City Manager Doug Hewett and his senior staff likely will find themselves burning the midnight oil over pushback from Mayor Mitch Colvin and some Fayetteville City Council members regarding Hewett’s proposed $322 million fiscal 2027 budget, which includes a 3‑cent property tax increase and a $10 annual solid‑waste fee hike.
“To me, this wasn’t your best work,” the mayor told Hewett at a work session this week. Councilmember D.J. Haire, dean of the council, has said he isn’t comfortable with a property tax hike on city residents, either. Back to the drawing board, Mr. City Manager. You have some budget tweaking to do, and it sounds like the mayor means business.
Cumberland County Manager Clarence Grier told me this week he kept residents in mind in preparing his $656.5 million proposed budget for fiscal 2027 that does not include a property tax increase. Grier said part of his thinking was how residents are struggling with the high cost of groceries, fuel cost for automobiles, and everyday living expenses.
John Webster, executive director for the Child Advocacy Center, which works on behalf of child abuse prevention, is calling on Cumberland County commissioners to provide “robust” funding for the nonprofit. “I was quite alarmed to learn that the CAC will not receive funding in the proposed county budget unless community funding can be located,” Webster said at a public hearing Monday. “Mr. County Manager and commissioners, I’m asking you in the most simple of terms to reconsider this decision and provide generous funding even more than in previous years to the CAC… I hope you understand that if the CAC ceased to exist, the county would be forced to pay for these services by contracting with professionals to offer the services. In addition, our center offers a vast number of preventive services throughout Cumberland County, services designed to reduce the number of child abuse victims. Please, do your part to fund the CAC as we strive to be a place of healing and hope for the children of this county. They deserve nothing less.” Alicia Hughes also pleaded with commissioners to provide funding for the Cumberland County Council on Older Adults. Commissioners assured Webster and Hughes funding is set aside.
Don’t be surprised if a Fayetteville firefighter knocks on your door Saturday. “Smoke Alarm Saturday gives our firefighters the opportunity to meet residents where they are and bring life-saving fire safety information directly into our neighborhoods,” Fayetteville Fire Chief Kevin Dove said in a news release. “By focusing on high-risk and high-call-volume areas, we can help ensure residents have working smoke alarms, understand the importance of early detection and have the resources they need to stay safe.”
The Fire Department installed 311 smoke alarms and 73 carbon monoxide alarms, according to the release, during the first quarter of this year. To learn more about scheduling a home safety survey or having smoke alarms checked prior to June 6, or at any time, Fayetteville residents can visit the fire department’s website or call 910-433-1730.
Some in this community say it’s going to be a hot summer, and the Cumberland County Department of Social Services is providing free box fans with its Fan Giveaway Program for eligible resident who do not have access to air-conditioners. Those residents must live below 200% of the current poverty level, according to a news release, and have a family member in the home under age two, over age 60, or with a heat-sensitive medical condition. Qualified residents may visit DSS at 1225 Ramey St. or call 910-677-2388 or 910-677-2389.
This year’s Cumberland County high school commencement ceremonies are leaving longtime school board member Greg West somewhat melancholy. “My last graduation is coming up,” West, 59, said about the Massey Hill Classical graduation held Wednesday at the Crown Coliseum. West said he has attended 361 graduations in his 24 years on the Cumberland County Board of Education. “And I have watched over 84,000 graduates walk across the stage,” he said. “I’m kinda sad.” West is bidding for a seat on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in November.
“Bill, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your (June 3) column on the Headquarters Library’s 40th anniversary,” writes Kennon Jackson, the incoming president and CEO for the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County. “It was exceptionally well done. You captured not only the history and importance of the library to Cumberland County, but also the broader role that institutions like the library and the arts play in strengthening a community. Too often, people view these assets as amenities when, in reality, they are essential parts of what makes a community vibrant, educated, connected and attractive to residents and visitors alike. I especially appreciated the way you highlighted the library’s impact across generations and reminded readers of its enduring value. Stories like this help reinforce why continued investment in cultural institutions matters. Thank you for continuing to shine a light on the people, places and organizations that help define Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Your work helps tell our community’s story in a way that is both meaningful and memorable.” All the credit, Mr. Jackson, to our CityView team.
“Thank you so much for your excellent coverage of our ‘Topping Off’ ceremony in CityView,” Artistic Director Mary Kate Burke and Managing Director Ella Wrenn write on behalf of the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s placement of the final steel beam on May 14 for remodeling of the theater on Haymount Hill. “We truly were grateful to read it and deeply appreciate the care that you gave to such an important milestone for our organization. As we look ahead, we thank you for preserving CFRT’s past, present and future with such respect. Fayetteville is so lucky to have you carrying forward the legacy and stories of our community’s important cultural institutions.”
Odell Dalton was the retired veterinarian at Central Animal Hospital on Owen Drive, where he always had a compassionate heart for animals and families who loved their pets. He was a soft-spoken, gentle, kind and caring veterinarian. A 1965 graduate of Hope Mills High School, Dr. Graham Odell Dalton Jr., died at age 78 on May 28 in Waynesville. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for noon today at Pinecrest Funeral and Cremation Services, 4721 Dunrobin Drive, Hope Mills.
Maranda Weeks, a registered nurse at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, is recipient of the FirstHealth Daisy Award for her caring and compassion for her patients. “Maranda was fully aware of my aunt’s terminal condition and prognosis,” the family member of a patient said. “She consistently demonstrated deep empathy, presence and kindness during an incredibly difficult time for our family. Maranda opened her heart to us by sharing her own personal experience of losing her mother in 2020, which allowed her to truly understand the grief and heartache we were experiencing. On the final night of her shift, Maranda stayed with our family in my aunt’s room for well over an hour, simply to comfort and console us. Our family, and I am certain countless others, has been profoundly blessed by the care, compassion and love she gives to those entrusted to her care.” Shannon O’Neal, Weeks’ supervisor at the Observation Specialty Unit, said she is “an incredible example of nursing excellence and compassion.”
Coming Sunday: “Their presence is still with us,” a principal remembers.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
