Rachel Heimann Mercader has done an excellent job of reporting in her recent CityView article, shining a light on Fayetteville’s little-known City Council dinner meetings. Her thorough coverage captures both the history and the controversy surrounding these gatherings. Yet the point that truly stunned me was learning why these meetings actually began in 2008: former Mayor Tony Chavonne revealed they were created because council members were failing to read their packets and come prepared for official sessions.
Both Mayor Chavonne and his successor, Nat Robertson, admitted the practice was meant to bring council members up-to-date and avoid embarrassment once the TV cameras rolled. That revelation raises a troubling question—why are we electing leaders who are too lazy or incompetent to understand the business of governing our city? These closed-door dinners either need to end or be made fully accessible to the public.
Transparency is not difficult, and Cumberland County Commissioners under Chairman Kirk deViere have shown how to effectively keep citizens informed with openness and accountability. Yet when Councilman Mario Benavente’s motion to make these meetings more transparent failed in a 5–4 vote, the message was clear: Mayor Mitch Colvin intends to preside over a rubber-stamp council beginning Dec. 1, with business as usual and little interest in bringing Fayetteville citizens into the sunlight. Not good. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.…