Voters’ Guide 2022: Fayetteville City Council districts 1-5
Four of five races in City Council districts 1-5 will have primary elections. Below are the candidates who responded to a questionnaire.
District 1
Kathy Keefe Jensen is the incumbent in District 1 on the Fayetteville City Council. She is competing with William Milbourne and Alex Rodriguez.
Kathy Keefe Jensen
Age: 56
Immediate family: Husband Jerry, (29 years), Jake, Josh, James, and Dakhari, Jeremiah and Jill
Occupation: Business owner. An Affair to Remember Prom, Pageant, and Formal wear (17 Years); Keefe Enterprises, Inc (35 years)
Elected office held: City Council District 1, serving as mayor pro tem
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
I believe there is always room for improvement; that is why when cities all over were defunding the police, here in Fayetteville we raised the budget for our Police Department. We want to make sure that our police department has all the tools that they need to help keep our city safe. Right now in our nation it is not a popular profession to be a police officer. Retention is a major concern. The impact of technology can help our officers do their job and help keep our city safe. One example of this is our new cameras, license plate readers and micro grants for our citizens who want to get involved in public safety. The City of Fayetteville budget consist of 50% towards public safety. Public safety, economic development, and quality of life go hand-in-hand.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
The city and county have made much progress in working together. For the past year and a half, the city-county liaison committee has been meeting monthly. We have brought in the Cumberland County school board and the Deputy Garrison Commander for updates and collaboration. With the amounts of monies that are coming into our community, we need to make sure we spend our money wisely and get the most out of it by working together. We have also been working on matching grants on the federal level. We have worked together in getting new business into Fayetteville. I look forward to working with the county in the future on the airport corridor, the performing arts center, the homelessness situation, economic development and helping guide our residents with human services.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Even though the downtown committee is our living room, where our residents and surrounding counties like to recreate, we have always encouraged development and investment for all of our city. The airport has been going through a $50 million renovation; there are two Amazon centers; and our parks and recreation bond has put quality of life all over our city. We have become the first Gigabit city in the state. Quality of life brings economic development to our city. These are just a few projects that we have done throughout the city.
William Milbourne III
Age: 42
Immediate family: Wife Clarice; eight children: Dashawn, DeJon, Daisjah, Darion, Desiree, David, Dannah and Donielle
Occupation: Veteran U.S. Army, entrepreneur and real estate investor
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Invest in improving living conditions that put people at greater risk. These investments include education, employment opportunities, stable housing and encouraging community engagement.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Absolutely! Communication between government bodies is imperative to success as a community. Any project that benefits both city and county should at least be considered and possibly addressed together, i.e. storm water, homelessness and educational opportunities.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Encourage and invest in small businesses, not just financially but educationally. Economic empowerment is often what people need. We must also encourage investment in the less desirable parts of our city.
Jose Alejandro “Alex” Rodriguez
Age: 47
Immediate family: Leslie Farmer-Rodriguez, wife; Catrina Lynn Rodriguez and James A. Rodriguez, children
Occupation: Department of the Army security officer, former police officer, retired military intelligence officer.
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Replace the current police chief with one who is tougher on, more aggressive towards and more pro-active against crime — one who isn't going to restrain the department's officers from enforcing laws. A new police chief is needed to change the current toxic atmosphere permeating throughout the department. Confidence in the department will increase and improve as soon as officers have a police chief that doesn't micromanage or second-guess her officers.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Relationships between the city can always improve through joint planning meetings and improved cross-communication. The county commissioners and the city need to respect each others' authority but come together to address the needs of the citizens. The Civil War and Reconstruction museum is one that has already been approved and needs to have the City Council move forward now that state and county funds have been allotted.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Tax breaks, decreased property taxes, additional economic incentives, PWC/utility credits, increased police presence on foot or bicycle —all of these can have some large restorative effects on downtown Fayetteville. Downtown Fayetteville suffered as a result of the May 2020 riots. Insurance rates increased to the point that many small business could not afford to remain open. The aforementioned incentives and actions can go a long way in restoring business owner confidence and assisting in maintain a downtown able to flourish.
