Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide: Meet the Fayetteville City Council District 5 candidates
Long-term Councilman Johnny Dawkins will face off at the polls in November with realtor and developer Lynne Bissette Greene for the Fayetteville City Council District 5 seat.
Here are the candidates' answers to a candidate questionnaire from The Fayetteville Observer. They have been edited for style and grammar.
Johnny Dawkins
Age: 64
Immediate family: Spouse of 40-plus years, Donna, and two grown children.
Occupation: Benefits consultant for EbenConcepts, Fayetteville.
Elected office held: City Council District 5 for six years, 2017 to present. City Council District 9 from 2003-05.
Contact information: dawkinsforcouncil@gmail.com; www.jldawkins.com; Facebook: Johnny Dawkins
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?
Making the motion in 2004, after gathering the votes to have the debt forgiven by the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, to turn the museum over to the U.S. Army in perpetuity. Creation of the Drainage Assistance Program for our citizens to help them with stormwater problems. Completing the Segra Baseball Stadium. Fully funding the Fayetteville Police Department. Creating a business environment in our city for millions of new investment dollars and new jobs.
What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the city of Fayetteville and/or your district?
We must continue to improve public safety and reduce crime. We must continue to grow good-paying jobs. We must continue to protect neighborhoods, so families can enjoy a quality of life unmatched in North Carolina. We must continue to promote positive relationships with Fort Liberty, Cape Fear Valley Health System, Fayetteville State University, FTCC (Fayetteville Technical Community College), Methodist University, and our large and small employers. I have the business experience to continue to do that.
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?
I was born in Fayetteville, I grew up in Fayetteville, went off to college, came back to Fayetteville, and started two successful businesses. By working with our military, our schools and universities, and our local health system, we can create an environment for better-paying jobs. When people have more money in their back pocket, they feel better about themselves, and they have a better perception of their city.
What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the city, especially young families?
Over 10,000 soldiers separate from the U.S. Army every year at Fort Liberty. We must make sure we work closely with Fort Liberty, our universities, our manufacturing sector, our small businesses, and our local hospital system so young families, veterans, and our graduates will want to stay in Fayetteville.
How have you or how will you engage with your constituents?
For six years, I have been a quick responder to my constituents. My goal is to respond to a citizen within 24 hours. I may not have the answer to their question, but I know how to connect our citizens to the resources and people on city staff who can provide the answers. I have published my cellphone, so I get lots of texts and phone calls. My home address is 1908 Millan Drive, so if there is a problem, I can get to my constituents quickly. Of course, I get quite a few emails to johnnydawkins@fayettevillenc.gov every single day. My leadership training, my 42 years of business experience, and my vision for the future of Fayetteville, all matter, as I help the city council chart the course for a brighter future for ALL of our citizens and their families.
Lynne Bissette Greene
Age: 61
Immediate family: Daughter, Krystle Greene of NYC
Occupation: Realtor/developer
Elected office held: None
Contact information: info@lynnebgreene.com, 910-237-8224; Facebook - Lynne Greene for City Council;www.lynnebgreene.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?
Fayetteville needs new leadership that is community-focused. I love this community and it's important to me that we make Fayetteville the best it can be. I want to be part of the leadership that makes that happen.
What do you consider to be the top three to five challenges facing the city of Fayetteville and/or your district?
1. Safety of Fayetteville’s citizens is top priority. We need to increase funding to our Police Department for additional staff/officers (currently over 80 vacancies), officer retention (which should include higher wages to be competitive with other cities our size) and most importantly, training. We also need to invest in successful community programs like after-school activities and summer job opportunities that will address the causes of crime before it turns into violence. We need open lines of communication between our Police Department and neighborhoods to build collaboration and reinvigorate a sense of pride in our city’s neighborhoods.
2. We need to be "open for business." Part of that means improving safety so we can attract businesses and their employees. We need better incentives for businesses to move here and invest here. We must keep our tax base in line with other cities our size if we expect to recruit business.
3. We need to "focus on Fayetteville's future." We need to incentivize businesses to locate here. We must help existing businesses stay healthy and resilient. Fayetteville has to be fiscally responsible NOW to ensure that we have funds for the future, which will minimize tax increases. Commonsense strategies for the future!
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?
This is a difficult question because for some people "perception is reality," and changing their minds can be challenging. I remember a survey done years ago by the Chamber of Commerce where they polled groups of people inside and outside North Carolina regarding their "perceptions" of our city. The group which had the most negative view of Fayetteville were those inside the state, but within that same group, a large percentage of them had never visited Fayetteville. Unfortunately, I believe it ties back to crime rates and how the media sells negative news. We must intentionally, as a community, focus on our positives and the assets we have to offer our citizens.
What are your ideas for attracting new investment and new residents to the city, especially young families?
Again, offering a safe city is paramount. No new investor or business wants to locate where the crime rate is too high. We need to evaluate how to incentivize businesses to locate in neglected areas in order to begin revitalization. We need to invest in green space, cultural events and our city's identity so people will move here, work here, stay here and play here. We need to also focus on the resources already at hand. FTCC (Fayetteville Technical Community College) offers many trade courses (plumbers, electricians, etc.) where those students who don't desire a college degree can begin to learn a skill in high school and can join an apprentice program immediately after graduation. Homegrown "young families" start here at home by giving them a reason to stay here and become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow!
How have you or how will you engage with your constituents?
I have spoken individually with many of my constituents personally, listening to their concerns and the issues which frustrate them most. The tax increase is affecting all of us, and many of my constituents feel there were parts of the 2022 bond referendum that were not disclosed to them. My webpage and social media page are both great places to learn more about me. I have tried to be very informative on both sites, for all voters, not just my constituents. I have several opportunities coming up where my constituents will be able to hear me speak or talk to me one-on-one. Those events will be listed on social media as the dates approach. Most importantly, I try to be accessible by phone. The nature of my work does not always allow me to answer immediately, but I do try and return calls and texts as quickly as possible.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville City Council: Johnny Dawkins versus Lynne Bissette Greene
