Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Dawkins says there is no place for “dirty politics” in this city.
His opponent is playing dirty politics, Dawkins says, in the Fayetteville City Council race for the District 5 seat that represents what some describe as old Fayetteville or the heart of the city.
It’s turning into a heated race.
“My opponent for District 5, Lynne Greene, lied about my record on taxes on her radio ads,” says Dawkins, 64. “I have never voted for a property tax increase on the eight city budgets I have voted on. I voted against every budget that contained a property tax rate increase. I did vote for four city budgets, but they did not contain a property tax increase in the city budget. District 5 residents pay some of the highest property taxes, is my understanding in Fayetteville. But no matter where you live, in whatever district, I have never voted to raise anyone’s property taxes. And surely to goodness, I do not vote ‘to keep raising’ property taxes, as Ms. Greene states” on her campaign radio ads.
And the claim by Greene, he says, that Dawkins no longer resides in the city isn’t true, either.
“I did sell my home in VanStory last year so that I could buy a home in Raleigh, where my mother-in-law resides full time,” Dawkins was saying early Friday. “I reside on Millan Drive, off North Virginia Avenue. I pay property taxes on my personal residence; every month I pay my rent check. Just like nearly 55% of all Fayetteville residents who rent. My wife and I live and work in Fayetteville, as we have done so for over 42 years. Dirty politics has no place in Fayetteville.”
Dawkins and Greene touched on the issue of residency Wednesday during the Greater Fayetteville Chamber candidates forum at the Crown Ballroom, where Dawkins reminded us that he still resides in Fayetteville and Greene wasted no time in clarifying just what she thinks about the District 5 race that’s getting contentious.
“I don’t care where my opponent lives,” she said. “Where will he be in five years?”
There are six City Council competitions in the Nov. 7 general election, including the mayoral race between three-term Mayor Mitch Colvin and challenger Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz. Other races are between five-term District 1 Councilwoman Kathy Keefe Jensen vs. Jose “Alex” Rodriguez; two-term District 2 Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram vs. Malik Davis; District 3 freshman Councilman Mario Benavente vs. Michele Dillon; District 4 11-term Councilman D.J. Haire vs. Stuart Collick; District 9 freshman Councilman Deno Hondros vs. Fredlisha Lansana; and the Dawkins vs. Greene race.
The mayoral, District 1, District 3, District 4 and District 9 races likely are secure for the incumbents if you go by the Oct. 10 primary results, with District 2 and District 5 generating the most interest with Davis the primary top vote-getter with 34.3% and Ingram the runner-up with 21.04%. Greene led her primary with a 46.69% over Dawkins at 35.57%.
Ingram, 33, has campaign work ahead to fend off the 28-year-old Davis.
So does Dawkins with Greene.
Taking it to the incumbent
Lynne Greene has proven to be a more than formidable opponent with plenty of momentum in her first run for public office. The 61-year-old businesswoman is quick on her political feet; she’s not backing down and she is not mincing her words no matter what Dawkins claims.
“The biggest problem with Johnny Dawkins is he treats voters like he thinks they are stupid,” Greene responded Friday to a request about Dawkins’ description of dirty politics. “One of my radio ads during the primary said, ‘The incumbent sold his home in District 5 and bought a house in Wake County.’ This is a fact. He bought a $605,000 house in Wake County and did not repurchase a personal residence in Fayetteville. Is Mr. Dawkins willing to go on record in writing that his house in Wake County is not his main home or his secondary home? He is also claiming that he does not have an HO-3 policy on his home in Wake County. Mr. Dawkins says inflammatory and misleading things, but he is always careful not to say them when he is being videoed, recorded or printed.
“Mr. Dawkins, when in print, is careful to say, ‘I own property and pay property taxes in Fayetteville.’ Does he mean personal property or real property? Does he mean a house, a car or a boat?
“The tax records show Mr. Dawkins as a 50% owner of his mother’s former home,” Greene says. “However, one of his close associates told me that Mr. Dawkins sold his share to his sister earlier this year. Is Mr. Dawkins willing to go on record with the address of where he owns real estate in Fayetteville and will pay real property taxes in 2024? I am willing to list the address of all properties that I will pay real property taxes on for 2024.”
Told you this has become a contentious District 5 race.
“Mr. Dawkins is deliberately trying to mislead voters by saying he didn’t vote for a ‘budget’ with a tax increase,” Greene says.
Oh yes, Greene says, the councilman did.
“He voted for three separate bonds for a total of $97 million of debt to taxpayers,” Greene says about passage of the 2022 general obligation bonds to support $60 million for public safety projects, $25 million in public infrastructure improvements and $12 million for housing opportunities. “At the presentation, city management was clear these bonds would cost taxpayers $0.04 per $100 (8%). For further clarity, the 2024 property tax increase matches exactly to the proposed and advertised tax increase for the bonds that he voted for.
“A tax burden by any other name is still a tax increase.
“I live here,” Greene says. “I plan to continue to live here. I think it is important that the people voting on long-term issues for our city plan to be here long-term. Mr. Dawkins indicated in a Fayetteville Observer column by Myron Pitts “that he will renew his lease if he is re-elected. I think voters are looking for a longer and more sincere commitment to our city than that. If elected, I will work hard to make our city safer, attract more businesses with better jobs, grow our tax base and focus our city on our future. And I will never treat voters like I think they are stupid.”
All of this would have made for quite a Wednesday at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber Candidates Forum, where candidates had little time to offer us more details about their candidacies for making a difference in this city. And, if you will, there was hardly any mention or address of community violence and juvenile crime.
‘Don’t believe Lynne’s lies’
Johnny Dawkins has an uphill climb if he is to secure a fifth City Council term.
He was out Friday morning at the Cumberland County Board of Elections with new campaign signs that read, ‘Don’t believe Lynne’s lies!”
Dawkins is fighting for his political life in this city.
“Lynne Greene not being truthful about my record on property taxes upset me,” Dawkins told CityView on Friday. “I grew up in a political family. My dad’s first run was in 1975, and I helped him put out signs and did whatever he told me to do. He ran every two years for 25 years until his death on May 30, 2000. The only time in my life that I recall an opponent blatantly lying about their opponent was in 1988, when Jim Gardner ran against Tony Rand for lieutenant governor.
“Gardner lied and said Tony Rand was connected to the Black Tuna Gang, which was running drugs along the N.C. coast. Gardner ran the lie on the radio and Rand filed suit against Gardner quickly. Rand’s lawyer was Jerry Beaver. The court delayed the trial until right around election time or right after.”
Dawkins recalls that Gardner won the election but when the trial convened, Gardner apologized for the campaign advertisement. Gardner, Dawkins says, served one term from 1989 to 1993 as lieutenant governor and never ran again. Rand never pursued higher state officer other than the N.C. Senate.
“The damage to Tony Rand’s reputation and character was done,” says Dawkins, whose late father, J.L. Dawkins, was the longest-serving mayor in Fayetteville history.
Epilogue
We could use some new blood on this council.
Lynne Greene could bring a strong voice to this city and it wouldn’t matter the district. She’s not afraid to speak up and speak out. But we can ill afford to lose a councilman like Johnny Dawkins, who can bring a steady calm to an elected city body that too often can’t get out of its own way.
Most of the City Council races are done deals, and we’ll all see on a Nov. 7 Tuesday evening. We’ll hold our collective breaths as Malik Davis continues his effort to unseat Shakeyla Ingram in District 2. And many of us will surely be watching to see the outcome between Johnny Dawkins and Lynne Greene in a race where no love is lost in the quest for representing “old Fayetteville.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