District 2
Shakeyla Ingram is the incumbent in District 2. She is running against Janene Ackles, Joseph "Bear" Dewberry, J.V. Peterson and Tyrone Williams.
Janene Ackles
Age: 52
Immediate family: Charles Dublin (spouse). Blended family: Jasmine Ackles, Jakel Ackles, Jontario Ackles, Jasanta Ackles, Nyeeisha Dublin, Nizjahlik Dublin, TyQuan Dublin and Ty'Nazia Dublin
Occupation: Nonprofit consultant/grant writer
Elected office held: Former precinct chairwoman - Democratic Cross Creek 2a
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Before you can address the issue of the increased murders, we have to understand what is contributing to these numbers. The state of our city, race relations, pandemic and other factors could be contributing to these instances. As far as whether the Police Department is doing all it can do. ... I will say that the first issue is that our Police Department is seriously understaffed. There also needs to be more accountability training and a way to bridge the gap between law enforcement and many of the underserved neighborhoods. Many communities of color do not trust our law enforcement. We need a citizens review board and oversight committee which will be representative of the communities themselves.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Part of my platform is to bridge the gap between the City Council and the county commissioners. I do believe that there is work to be done. It will take a concerted effort to make it happen. However, we have to look at the big picture and work together to have a great city as well as county. One important thing we should be working on together is education and city auxiliary services to compliment our educational services for our youth. We need better programs and events that will engage our youth and foster their minds into being self-sufficient and great citizens. Many of our children in the city attend schools which are in the county but not city boundaries. A school such as Sunnyside Elementary, which is outside of the city, but serves children in District 2 needs attention but is being neglected. There are many other projects but this is one I have asked about for a long time.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Safety and viable housing is at the top of my list. I have put resources together that will allow lower income families to become homeowners. I partnered with NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) to do a housing workshop in early 2020 pre-pandemic which had over 200 attendees in the city; it features no credit scores and merely demonstrated ability to pay rent on time as the qualification — with no down payment or closing costs. I am also working with CESI (Consumer Education Services) down payment fund and N.C. Home Advantage programs as well. The more viable housing we have, the easier it is to attract business in more underserved areas. Homeownership is an investment in your community. The Cumberland County Community Watch Coalition which I founded in 2020 was created to put more community watch programs in high-crime areas as well as allowing each watch program to be under the umbrella of the coalition to receive funding for their own communities. In summary, safe neighborhoods attract more citizens. More citizens with viable housing attracts visitors and business opportunities. Business opportunities and attractive neighborhoods will entice larger industries that we can work with to bring their business here but to also reinvest back into the communities where the industry will be located.
Joseph “Bear” Dewberry
Age: 48
Immediate family: Wife and two kids
Occupation: Business owner
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
The sharp increase in the number of murders in 2021 is concerning for our city, and because drug-related robberies continue to lead the list of possible motives, our conversation must include a discussion of illegal drugs. The city of Richmond, California, had a similar problem in the 1990s, and it responded by addressing violent crime as a problem that could be controlled by tackling other challenges like truancy, juvenile probation and public housing blight. By building partnerships between the Police Department, the community, the public works department and the housing authority, the city built more pride in its communities and built trust among the people who live there. As a result, the number of homicides dropped 58% over a 3-year period, from 62 to 26. We must address the number of officer vacancies that exist within the department, and the department’s ongoing struggle to fill those openings. If internal problems or department leadership contribute to these struggles, we must address them immediately. We must ensure that our officers are being allowed to engage the public appropriately rather than being prohibited from taking action. We should also acknowledge that the city’s overall crime rate was down in 2021 and use that momentum to continue moving in a positive direction.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
When members of the Cumberland County commissioners refused to meet with city officials about a sales tax dispute, it communicated that the county wasn’t interested in a discussion about sharing more of the sales tax. And even though the county holds the power to make this decision and commissioners aren’t required to meet with the city, a willingness to meet could go a long way toward improving relations between the two groups. In order to move our city forward, we should move toward collaboration, and our government officials are best positioned to begin the effort. When the City of Chicago established a joint task force to improve collaboration between the city and the county, the result was a savings of $33 million after the first year, and new initiatives that helped the public connect with government more easily. Moving forward, programs like Pathways For Prosperity — designed to reduce generational poverty — represent the best of our city and county officials. We should continue to look for ways to join our resources and share our ideas, like the Institute for Community Leadership, because a rising tide raises all ships. When the two entities work together for the good of the people, everyone benefits.