7 Fayetteville City Council member Kathy Keefe Jensen is excited to be back on City Council for her fifth term. Jensen was originally elected to serve District 1 on the Fayetteville City Council in Nov. 2013.
District 1 runs across the city's northern edge. It includes residential neighborhoods on Fort Bragg, neighborhoods around Methodist University, Kings Grant Golf & Country Club, parts of Murchison Road and North Ramsey.

She will have been serving on City Council for almost a decade, and as such, she will have the opportunity to see things come to fruition when only a decade ago, it was nonexistent.

“I never thought I'd be here this long,” Jensen told Up & Coming Weekly. “I look forward to closing out things that had gotten started and with government — nothing goes fast. I'm proud of the work that has been done. I honestly say that when I drive around Fayetteville, I'm very proud.”

Jensen bested two candidates who were running against her — Alex Rodriguez and William Milbourne III, who ran as a write-in candidate.
When asked about voter turnout for the summer city election, Jensen said that while it was low, she was shocked that it reached almost 12%. She cites voter turnout in local elections have been low in other cities like Raleigh and Charlotte this year.

“The issue is local elections are your most important elections, and people need to be educated on local elections. It's nonpartisan,” Jensen said.

“So the interesting thing to me is in this election that this is my fifth term and I had supporters that did not even know what party I was. And that to me is what city government should be, because I don't care what your party is. You're my constituent and you live in this city and I need to represent you.”

As chair of the Parks and Recreation Bond committee, Jensen helped oversee several pools and splash pads being funded, built and opened in the city. For Jensen, these new pools and splash pads are perfect for families as it's inexpensive, easy to get to, and kids will have endless hours of fun. She says they are the founding of family traditions.

“So we went from one pool in 60 years … and we came in and now we have four pools in the city,” Jensen said. “Eight years ago, we had one splash pad. Right now in the county we have 12.”

For teenagers, Jensen said she saw an absent youth council, and she was inspired after going to the National League of Municipalities in Washington, D.C.

“I felt like it was something that we needed that we forgot about. And so we revitalized it,” Jensen said. “We have been named the state's best youth council. We are a force to be reckoned with in the youth councils, even on a national level.”

Even for older teens and adults, Jensen wants the city to provide events that will allow the whole family to have fun.

“Well, the New Year's Eve party, that was something that I've wanted to do forever,” Jensen said. “But now you've started your tradition in your family, and that's the key.”

During this last term, Jensen served as Mayor Pro Tem. She decided she will no longer fill that role. Instead, she wants to focus more on her liaison role to Fort Bragg and the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission.

“I loved every minute of it. I think that we're put in the position in the time that you need to be put in the position because I feel like I'm pretty levelheaded, calm,” Jensen said when thinking about her time as Mayor Pro Tem.

However, since becoming the liaison to Fort Bragg and working with the state for military affairs, Jensen says she realized how much Fayetteville could help the military community by having jobs available and being more accessible to the military installation.

“We want to be good neighbors, and we want to be able to help and thrive. So we want to be in partnership. We want to collaborate. We want to be part of the universe. We want to help the quality of life and sometimes you just need to sit down at the table and say, okay, what is it that we need to do?”

Jensen was one of the collaborators to get a city partnership with the military installation to build a new sports complex. The facility will be built near I-95 and McArthur Road. The complex will include baseball fields, a playground, trails and open areas, bathrooms and parking.

“We have gotten a 30-year lease from the military, which takes an act of Congress to do. And we did it. We literally got an act of Congress to make it happen. And so we're very excited about that,” Jensen said.

Looking to the near future, Jensen is hoping a new bond will be passed in the next election. The bond would address public safety, infrastructure and affordable housing in the city.

“We are short right now 20,000 houses. So you look at that number, and you go, wow, Fayetteville needs to get to it,” Jensen said. “But that's everywhere. We all know that rent prices have gone up. Of course, it's a city problem, but it's also a nationwide problem.”

According to city documents, the bonds would be valued at a maximum of $97 million. Voters will be able to vote on each area — public safety, infrastructure and housing — separately, as each will have its own portion of the $97 million.
The “Vote Yes Referendum” is another referendum that may be on the ballot. This referendum would change the structure of the City Council by changing its current nine single-member districts and mayor to a structure of the mayor, five single-member districts and four at large members.

“I will definitely vote to have both bonds put on [the ballot],” Jensen said.

Jensen looks forward to having more conversations and help grow Fayetteville. She believes Fayetteville will be getting an influx of people in the next few years and they need to be ready.

“I only want what's best for where I live, work and recreate,” Jensen said.

“I think Fayetteville is growing. The north side District 1 is growing by leaps and bounds, and we just have to make sure that we are sitting down, having the conversations and that [Fayetteville] is a place to live, work and play.”

The inauguration of the City Council members will take place on Aug. 11 in the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University.

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