Monday’s City Council Meeting – 3-23-26

Rocky Mount NC City Government 3 Minutes

Before commenting on the Council meeting I need to tell you a bit about my mother-in-law for this to make sense.

She was a Jackson, Mississippi girl, an Ole Miss graduate, belonging to the Chi Omega sorority. As she grew older, her southern accent became more pronounced. Put these things together and you know a lot about her already. Her name….Jane Gaddis Houghtlin

By the time I met her, I was a freshman in high school and dating the oldest of her four sons. Those boys all said, “Yes, ma’am” and “No, ma’am.”

Bob did his mother proud. He was second summa cum laude in his high school ETHS class of 650, a Princeton graduate, with a career at Leo Burnett Advertising Company in Chicago, eventually becoming one of their five vice presidents.

Jane was tall and tottered around on high-heeled shoes. She wore sheath dresses that accented her thinness. She was as smart as any of today’s AI platforms.

And she told wonderful stories.

At fifteen, I learned from her an old-time finger game you play on a child’s back.

“Hickama, Hakama, Cranie-crow… how many fingers do I show?”

“Two,” he said.

But four it was.

“Hickama, Hakama, Cranie-crow…” You keep repeating the verse as you play, changing the fingers you slightly press on a child’s back.

A few years ago, I played that same game for the first time on the backs of two of her delighted great-grandsons. I hope she would be pleased that I remember such things and more about her.

I wanted you to have a feel for Granny Jane before I go on. This blog is not only dedicated to her, but because it suits my purposes today, I want to apply one of her saying to Rocky Mount.

“Take it easy, greasy… you got a long way to slide.” (Add a slow southern drawl)

On Monday night, 3-23-26, the City Council met for three and a half hours.

The room was full, the tone serious, the subject unavoidable, the findings of the state audit with those ramifications and consequences, were THE topic.

For those who sat through it, or watched from home as I did, there were public comments that clearly showed recognition …….

What has happened did not happen overnight. The problems we are now naming have been forming for some time. Those decisions, some made, some avoided, have carried us to this place.

And, without a change in direction, there is still more sliding to come.

Granny Jane’s words were usually said with a bit of mischief, even affection. “Take it easy, greasy… is a line that makes you smile when you first hear it. But I offer it here as a warning.

Underneath this bit of fun there is a truth.

Sliding begins when you ignore the first sign.
When the warning feels small enough to dismiss.
When you assume there is still time. All of this has taken place.

What we heard Monday night was about more than the financial crisis. It was about the language the audit used: a lack of leadership and oversight.

It was about the responsibility that comes when entrusted with the care of a city. A city, like a family, like a business, like a life, does not hold its course by accident.

It holds because someone is paying attention.
Because someone is willing to ask the harder question.
Because someone is willing to say, not later, but now, “This is not right.”

Without new leadership, and a new direction, there is still a long way we could slide.

I have been writing about changing the way we vote from a ward-based to city-wide elections. Even if this is part of the answer for Rocky Mount, we are living ‘in the mean time.’ What is to be done?

You can add a thought or two in the comments for this post with your wisdom on the matter. I hope you will. SFH

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Published by Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin

Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin grew up in Evanston, IL. and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She is an author of two novels: The Greening of a Heart and Facing East. She lives, writes and gardens in NC. Visit her: Stephenyhoughtlin.com

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9 thoughts on “Monday’s City Council Meeting – 3-23-26”

  1. Recall

    A quick AI internet search provided the following search results.

    Rocky Mount voters get to work if you want change! This is your opportunity to redirect the course of your future.

    Rodd

    How to remove elected officials

    Recalling a city council member or elected official involves filing a petition, gathering a specific number of registered voter signatures within a set time limit, and holding a special election if the petition is verified. The process is governed by state laws and municipal charters, often requiring specific legal grounds for removal, such as misfeasance or neglect of duty. 

    Steps to Recall Local Officials

    1. Check Local and State Laws: Procedures vary significantly by state and town charter. Review your state’s constitution and local municipal code to understand the specific rules for recall, including allowable grounds for recall (e.g., incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance).
    2. Form a Recall Committee: A group of registered voters must form a committee and designate a leader to act as the principal contact.
    3. File a Notice of Intent/Petition: Submit an application or petition to the election official (e.g., city clerk or county election commission). This often includes:
      1. The name of the official.
      1. A statement (sometimes limited to 60–200 words) explaining the reasons for the recall.
    4. Gather Signatures: Obtain signatures from registered voters in the district or town. The required amount is usually a percentage of total registered voters or votes cast in the last election (e.g., 10% or more, depending on town size). There is usually a strict time limit, such as 30 days, for this process.
    5. Submit and Verify Signatures: Submit the signed petition pages to the clerk for verification.
    6. Schedule the Election: If enough signatures are verified, the election commission will schedule a recall election (often 60-90 days later).
    7. Hold the Recall Election: Voters cast ballots on whether to remove the official, and often, who should replace them.

    Key Considerations

    • Official’s Defense: In some jurisdictions, the official has a set time (e.g., 20 days) to submit a defense statement, which is included with the petition.
    • Differentiation: A separate recall petition must be prepared for each individual member of a governing body.
    • Legal Sufficiency: Courts may review the recall petition to ensure the alleged grounds are sufficient to inform the electorate of specific misconduct. 

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      1. Very welcome!
        The wonderful thing about America is we can remove dirty elected officials by organizing and mobilizing voters 👍

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  2. The best part of our election system is the ability to vote people out of office!

    Perhaps a special election is in order to remove the city council from their seats and elect a new council who will terminate the City Manager along with all department heads.

    After all the fish stinks from the head down.

    Start circulating petitions to recall Rocky Mounts elected officials and replace them. It is time!
    Rodd

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  3. Spot on. But what is the vehicle to remove current council and senior administration and get new ones in? Would like to hear information from you about that.

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    1. Queen for the Day! I’d rather be the Downtown Development person. I could start this moment with all the ideas I have, and plans, and marketing and, and, and. But thanks for the mayor suggestion anyhow. It’s fun to play ‘what if’….. SFH

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  5. You are so right about everything going on with the city. I also wish that the council members were voted on by all the citizens, not just the ones in their ward. There has been so much said on Facebook and Nextdoor, but I don’t think any of the councilmen or mayor has read any of them. If they would, they would realize that the whole city is against how they are managing things. Maybe they would try to do a better job, but I don’t think it matters to them. This started not just with Keith Rogers, but when RST was here. Now, I guess we just have to wait until Monday to see how much this is going to affect the citizens of Rocky Mount.

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    1. A failure of leadership and over sight….this is our new bumper sticker and everyone will know what it means. The entire council has been painted with the same brush now. (Except for Charles who just got here.) This is a time when the saying, one for all and all for one, could remove six councilman from their hot seats. Thanks for keeping me company of Main Street. SFH

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