Name as it appears on the ballot: Shaun McMillan
Previous elected offices held: N/A
Age as of Election Day: 49
Occupation (employer, where you work, what you do): Educator; Army Retiree; Organizer
Best phone number and email for voters to reach you. Website and campaign social media:
- 910-849-8994
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?
I am a lifelong resident of Fayetteville, deeply rooted in the community I now seek to represent. My extensive background as a retired US Army Officer, a secondary education teacher, and a passionate community organizer has uniquely prepared me to serve the citizens of District 8.
My commitment to public service extends far beyond my military career. I am currently one of many local organizers fighting to enact critical initiatives aimed at enhancing community safety in Fayetteville, NC. My efforts have contributed to the City of Fayetteville’s establishment of an Office of Community Safety (OCS), a crucial step towards implementing comprehensive and proactive safety strategies. Furthermore, I champion the importance of independent oversight, advocating for transparency and accountability within local institutions to ensure the well-being of all residents. My vision for Fayetteville is one where every citizen feels secure, heard, and actively involved in shaping the future of their community.
2. What do you view as the three most pressing issues facing your district (if applicable) and the city as a whole? How will you address them as mayor or as a city council member?
The city is currently facing many pressing issues but I will highlight: 1) impending cuts to critical funded programs 2) an affordability crisis and 3) a housing shortage. These problems are deeply interconnected and require a proactive, collaborative approach to solve.We must create systems of care now to prepare for the impending challenges.
Approximately 37% of Cumberland County residents rely on vital assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, utility assistance programs and Free and Reduced Lunch for students. The recently passed “Big Beautiful Bill,” however, threatens to severely impact our residents and will likely lead to a loss of benefits for many. In North Carolina, estimates suggest hundreds of thousands could lose their health coverage and food assistance. This will place an enormous strain on families who are already struggling to make ends meet and put the most vulnerable, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities, at risk. The impending cuts come at a time when many residents are already in a precarious position. A large portion of our workforce, particularly those in low-to-moderate-income brackets, cannot afford to rent or buy a home in the county. Nearly half of our renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend over 30% of their income on housing. There is a significant gap in the supply of rental units for low-to-moderate-income households.
As leaders, we must proactively work with the county and surrounding towns to mitigate the harm caused by these cuts and further build out a Community of Care. This cannot be a fragmented effort. We must create a unified front to withstand the coming storms. As a Council member I will work to bring together civic organizations, veterans’ organizations, youth-centered groups, churches, schools, and a host of Western Fayetteville organizations to build relationships in a 3rd Spaces Collective. By interlocking roots as a community, we will be better equipped to advocate for our needs, share resources, and create a resilient network that can support every resident.
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.
The most important thing the City Council has done in the past year was establishing the Office of Community Safety (OCS). The OCS was a direct byproduct of community advocacy and sound policy-making. If shaped and funded properly, in the future the OCS will provide non-armed, specialized responses to issues like mental health crises, homelessness, and youth-related challenges. This includes dispatching trained mental health professionals to non-violent calls, connecting people experiencing homelessness with vital resources, and proactively engaging with young people to prevent them from entering the criminal justice system. The OCS is designed to establish a more holistic and humane public safety system and could put us on a path to address the root causes of the issues we often approach reactively.
I disagree with the Fayetteville City Council’s 8-2 vote (January 2025) against establishing a Sentinel Event Review (SER). I view this as yet another rejection of accountability and transparency. In the wake of the police homicide of 22 year old mother Jada Johnson, former North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein recommended that an SER be conducted to better understand the circumstances and prevent similar tragedies. The council’s decision was a disappointing step back from a process that could help our city learn from critical incidents and build a more trustworthy public safety system. True community safety requires systemic changes, not just a shift in focus, and the council’s vote showed a lack of commitment to that principle.
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?
To stop wasting money on “busted” construction contracts, the City of Fayetteville could implement greater transparency and accountability systems. I love the suggestion of a publicly accessible online dashboard for every major project, providing real-time data on budget and timeline. Additionally, the city could establish an independent auditor or inspector general with the authority to review contracts and investigate reports of waste or fraud, ensuring a check on the entire process.
Beyond public-facing data and independent oversight, the city can strengthen its contracts by including clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and penalties for non-compliance, such as fines for missed deadlines or shoddy work. These clauses would create a financial incentive for contractors to perform well and on time. Also the implementation of a robust whistleblower protection program would encourage city employees or contractors to report misconduct without fear of retaliation, creating an internal system of accountability that can identify problems before they spiral into costly failures.
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?
I would have opposed the youth criminalization curfew based on my belief that true community safety comes from addressing the root causes of crime, not from punishing young people. This approach is more effective and just, and it’s the core principle of my work. This belief is informed by both data and principles. Studies consistently show that curfews do not effectively reduce crime and often lead to harmful outcomes. These laws disproportionately criminalize and profile young people of color, which erodes trust between law enforcement and the community. Instead of punishing youth, I’m committed to care over criminalization. That’s why I’ve championed initiatives like the Office of Community Safety (OCS), which focuses on preventative measures like violence interruption, mental health support, and youth opportunity. My goal is to build a safer community by addressing poverty and lack of opportunity rather than relying on punitive, ineffective policies that harm our young people.
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.
Many of my neighbors underscore that there is a lack of businesses that contribute to upgraded quality-of-life in our area. It’s frustrating that (from District 8) we have to drive 20 minutes to see a movie, and the absence of outlets and “third spaces” for young adults contributes to youth issues. I want to shift our economic development strategy away from the low-impact, high-saturation businesses that dominate our landscape, like gas stations and smoke shops, and instead attract businesses that genuinely serve our community’s needs. We need to work with residents to understand what they want—whether it’s a family-friendly restaurant, a coffee shop, or a youth-centered entertainment venue. This approach ensures that we’re building a community that reflects the desires of the people who live here. I think there are also opportunities to work with our neighboring communities in Hoke County, which faces a similar quality-of-life business drought. By forming a regional partnership, we can create a stronger, more attractive economic corridor that benefits both Fayetteville and Hoke County.
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?
I will encourage the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County to enhance their existing joint collaboration and multi-agency work. While the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care (CoC) provides a foundation for these efforts, a crucial missing element has been the substantive inclusion of people and groups directly impacted by homelessness. Organizations like the Community Awareness Alliance, which have frontline experience, should have a permanent seat at the table. Their insights are invaluable and can prevent well-intentioned plans from becoming disconnected from the on-the-ground realities. Their participation shouldn’t be an afterthought but a central part of every strategy, ensuring accountability and transparency in a way that traditional systems often miss.
I will also advocate for the new Office of Community Safety (OCS) to play a role in coordinating these resources and organizations. By leveraging the OCS’s mission to address the root causes of community issues, we can create a more streamlined and effective system. The office can work to reduce the fragmentation that often leaves people falling through the cracks, connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with housing assistance, mental health services, and other supportive programs from various community partners.