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Fayetteville’s Urban Design Plan seeks to improve aspects of the downtown experience by improving mobility downtown and drawing more people to the area. It’s a good idea, and one that would benefit every part of the city. The move toward increasing walkability can improve health and build community among citizens who spend more time moving through their neighborhoods on foot and less time in their cars. The city has likely learned a lot through the process of improving downtown, and we should capture those lessons for the benefit of the rest of the city. I would like to create a cohort of downtown business leaders who could partner with those in other parts of the city to share their insights and their lessons learned from the experience. Instead of furthering an us-and-them mentality, I would seek creative ways to connect the people downtown with other citizens so they can share ideas and apply the lessons learned to future projects. Programs like the Murchison Choice Neighborhood Plan seek to do important work in District 2, and I would encourage community participation in the programs so that many voices and backgrounds are represented in the effort.
J V Peterson
Age: 71
Immediate family: Brothers, sisters
Occupation: Funeral home owner - Unity Funeral Services
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Most murders are the result of gun violence. Easy access to guns is a problem. Like so many other cities, the challenge is finding a way to reduce the number of weapons available to people who are predisposed to commit crime. The Police Department should allocate resources and access to technology to help RESPOND to criminal activity. The city and the police department cannot solve this problem alone. We must engage other agencies.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
The short answer is YES. There should be more collaboration with the issue of homelessness, transportation, mental health and policing.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
It is important for our city to be business-friendly. We must find a way to remove roadblocks that discourage small business development. The UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) codes need to be re-evaluated and made less cumbersome.
Tyrone Antonie Williams
Age: 53
Immediate family: Three children
Occupation: Real estate investor/developer
Elected office held: Fayetteville City Council District 2. Also served on Economic Development Board in Norfolk, Virginia and Safety and Procedures Board, Norfolk and Southern Railway
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
In my opinion, unfortunately, the Police Department has some difficult tasks. It is trying to find the answers through multiple applications and a systematic outlay of problems. For example, a Fayetteville police sergeant was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after a warrant says he used his Taser. The police sergeant deployed his Taser into the back of the man five times while he was in handcuffs and in custody. The arrest warrant also claims that the man did not attempt to assault the police sergeant or any other officers present before, during or after the Taser was fired. The man was initially arrested on Feb. 26 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. According to the warrant, he refused to take a breathalyzer test and blood test to determine his blood alcohol levels. Obviously, there were two people involved in this incident that had ongoing problems that from a mental state should have previously been addressed in a humane society. Trusting police officers is one of the issues that needs to be addressed in residents' early years, with citywide programs. The police sergeant should have been trained properly — as well as ongoing training of the adequate procedures in handling a situation when a person refuses Breathalyzer and blood tests. We have to insert the human aspect into everything that we are trying to accomplish in our society. This incident could have been a murder. Thank God for the intervention of other officers, who prevented that from happening. This has to be a community that sees things happening and gets involved early to make a positive change in our society.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
The city and Cumberland County can improve their relationship. For example, the collaboration of both with MetroNet has begun a 2-year project installing nearly 1,000 miles of fiber optic infrastructure throughout Fayetteville and the entire Cumberland County area. Their work with fiber optics will include installing services underground in public rights-of-way (using boring equipment), on utility poles, and private property. MetroNet, their contractors, and/or work are not managed by the Public Works Commission. This partnership shows the crossing of lines for the greater good of the citizens. Going forward I would like to see the city, Cumberland County and Fort Bragg collaborate on an amusement park to attract individuals inside and outside the community. This would be an opportunity to create employment, encourage activity in kids, improve property values and provide connection space. A perfect location in District 2, which will be my district once elected, for an amusement park would be the former Swamp Dogs stadium. I have been in ongoing open dialogue with the assistant to the garrison of Fort Bragg, a county commissioner and the Fayetteville mayor. Hopefully, we can all come together and work on bigger projects which will benefit all communities.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
My plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city includes utilizing American Rescue Plan (ARP) money, which has already been funded to the city of Fayetteville at $40.4 million. Using STEM programs, research industries and incubators to assist the youth at both high school and college levels via training, education, creating high level jobs and technology would be ways to boost education in the city. We should work to maintain the smart youth within our city versus them leaving the area to seek advancement outside of the city. For example, attracting industries and companies such as Big Pharma, Pfizer, Moderna, PPD and Icon, would boost the economy and stimulate development tremendously.
