The Fayetteville City Council, with a 9-1 vote, shot down a plan for term extensions for council members at its Monday night meeting.
At a work session in March, the City Council voted 8-2 to hold a public hearing on extending council members’ two-year terms to staggered, four-year terms, meaning some council members would be elected in one election cycle while others would be elected in the next.
After hearing criticism from residents concerning term extensions at that April 10 hearing, the council decided to abandon the measure.
Council member Mario Benavente stood alone Monday in opposition to the decision. He did not voice support for term extensions but wanted the council to follow through with a voter referendum on the issue, something many residents called for during the public hearing weeks before.
“One month ago, eight members of the City Council, excluding myself and (council member Kathy Jensen), resolved to intend to amend the city charter, and that’s a big deal. Our city charter is something that is essentially our Constitution. And when the vast majority of this council decided to go down that road, they stirred the pot with this community,” Benavente said.
“If we’re going to start this process and stir this pot, have your soup, too,” Benavente continued. “Put this on the ballot. Let the people decide for themselves what they want to do.”
In a referendum on term extensions in 2018, 65% of Fayetteville voters rejected the plan.
Council member Derrick Thompson initially proposed extending council member terms at the work session in March, citing concerns about efficiency and the possibility of all seats on the City Council changing hands in one election, something Thompson previously said would “cause havoc” for a city the size of Fayetteville.
At that work session, Benavente asked Thompson why the issue could not go to a referendum. Thompson responded, “Because we don’t have to.”
At the April 10 public hearing, many residents and former elected officials took issue with his comment.
“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you need to do something,” said Fayetteville resident Angela Malloy.
“To boldly declare that as a body, you have a right to do something simply because you can is inconceivable for public servants and sends a very strong message to the general public, whether that was the intent or not,” said former council member Antonio Jones in an emailed statement to current council members and CityView before the public hearing.
Thompson did not respond to the criticism at Monday’s meeting, but he did make the motion to not extend terms.
Jensen, who voted against setting a public hearing on the issue, has voiced opposition to term extensions throughout the process. She said at Monday’s meeting that she is against taking the issue to a referendum.
“We spent a lot of time and a lot of energy five years ago, and overwhelmingly the public told us ‘no,’” Jensen said.
“I am ready to move on and start doing the city’s business,” Jensen continued. “When I do not vote for it, I do not want to see in the paper tomorrow, ‘Council member Jensen voted not to take it to the people.’ I’ve heard from my constituents, and they have been loud and clear.”
Benavente said Jensen has a right to voice that position because she has been against term extensions since the measure was proposed in March. Benavente called it a “political move” for others to oppose a referendum.
Mayor Mitch Colvin criticized the idea that the City Council would not be following through on the process by not going to a voter referendum.
“Talking about political moves; it’s political to manufacture controversies,” Colvin said.
The mayor said the purpose of a public hearing is to hear people’s voices and vote accordingly, something the City Council has done before, he said.
“Overwhelmingly, they said, ‘I don’t like the idea that you’re discussing.’”
Colvin said that if Benavente wants a referendum, then he should introduce a measure calling for one before the City Council.
“To say that it’s just political maneuvering by eight people is disingenuous, and it’s just not the case,” Colvin said.
City Council adds an early voting site
Aside from the term extension discussion, the City Council on Monday unanimously approved adding an early-voting site for the municipal election in November.
The new early-voting site will be at Cliffdale Recreation Center.
Ben Sessoms covers Fayetteville and education for CityView. He can be reached at bsessoms@cityviewnc.com.
