.
Michele Dillon is a candidate for Fayetteville City Council District 3.

Michele Dillon

Age: 60

Immediate family: Mom

Occupation: Epic Trainer

Elected office held: Running for City Council District 3.

Contact information: Michele.Dillon.D3@gmail.com

For incumbents: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement or achievements in office?For challengers: What issue or issues compelled you to seek office?

Ending gun violence among our youths; senior citizens' safety; affordable housing; homeless

What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the city of Fayetteville and/or your district?

Homeless; gun violence; affordable housing

Although Fayetteville’s reputation has come a long way, there are many people who still see the city in a negative light. What are your ideas as to how to change that perception?

Making Fayetteville more safe and working with our local police department.

What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the city, especially young families?

Having more business to come here to Fayetteville. For example, try to get Apple Store or maybe Google to come here.

How have you or how will you engage with your constituents?

Yes, I try to be on social media and at some events.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville City Council: Mario Benavente versus Michele Dillon