District 3
Antonio Jones is the incumbent in District 3. He was appointed in December to fill the seat left vacant after the resignation of Tisha Waddell. His challengers for the seat are Bill Ayerbe, Mario Benavente, Kurin Keys and John Zimmerman.
Bill Ayerbe
Age: 54
Immediate family: Stephany Ayerbe, wife; Sebastian and Guillermo (sons), Savanah and Holly (stepdaughters)
Occupation: Musician, violinist, owner of Ayerbe Violin Studio
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
It's unfortunate that violent crime has again reared its ugly head in our community. Over the past few years, there has been an inherent lack of trust in our Police Department. There has also been a tremendous lack of respect for our men and women in blue. Recruitment, retention and education are needed on both sides to resolve this issue. I don't believe the current department is doing all it can do. Criminals need to fear punishment, and it takes prosecution to solve the problem.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Yes I believe they can improve their relationship, but there MUST be compromise on both sides to truly move forward. We all want the same end goal: Peace, safety and respect in this incredibly diverse city. The homelessness issue is incredibly important to me but it encompasses multiple issues. Mental health, addiction, job loss, etc. We have to find the root causes and work with the county to come up with viable solutions to help our fellow citizens in the best ways possible.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
We have had a partner in Fort Bragg, and it's time we started working even closer with them. There is no reason that we can't have a manufacturing sector along the Interstate 295 corridor. We should be looking at Fort Bragg's needs and reaching out to defense contractors to expand their role in our area. It would be beneficial to Fayetteville as well as Fort Bragg. It would be truly working together to benefit the needs of all.
Antonio B. Jones
Age: Not provided
Immediate family: Amichia Gainey-Jones (E.E.Smith graduate); 2 sons, ages 21 & 23, one at Fayetteville State University
Occupation: Licensed REALTOR-Owner, Key Diverse Solutions, LLC; Pastor, Temple of Faith Church Father!!
Elected office held: District 3, Fayetteville City Council; N.C. REALTORS Diversity Committee Executive Committee Member; Cumberland County JCPC (Juvenile Crime Prevention Council)
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Just as murder is a multi-faceted problem, it has to be addressed in a like manner, as there is not one solution to this problem. This includes a significant increase in community engagement through but not limited to, increasing community watch participation and support (i.e, mini-grants, neighborhood FPD meet-and-greets, safety trainings, etc.), increasing efforts to remove illegal weapons from our streets and extensive use of the Violent Crime Community Advocate program to engage the community along. These initiatives could be used along with the new CPAB to create viable partnerships with organizations already serving our youth in a preventative manner. This age group is involved in many of the shooting incidences. Working across and with agencies and ensuring our Police Department has the necessary tools and technology will assist, as well as FPD doing what it can to deal with the troubling national trend of increasing murder rates. Having more things to engage our youth and attracting companies to provide jobs is also a component. We must continue our increased efforts to recruit and maintain tenured officers, increase pay and deal with any morale or communication issues. That will help keep experienced officers here who learn their areas and establish relationships with residents.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
