Political newcomer Fred LaChance is challenging Councilman Johnny Dawkins to represent District 5 on the Fayetteville City Council.
LaChance, 70, is a Navy veteran who owns and operates an antiques store on Bragg Boulevard.
Dawkins, 63, is a health insurance and Medicare benefits consultant. He is pursuing his fourth term on the City Council.
The municipal election is July 26. Early voting is underway at the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office.
CityView TODAY asked the candidates for City Council and mayor questions about several issues facing the community. Here are their answers.
Age: 63
Occupation: Health insurance benefits consultant
Elected offices held: City Council, three terms
Crime in the city continues to rise, according to a recent report on the first quarter of 2022 by Police Chief Gina Hawkins to the City Council. Are city officials — and specifically, the police chief and the Police Department — doing enough to address crime? If not, what should they do differently?
Focus more on gang and drug crimes, since we are not doing enough.
Record numbers of officers have left and are leaving our police force. Many are underpaid and feel they don’t have the support of their leaders. What is your plan to correct this serious issue?
I have supported fully funding the FPD (Fayetteville Police Department) budget, and I will continue to do so.
Affordable housing continues to be an issue for many in our community. The City Council decided to earmark part of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to address housing issues. What else can the city do to help residents find safe, affordable housing?
Improve public safety and continue to bring in higher-paying jobs, as we have done these last four years.
A review of Fayetteville’s traffic stops shows they totaled over 70,000 in 2016 and less than 22,000 last year. There are still problems with speeding, red light violations and other traffic issues. Was there a conscious decision made to ban minor traffic stops, and if so by whom? Are you concerned about the decrease in stops and what should the city do about it?
It appears there was a conscious decision to ban minor traffic stops, but I do not know who made that decision. Am very concerned we are not stopping speeders like we used to do.
Fayetteville has seen some economic news in recent months with the new Amazon distribution center and other business announcements. What does city leadership need to do to increase jobs in our community? What city resources need to be devoted to this cause?
We must continue to support our economic development actions with smart, affordable incentives.
Age: 70
Occupation: U.S. Navy retired; owner, operator of Dixie Antiques
Elected offices held: None
Crime in the city continues to rise, according to a recent report on the first quarter of 2022 by Police Chief Gina Hawkins to the City Council. Are city officials — and specifically, the police chief and the Police Department — doing enough to address crime? If not, what should they do differently?
It’s time for new leadership. Morale and support for the Police Department are very low.
Record numbers of officers have left and are leaving our police force. Many are underpaid and feel they don’t have the support of their leaders. What is your plan to correct this serious issue?
Again, as in the last question, we need to replace the police chief. I served 23 years in the Navy and have seen a captain be relieved of his command because of low morale among the ship’s crew. Communication with your troops is a positive way to start rebuilding the force, along with a pay raise.
Affordable housing continues to be an issue for many in our community. The City Council decided to earmark part of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to address housing issues. What else can the city do to help residents find safe, affordable housing?
It’s time to reach out to owners of housing and bring them on board with the city. A plan is needed by both groups to solve the problems of affordable housing. With the help of funding such a plan, all we need is some communication between the city and owners.
A review of Fayetteville’s traffic stops shows they totaled over 70,000 in 2016 and less than 22,000 last year. There are still problems with speeding, red light violations and other traffic issues. Was there a conscious decision made to ban minor traffic stops, and if so by whom? Are you concerned about the decrease in stops and what should the city do about it?
My policy is you break the law, you pay the penalty. I would ensure that the Police Department would have enough body cams to record all incidents. I see too many cars running red lights and stop signs while speeding. We need to bring back the respect for the police officers while at the same time the police need to be professional at all times.
Fayetteville has seen some economic news in recent months with the new Amazon distribution center and other business announcements. What does city leadership need to do to increase jobs in our community? What city resources need to be devoted to this cause?
We need to support small businesses better in Fayetteville. Not enough information is put out for people who want to start a business. Building codes are the main problem. It’s time for the city to communicate with people who want to start a business. One way would be to form a department where the city goes and helps the new business owners with a building inspection before they sign a lease. This way they don’t use up all of their overhead money.
