Name as it appears on the ballot: Antonio Jones

Previous elected offices held: Fayetteville City Council member, District 3, 2021-2022 (appointed to fill vacated seat)

Age as of Election Day: 51

Occupation (employer, where you work, what you do): Realtor

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1. Give us your elevator pitch in 200 words or less. Why are you running for this office? What makes you the most qualified candidate?

As a lifelong resident, have raised two sons, worked, and worshipped alongside my neighbors here and am simply called to serve this region. For me, seeking this City Council seat is less about “running” and more about fulfilling my purpose: to serve, uplift, and restore hope across our neighborhoods. Too many residents have lost faith in government’s ability to represent them fairly, complete projects, hear their voices and maintain transparency. I want to help rebuild that trust. This campaign is about bringing my passion, consistency, and a proven track record of service, for real people who work hard, raise families, start businesses, and do their best every single day. I’m not offering empty promises. I’ve been engaged in this community long before my name appeared on a sign or ballot, and I’ll remain engaged long after. As a State Political Coordinator, I have worked with state representatives and local government bodies, and I know District 3 needs stronger partnerships at every level. That’s what I intend to build. District 3 deserves competent, compassionate leadership, safer streets, youth support, transparency, and a leader who shows up every day—not just during election time. I firmly believe I am that person.

2. What do you view as the three most pressing issues facing your district and the city as a whole? How will you address them as a city council member?

For District 3, some of the issues involve continued infrastructure improvement, neighborhood stability and protection, improved streets & speed enforcement , and walkability/pedestrian improvements. With the growth and development that is occurring, along with the numerous zoning requests, District 3 is rightfully concerned about how to stay informed about such and how to understand what their options are to such, all while protecting their generational wealth in the form of homes, land, and properties. Homelessness and the challenges of our unsheltered population are growing concerns that impact families, neighborhoods, and the overall quality of life. Currently, our city lacks a true emergency shelter, and with rising costs outpacing wages, the demand for housing (transitional and long term) and supportive services will only increase. Addressing this requires not only compassion but also long-term planning, financial literacy and resources that provide stability and pathways to self-sufficiency, as shelter of any type will not be enough by itself. Public safety is the second critical issue, and it extends far beyond law enforcement. It includes tackling gun violence, reducing youth crime, improving infrastructure, strengthening flood mitigation, enhancing walkability, and ensuring that our fire departments and first responders are fully supported. A safe community is one where residents feel protected, businesses can thrive, and families can enjoy their neighborhoods without fear, especially after dark. Both homelessness and public safety are connected to economic development. Attracting higher-paying employers requires us to prepare a skilled workforce that will help reduce instability, ensuring that our city grows in a sustainable, equitable way, while providing employment opportunities for current residents. To move forward, the city, community leaders, and residents must work together with urgency and accountability to make real progress.

To address homelessness, we must act on both immediate needs and long-term solutions. In the short term, we need a designated white flag shelter and additional short-term housing options. Partnering with existing agencies is critical to fill this immediate gap. I believe we should revisit the former Salvation Army site as a potential location & opportunity for renewed partnership. Long term, we must focus on wraparound services—job training, counseling, healthcare, and resources that go hand in hand with living quarters—so individuals are prepared to transition toward stability and independence. Expanding extended housing options, such as cottages or mini-homes, will also help provide additional beds, particularly for women and families, while working on increasing livable wages through economic development. Public safety is equally vital. Reducing gun violence, supporting youth, and improving neighborhood safety must receive proper attention. That means getting illegal guns off the street, holding adults accountable, and investing in prevention strategies that give youth positive alternatives through mentorship, conflict resolution, and expanded recreational programming. At the same time, we must improve walkability and pedestrian safety through better infrastructure (ie. crosswalks & flood mitigation) traffic calming measures, ensuring safer, stronger neighborhoods where families can thrive.

3. What’s the best or most important thing the Fayetteville City Council has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the council should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.

One of the most important things that the city council has done this year in retrospect, is to begin the process of modifying the way projects are handled, managed, and awarded to prevent what we encountered this year as it relates to stalled projects.