I firmly believe that the city and county can improve on the collaborative relationship. This is one aspect that I believe I can assist with based on my past experience with collaborating with state, federal and local agencies on projects and initiatives. One joint project or area that the city and county can work together on is the homelessness issue, as the county is the main recipient of funds in that regard. Current efforts are underway to do so. These must be continued and met with a resolve and subsequent actions to get everything completed as planned. Being the current representative of District 3, I must add that another joint project(s) that should be considered is the development of the northwest corridor of Murchison Road from Interstate 295 to Shaw Road. This is one of my personal focuses during the time I am on Council as it seems to be one of areas that has been forgotten. I firmly believe since the county and city both own land in this area, it would be an ideal area to consider building affordable housing units (via partnerships, housing trust, etc.). The units could be built along with some form of recreational or green space since our parks and recreation master plan shows it to be a recreational desert. This area in my district could actually serve as an impetus for the city and county to be an example and demonstrate how strong and united we are in regards to working as ONE cohesive unit to serve the community. And lastly, possibly, just possibly, with the aforementioned items included, this could be the area that the new E.E. Smith High School, which is under consideration for construction. This area is still part of the Murchison Road corridor, it’s proximal to Fort Bragg I-295 and it is definitely one area where my efforts, among others, will be focused as the potential here is unlimited. Since the current location of E.E. Smith is landlocked, why not seriously consider “unlocking” the potential of the northwest Murchison road corridor? A joint venture would open up opportunities for grants and other funding to help with what could easily be one of the biggest joint ventures in recent history. A project could give the community what it wants and deserves, in the form of a new technologically advanced high school with a community connection and a history that is vital to preserve.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
I believe we must focus on other areas of the city in order for us to be the destination place that many desire us to be. As council members, we must remember that, while we are representatives for our specific districts, at the end of the day we are all TEAM FAYETTEVILLE. We collectively represent everyone. Just as the city has done throughout the years for other corridors, the same aggressive approach, if not more, needs to be placed on areas that can and should be developed. This cannot be in theory either, as it must be coupled with strategic planning AND funding to make it a reality. These under-developed, or should I say, underserved areas must receive consideration for new capital projects, to include but not limited to, new entertainment venues, recreational facilities and the like. We want to attract various types of businesses, including those in the tech industry but must proactively develop these noted areas that have been forgotten or overlooked for many years. It should be part of an effort to draw the businesses to those particular areas. We need to be intentional about building up the other areas throughout the city in order to attract not only visitors to these areas, but provide our city residents with a plethora of choices. Let’s not only imagine and talk about a city and/or county where there’s something for everyone to do but let’s start making it a reality, In this way, wherever people go, they see excellence EVERYWHERE, not just SOMEWHERE: #onefayetteville
Kurin Keys
Age: 44
Immediate family: N/A
Occupation: Business Owner
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
1. Law enforcement needs more resources and community support. We need Violence Prevention tactics that have proven track records of reducing crime. 2. The men/women in blue are maxed out and burned out on every end. We need solution-based thinking. We speak loudly about accountability and very low about implementing solutions.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation and Cumberland County Schools need to partner on a vocational summer job program for students ages 14-15.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
1. We have to reduce the crime immediately. Businesses love the economics of Fayetteville but the crime makes them back away from the table. 2. We must publicize the positives of Fayetteville and let the corporate world know that we are a worthy investment of their time and resources.
