Rocky Mount, NC Mayoral Race: Raising The Bar On Expectations

In the late 1990’s I was in Charleston, SC at a Garden Symposium. Joe Riley, the Mayor at that time spoke at a luncheon. I thought then they need to clone this man and send him all over the country. Rocky Mount needs to raise its expectations of its Mayor.

AN EXAMPLE: Over the span of four decades Joe Riley had a profound impact on virtually every facet of life in Charleston. Under his guidance and leadership, and in part due to his political acumen, Charleston become an international tourism destination, a hub of culture and the arts, an economic powerhouse and a model for historic preservation and urban design. During Riley’s forty-year tenure as mayor, the City of Charleston saw a substantial decrease in crime, a revitalization of the historic downtown business district, the creation and growth of Spoleto Festival U.S. A., an expansion of the city’s park system, and the development of nationally-acclaimed affordable housing.

We were once told that a Mayor has little impact on a community beyond filling their ceremonial duties: cutting ribbons, a shovel in the ground on a new project, having their photograph taken with people the city council is recognizing. Certainly Mayor Sandy Roberson, with his good humor and personable presence, his business acumen, has exceeded the old expectations of what a mayor can do.

Though it is a 3 person race; neither gentleman riding on the Rocky Mount train is giving up their seat to the lady standing in the aisle. As the City Council is constituted today, one criticism I hear about the current mayor concerns his lack of drawing a line when it comes to the repeated rudeness and fly-parts Councilman Knight has. When called for, where are the objections from the council who condone this behavior with their silence? After some research on the subject, it can be called emotional abuse from Mr. Knight. (Using insulting language. … Yelling. … Shifting the blame. … Outbursts of unpredictable anger.)

Its been like a marathon on the Ward 1 dance floor, Andre Knight has been dancing for 20 years to the tune of ‘I did it my way.’ The amount of energy spent dealing with his negative impact on Rocky Mount could light up the streets that need street lights. Remove Knight from the equation in the October election. Elect the Mayor who has the energy to expand his role in determining Rocky Mount’s future for one and all.

The day after the election, I recommend the following: The winners – Get a massage, have a great meal with loved ones, a good night’s sleep and in the AM some quiet time to pray and reflect on all you could be if you dared. Joe Riley is not a one-off in Charleston and Rocky Mount needs a mayor like him that helped Charleston become what it is today.