A decision I believe the Council could have handled differently is in regards to the six cents over revenue neutral tax rate in the current budget. Even though the rates are actually the lowest in 20 to 30 years, it is still six cents above Revenue neutral levels, which will directly impact residents due to the Cumberland County increased tax evaluations that were recently assessed. As a concern citizen, I organized and held several Townhall meetings where county staff attended to share about their process and what it would mean if Commissioners increased or decreased their tax rate. I also shared with participants that this County rate would be different than what the City would decide to do, but with similar choices at their disposal. I must note that at the time of these town meetings, the City had not agreed on their final tax rate budget yet, a fact that was expressed to participants of the town halls in regards to what it could possibly look like with an increased tax rate opposed to one that was at or below revenue neutral tax rate levels.

The county dropped their rate six cents below revenue neutral and the City went six cents above, thereby balancing the budget as proposed. While there may be reasons that I am not currently privy to for that increase, I believe this decision could have been handled a little differently, including reviewing what the extra revenue from the six cents over revenue neutral tax rate would be used to finance or provide. I believe that increase generated 10 to 13 extra million dollars. Again it is to be noted, that the budget is required by law to be balanced, and it was indeed balanced, with all the noted items that are a part of the current fiscal year budget.

4. Last year, the City of Fayetteville sued a contractor for abandoning over $6 million in construction projects. The city has since hired new contractors to finish the projects. What steps will you take to ensure Fayetteville is able to successfully complete capital projects in the future?

As Certified Project Manager, this is very important to me as it relates to doing one’s part to ensure projects get to completion. It was disheartening to see delays when projects were set for execution/completion. To improve the process, the city should add a third-party review alongside the city manager, assistant manager, and staff, creating four layers of checks and balances before contracts are finalized. Routine project manager site visits and clear contract benchmarks should be required to keep contractors on track and flag issues early. Finally, contracts should include performance-based provisions allowing the city to terminate agreements if key benchmarks aren’t met, ensuring accountability and minimizing future delays.

5. While overall crime in Fayetteville has decreased by around 13% this year, the number of homicides and incidents of juvenile crime have increased. The Fayetteville City Council recently enacted a youth curfew ordinance. Would you have voted in favor of it? How will you work to improve public safety and reduce crime in the city?

While we definitely have work to do in the aforementioned areas, we must also acknowledge and applaud the progress that has been done up to this point. Failure to do so is not healthy and should serve as an impetus to help aggressively attack other crimes such homicide rates, and incidents of juvenile crime.

Public safety is definitely a critical issue, and it extends far beyond just law enforcement. It includes tackling gun violence, reducing youth crime, improving infrastructure, strengthening flood mitigation, enhancing walkability, and ensuring that our fire departments and first responders are fully supported. I mentioned these because they are our factors as it relates to crime. We will also need to take a closer look at the quality of life crimes or crimes that affect our quality of life and the reasons behind increased homicide rates. It has been noted that many of the homicides involve individuals who know each other, hence, a tremendous opportunity to provide resources to the community to help counter some of these deadly encounters before they occur.

This is where our community and the city have to work hand-in-hand, as well as our newly established Office of Community Safety and our violence Interruptors, currently within our PROOVE Project, along with other applicable organizations. Without the community involvement, reducing homicide rates will continue to be challenging as there is a tremendous opportunity to provide programming, conflict, resolution training, and family support services that will help address some of the underlying issues related to homicides. A safe community is one where residents feel protected, businesses can thrive, and families can enjoy their neighborhoods without fear, especially after dark. Public safety is connected to economic stability and without it, crime rates have proven to increase, so our approach must be multi-faceted and again, include our community’s involvement along with the City and other applicable agencies. Attracting higher-paying employers requires us to prepare a skilled workforce that will help reduce that instability, ensuring that our city grows in a sustainable, equitable way, while providing employment opportunities for current residents. This, among other things, will have an immediate impact on our efforts to reduce crime and homicide rates continually. To move forward, the city, community leaders, and residents must work together with urgency and accountability to make real progress, with all accepting their responsibility in doing the necessary work. To get us to a better place. It will not happen overnight, but it can occur with the right leadership and again with all parties doing their part.