John Zimmerman
Age: 53
Immediate family: Kimberly
Occupation: Self-employed
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
I do not believe the Police Department is doing all it can. I understand they can only make arrests and charges are up to the District Attorney’s office, but there should be some type of collaboration as to what the DA’s office will prosecute and who they will release. Domestic violence charges should be more seriously scrutinized as it pertains to incarceration and bond amounts with limitations. The same applies to drug charges (meth, cocaine, oxy, etc —not marijuana). I mention domestic violence and drug charges as it appears these are the core causes to the most recent murders. Assaults would be next for consideration.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Absolutely! Understanding both agencies are short-handed in the manpower departments, each agency should be able to back the other up when short-staffed. If there is a domestic violence call within the city limits & Fayetteville police cannot respond fast enough, then any available deputy should be authorized to handle the call for the safety of the citizens. There are mutual aid agreements currently in place but they are never utilized. This would be one aspect that should be utilized immediately! Another would be a simulated mass casualty incident so each agency understands their roles and responsibilities with regards to hierarchy authority in a critical situation. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when” the next massive hurricane will hit our fair city and the safety of the citizens needs to be the highest priority — not trying to figure out who’s in charge or who will handle the emergencies.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
When I learn all the “who, what, where, when, why and how’s” of how the city works, I can better answer this question but as I understand it, the Murchison Choice Project shows a really good grasp of what economic development and investment could look like. The Gillis Hill area has a really good grasp of it as well. I personally want to look into this “donut hole” area that has been forgotten about. Why has an entire neighborhood been forgotten or “overlooked” when both District 1 and District 3 were redistricted around it? Why wasn’t this neighborhood annexed already? How could the city just leave these people to fend for themselves? Which fire department is allowed to cross through city districts to fight a fire in this neighborhood? I want to look into other areas of the city (north, south, east and west) to find where the greatest potential for economic growth and investment is, then formulate a plan from there. But my 1st priority for District 3 is to find out what we have to do in order to help this “donut hole” neighborhood get access to the resources it needs and how we can annex it into the city limits.
District 4
D.J. Haire is the incumbent in District 4. He is competing against William Grantham and Thomas Greene.
Thomas Greene
Age: 50
Immediate family: Sonya Greene
Occupation: Self-employed bail bondsman
Elected office held: None
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
Increase police presence, more interdiction in the narco-economy in Fayetteville
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
We could do many things. One thing would be a partnership to address homelessness.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
Start off with a local, county and state task force in order to disrupt the human trafficking and drug trafficking in the city.
D.J. Haire
Age: 63
Immediate family: Wife, Wendy; five Daughters, four Grands.
Occupation: Real estate, local business owner
Elected office held: City Council District 4
How can the city address the increased number of murders? Is the Police Department doing all it can, in your opinion?
We can always do better and improve within our Police Department. I like community policing. I truly believe if we can increase in having better relationships between police and the community that goes a long ways. One example could be residents calling their zone officers on their personal cell and informing them of a high crime act that maybe taking place or that may be in a planning stage. A resident brought this concept to our Police Department called a "Violent Crime Reduction Advocate." I'm still learning about it, but it's a concept on getting into these areas of the city with higher crime statistics and doing education programs. It involves teaching citizens and making them aware of how these higher crimes affect their surroundings and their neighborhoods, in all markets. There's no one fix for crime improvements. I'm open to learn and look at new methods, technology, concepts that other cities are trying and sharing with our Police Department and council.
Can the city and Cumberland County improve their relationship? What joint projects do you think might be useful to consider going forward?
Yes, there is always room to improve relationships with the county. Presently the city and county are looking at the same new gunshot and camera technology. I think this is a great initiative for both bodies to collaborate together with. This is good for the municipalities and the citizens of Cumberland County as a whole. To go along with this new technology venture, we can add working together on community policing. Both bodies working together builds more trust with our neighborhoods. With cities all over the globe searching for more manpower and retention, I think it would also be very useful for us working together on that issue.
Downtown has received plenty of attention when it comes to economic development and new initiatives to encourage investments. What is your plan to encourage development and investment in the rest of the city?
As you drive around our city you can't help but see city investments throughout our city limits. They include new housing; more recreation; investments in our corridors; funding for small and local businesses; affordable housing planning; large corporations and companies (Amazon and others); new fiber internet (MetroNet); and a new Health Wellness Center coming to Murchison Road and Filter Plant Drive. These are just a few items that have been driven by the present City Council. I will continue to support these type initiatives. I'm one of the people who spearheaded efforts toward more incentive packages for Contractors and other Investors to rebuild in our older neighborhoods. I'm always supporting and requesting that our ordinances and policies be more business-friendly to our business community. I will continue to support having open conversations with our public, military, county and other stakeholders. Growing our city more is a collaborative effort.
District 5
Johnny Dawkins is the incumbent in District 5. He has one challenger, Frederick LaChance. The race will not have a primary.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Voters’ Guide 2022: Fayetteville City Council candidates districts 1-5
