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Election Q&A

Meet Fayetteville City Council District 7 candidates McNair, Wright

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Larry Wright, who was first elected to the City Council in 2013, is being challenged for the District 7 seat by businesswoman and political newcomer Brenda McNair.

Wright says the city is headed in the right direction and there are projects that he wants to see completed.

McNair says there should be more transparency in city government and that city leaders need to do more to address crime.

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. These are their answers, which have been edited for style and grammar.

Brenda McNair

Age: 60

Occupation: Entrepreneur

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? 

Crime is a community problem. Policing is an important part of the solution, but we cannot arrest our way out of crime. Other community organizations such as schools, faith institutions, neighborhood watch groups, and families need to be the most engaged. The main thing is we have to start early interventions with at-risk youngsters.

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?

It is the city manager’s job to run our city. With that thought in mind, the community needs to be cognIzant that the manager implements policy adopted by the council. The council needs to provide a budget that will allow the manager to hire and retain the best quality police officers Fayetteville can afford.

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?

The key word to this issue is “affordable.” Can any municipality control the housing market? At best, it’s going to be a daunting task. What the council can influence are the kinds of jobs which come to our community. Better paying jobs will solve a lot of our problems, including crime.

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? 

The Police Department has to answer as to whether a conscious decision was made to ban minor traffic stops. If the traffic stops are not racially motivated or biased then there should not be a problem, however, if bias is involved the Police Department and the city manager need to deal with it accordingly.

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?

Fayetteville is a great place to live, and we need to market ourselves as such. In some places, the optics are not good. We need a better look in a couple of areas. We need to invest in resources to keep our city clean.

Larry Wright

Age: 64

Occupation: Pastor, retired military

Elected offices held: City Council District 7

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? 

City officials and the Police Department are working continually to reduce crime in our city, but there is always more that can be done. One important approach is community policing. This is where the police officer builds relationships with the community they serve, building trust and overcoming fears on both sides. Crime is also the result of many social ills. Mental illness needs to be addressed. We can not arrest our way out of crime. We must deal with the root of the problems in our community. That will take everyone getting involved in reducing crime. Starting with families (parents), (the) school system (school to prison pipeline), job creation, a livable wage. Poverty is a real issue in our community. Impacting poverty will impact crime. Studies have shown that poverty has a direct coalition to crime.

Finally, we must provide the police with the necessary tools they need to do their job. Training is key. The police can’t stop someone from pulling the trigger but what comes next depends on well-equipped/ trained officers moving quickly to prevent revenge shootings. Finally, technology, more cameras to connect our city with the Police Department. Together we can make a difference.

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?

We have increased police pay comparable to peer cities and bonuses, implemented a home-ownership program giving grants to officers who enroll in the program. The department has hired 60 more officers to fill vacancies. The department has just graduated a new class of highly trained officers. The department is recruiting every day. I voted to give $75,000 for contracted mental health services for officers. We need a strong police force and … to ensure that our officers are well compensated and well cared for. I will push to ensure that the morale of our officers is high by taking action to show our law enforcement officers that they are appreciated and needed. Also, we can give sign-on bonuses as incentives to hire quality officers.

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?

Affordable housing is a must for any growing city. … I personally lobbied the Governor’s Office and received $2 million to complete the project to Bunce Road in District 7. Now 47 new Habitat Homes sit where there once was a trailer park full of drugs and crime. We did the dedication on the last home June 26. Homeownership is the American Dream for hard-working families. I will continue to work to increase the inventory of affordable houses in Fayetteville.

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? 

City Council voted about four years ago to install red-light cameras, which decreased the rate of serious accidents in our city. This is a good thing. I have no problem with police officers doing their job. Speeding, running red lights and other traffic violations should be addressed. This is what makes, keeps our roads safe for all motorists. What I won’t accept is profiling motorists.

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?

Tax incentives and other incentives to corporations wanting to bring big business to Fayetteville are always a good start. Building relationships that will build our economy and increase job growth. Normally these multi-million dollar companies will give back to the city they do business in. Building a reputation in the corporate world of being a good business partner. Resources to support a diverse and viable economy. These are some funding that we already give: $50,000 to continue the corridor revitalization program; $100,000 for advertising incentives for added flight destinations or services at Fayetteville Regional Airport; $115,000 support for the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp., and $35,000 for the Center for Economic Empowerment and Development. Continue funding $220,000 for the management of the downtown arts and entertainment district service and program. Corporations look for this type of investment in a city in their decision-making process before moving their families to a new city. This is one reason we got Amazon, and this is only the beginning. In the near future, other corporations will come to do business in Fayetteville. Vote Wright! to continue to move Fayetteville forward! I will fight for you.

Fayetteville, City Council, District 7, Brenda McNair, Larry Wright, Q&A, elections

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