Incumbent and newly-elected Fayetteville City Council members will be sworn in at 6 p.m. Wednesday for two-year terms. The new council will also select among themselves a mayor pro tem to assume mayoral duties in the event of Mayor Mitch Colvin’s absence.
The special meeting, which includes an oath of office recitation, will take place in the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Rd. It is the first meeting during which newly-elected Dist. 5 Councilmember Lynne Greene and Dist. 2 Councilmember Malik Davis will be able to vote — and put themselves up for — the role of mayor pro tem.
In the mayor's absence, the mayor pro tem assumes the typical mayoral duties, which include leading city council meetings and all other mayoral duties as laid out by local and state law.
The mayor pro tem election is standard procedure with the two-year city council cycles, but this year’s election is especially pronounced as the former mayor pro tem, Johnny Dawkins, was voted out of office. Greene takes his place as the Dist. 5 representative.
It’s unclear yet who of the nine regular city council members will put their hat in the ring for mayor pro tem, but candidates will need to gain the support of the majority of their colleagues to secure the role.
To learn more about the role and function of the mayor pro tem, click here.
The next city council meeting is at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at City Hall, 433 Hay St. As the first regular meeting of the month, it will have a public comment period. Individuals interested in speaking during the public comments period must sign up beforehand.
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
