Full Disclosure: I'm not a fan of City Councilman Mario Benavente. Over the years, his actions and behavior have defined his persona as a self-indulgent opportunist. Benavente is a remarkably intelligent and knowledgable young man, very capable of analyzing complex situations and articulating them along with common sense solutions. Hopefully, he will use these God-given talents for the greater good of the Fayetteville community.

I must give credit where credit is due. Benavente’s recent comment about extending the City Council members terms to four years are right on the mark: “It’s crucial that if we want to make such a drastic change to the way that this city operates that it once again goes to the vote of the people and should not rely simply on City Council to benefit themselves by changing the rules to give themselves more time.”

Journalist Bill Kirby, Jr. and former Councilman Ted Mohn both speak out about the prospect of changing city elected officials' term limits along with the true intentions of District 6 Councilman Derrick Thompson.
I agree wholeheartedly with Ted Mohn’s assessment of Thompson in his comparison to the late honorable District 6 representative Bill Crisp. Thompson definitely is no Bill Crisp. And, the same can be said of former District 6 representative Chris Davis, who also failed to live up to the reputation of Bill Crisp’s dedication, commitment to duty, and concern for all of Fayetteville’s residents. Both are extreme disappointments.

Read on. Kirby and Mohn say it best. Enjoy. And, thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper.

Bill Kirby Jr.: City councilman says change in term length is a decision for residents alone

By Bill Kirby Jr.

If a new Fayetteville City Council member cannot get up to speed on long-term strategic planning for the city, then that City Council member should not be on the council. But that’s freshman Councilman Derrick Thompson’s position in hoping to change council member terms from two years to staggered four-year terms.

“I think it’s crucial that if we want to make such a drastic change to the way that this city operates that it once again goes to the vote of the people and should not rely simply on City Council to benefit themselves by changing the rules to give themselves more time,” says Mario Benavente, also a freshman councilman. And well said, councilman.

Benavente has support from Kathy Keefe Jensen, who says her north Fayetteville residents are fine with two-year terms.

The council, by vote of Mayor Mitch Colvin, Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Dawkins and council members D.J. Haire, Shakeyla Ingram, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Brenda McNair, Deno Hondros and Thompson, has called for a public hearing in the council chamber on April 10 to hear how you feel about it.

A chamber of 15 to 20 people speaking at a public hearing does not speak for this city, and neither does a mayor, a mayor pro tem and six council members. City residents estimated at 208,000 do, and the truth is less than three quarters of them even take the time to vote.
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Councilman Derrick Thompson says he is not a “politician” and only trying to save the city money and do what is best for the city when it comes to staggered, four-year council terms. Former council member Ted Mohn begs to differ, and the former mayor pro tem doesn’t mince his words.

Ted Mohn Begs to Differ

“Derrick Thompson is nothing like a Bill Crisp in D6,” Mohn says in an email referencing the late District 6 councilman who served six two-year council terms before stepping down in 2017 because of declining health.

“Derrick Thompson appears simply as an arrogant, self-serving politician. Bill Crisp was often quoted saying that while he was elected in District 6, his beat was the entire city of Fayetteville. Derrick Thompson is a typical politician pandering to his specific council district. Derrick Thompson's narrow-minded views of not wanting this on the ballot is a total disgrace to Bill Crisp's legacy.”

Those who agree with Thompson, you can be assured, would beg to differ with Mohn. William Crisp died at age 81 on July 28, 2021.

Editor’s note: Bill Kirby’s column appeared on www.cityviewnc.com/ March 17. For background on the proposal to extend City Council term limits, read the article written by CityView Today's Ben Sessoms in the March 15 issue of Up & Coming Weekly or online at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/local-news-briefs/9614-city-council-sets-public-hearing-on-extending-length-of-election-terms.