Veteran Fayetteville City Councilmen Ted Mohn and Jim Arp suffered upset election losses Nov. 5. Both served for 10 years. They were defeated by novice politicians Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and Yvonne Y. Kinston respectively. Another newcomer, Shakeyla M. Ingram, was elected to replace Dan Culliton in District 2. He chose not to seek election after being appointed to council a year-and-a-half ago. Three African-American women are replacing three white men. Chris Davis won the District 6 election replacing longtime councilman Bill Crisp, who did not seek re-election. Incumbents Kathy Jensen and Tisha Waddell won re-election, bringing to five the number of women on the new city council, which is a record. Incumbent members Johnny Dawkins, D.J. Haire and Larry Wright were unopposed and easily won their races. Mayor Mitch Colvin was re-elected without opposition.

Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner won a fifth two-year term Nov. 5 defeating Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell. “We’re going to have a great team and we’re going to work together, and all the negativity is going to be gone,” Warner said.
The Board of Commissioners was divided by internal feuding and personal attacks on social media. Without naming them, Warner’s reference clearly was to Mitchell and incumbent commissioner Meg Larson, both of whom vigorously opposed Warner the last two years. Incumbent board members Pat Edwards, Jerry Legge and Jessie Bellflowers were re-elected. Kenjuana McCray and Bryan Marley won the seats vacated by Mitchell and Larsen. McCray becomes the first African-American to be elected to the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners. She was the top vote-getter. “I’m humbled. we made history tonight,” McCray said.

In Spring Lake, Mayor Larry Dobbins won re-election to a second term, defeating newcomer Jami Mclaughlin. Incumbent Town Alderman James Christian lost his re-election bid by one vote to incumbent Sona Cooper. Mayor Pro Tem James O’Garra and Alderwomen Frederika Sutherland and Jackie Lee Jackson won re-election. Newcomer Taimoor Aziz replaces Christian in December.

This year’s local election oddity was in Stedman where Mayor-for-life Billy Horne found himself in an initial tie with challenger Jordan Stewart. Each of them received 30 votes. A third candidate, Jeremy George was just one vote behind them with 29. Totaling all the Cumberland County municipal elections, less than 10% of the registered voters went to the polls.

Now it’s time for the real change to happen. If you’re wondering about the timeline when newly elected officials will get to work, city council members in North Carolina take office at different times between early December and Jan. 1. Local councils are chosen in what are called off-year elections, usually in odd numbered years. This year, the new Fayetteville City Council will be sworn in Monday, Dec. 2. Members will then select the mayor pro tem, which is typically the top vote-getter. But there are no official rules for the procedure. The inauguration will be held at Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University at 6 p.m.