6. How will you work to attract and retain new businesses and other development to Fayetteville? Name another municipality you believe has made smart decisions about sustainable growth and development, and describe what it has done that could be implemented in Fayetteville.

Economic growth in Fayetteville must be intentional, strategic, and inclusive. To truly move our city forward, we must leverage our strengths, build the right partnerships, and focus on sustainable opportunities that benefit residents across all neighborhoods. My top three priorities for enhancing economic growth center on workforce development, small business support, and strategic partnerships that bring high-paying jobs to Fayetteville.

1. Leverage Our Military Advantage to Attract and Retain Business

Fayetteville has a unique asset in Fort Liberty, one of the largest military installations in the world. Each year, thousands of service members transition out of the military, many with highly valuable skills. My goal is to foster stronger relationships with Fort Liberty and the plethora of defense contract companies operating in our region. By creating targeted incentives and highlighting Fayetteville as a prime location for these companies to expand, we can keep both the businesses and our talented veterans in the area.To achieve this, I will work with organizations such as Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, and workforce development partners to create specialized training programs. These programs will align with the needs of incoming companies, ensuring a ready pipeline of skilled workers and opening the door to higher-wage jobs for our residents.

2. Support and Scale Local Small Businesses

Small businesses are the backbone of Fayetteville’s economy. To help them grow, I support continuing and expanding small business grants, low-interest loan products, and technical assistance programs that are specific to our region’s needs. We must work closely with organizations like the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and the Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation to identify challenges small businesses face and provide solutions to help them thrive.

I envision further utilizing the “Business Resource Hub” where entrepreneurs can access training, mentorship, funding opportunities, and networking all in one place. This one-stop approach would streamline support, making it easier for small businesses to start, scale, and succeed right here in Fayetteville.

3. Build Strong Partnerships for Economic Development

True economic growth requires collaboration across city, county, state, and private sectors. No single entity will have all the answers, but together, we can bring fresh ideas and the resources needed to drive economic opportunity forward. I will advocate for stronger partnerships with regional and state economic development agencies to attract diverse industries — from technology and logistics to healthcare and manufacturing.

Additionally, I believe enhancing the overall quality of life is essential to economic growth. Affordable housing, vibrant community programs, and improved infrastructure will make Fayetteville not just a place to work but a place to stay, live, and raise a family. Has grown With these three priorities, we can create a thriving, inclusive economy that benefits all Fayetteville residents.

Sanford immediately comes to mind. They did what I believe we will have to do in regards to taking a regional approach to development to maximize Fayetteville‘s potential. Sanford partnered with neighboring areas for infrastructure creation and improvement, as well as to market their areas collectively to attract new businesses. this insurance allowed businesses to view their areas for investment purposes and business development, which would equate to job creation and increase to their tax base. This is just one example of what other municipalities have done. we have a lot of potential and just have to work intentionally towards maximizing it.

7. The county and city have often struggled to determine who is responsible for addressing homelessness. How would you work with the Cumberland County government and other community partners to decrease homelessness in the city?

To address homelessness, we must act on both immediate needs and long-term solutions. In the short term, we need a designated white flag shelter and additional short-term housing options. Partnering with the County and existing agencies is critical to fill this immediate gap. I believe we should revisit the former Salvation Army site as a potential location & opportunity for renewed partnership. The County and we as the City, could come together to help support the use of this facility along with an extremely clear expectation of what is to occur, fiscal accountability with applicable check-ins at designated timeframes to support the desired stewardship , and to work with new Leadership at the Salvation Army. Long term, we must focus on wraparound services—job training, counseling, healthcare, and resources that go hand in hand with living quarters—so individuals are prepared to transition toward stability and independence. This again is another opportunity to partner with the County and those organizations already doing the work. Again, the expectation would be to set forth guidelines and fiscal requirements for each agency and hold them accountable to such.Expanding extended housing options, such as cottages or mini-homes, will also help provide additional beds, particularly for women and families, while working on increasing livable wages through economic development. All of the aforementioned items can be accomplished with strategic partnership with the county and city and community partners. It cannot be tackled by one entity alone, if the goal is truly sustainable and effective results.